An X server is not a server for distributing your perfect models output!

An X server is basically a program running on your local computer that understands the X Windows System protocol used by remote Linux servers to generate graphics, and that can render (i.e. display) the graphics generated remotely on your local computer.

Linux computers come pre-configured with a running X server that will display the graphics generated locally and on remote Linux servers

You don't need to do anything special!

There are several options available

Type: free

Download the installer from VcXrsv and install VcXsrv.

You need to configure VcXsrv to work in multiple windows mode. The following steps will show you how to create a shortcut on your desktop to start VcXsrv in this appropriate mode

• Start the configuration tool: Start ⇒ VcXsrv ⇒ Xlaunch
• Select Multiple windows, then Next
• Select Start no client, then Next
• Keep the default Clipboard settings, uncheck Native opengl, then Next
  • You can check the OpenGL discussion section if you have time…
• Click on Save configuration and save an X_Server.xlaunch configuration file on your Desktop, then Terminate.
  You should now have a new X_Server icon/shortcut on your Desktop
• Start the server by double-clicking on the new X_Server icon
  • It will seem that nothing happens, but an X icon will appear in the right side of the taskbar (you may have to look for it in the Display hidden icons pull-up menu). Your computer is now ready to display remote graphics!
    
  • The X server will stop when you close your Windows session or restart the computer. Do not forget to click on the X_Server icon on your desktop if you know that you will need an X server later
    • Document how to automatically start the X server…
  • Note: you can right-click on the X icon and select Exit… if you need to quit the X server

Type: commercial

Buy and install x410 from the Microsoft store

• Start x410: Start ⇒ X410
  • It will seem that nothing happens, but an X icon will appear in the right side of the taskbar (you may have to look for it in the Display hidden icons pull-up menu). Your computer is now almost ready to display remote graphics!
    
• Right-click on the X icon to open the X410 settings
  • Select Auto copy to Windows after selection
    
• It's possible to automatically start x410! Otherwise, it will stop when you close your Windows session or restart the computer, and you will have to restart it by hand (Start ⇒ X410) if you know that you will need an X server later
  • Open the Windows Task Manager (Right-click on Start and select Task Manager)
  • Go to the Startup panel (if there are no panels, select More details)
  • Right-click on X140 and select Enabled
• Note: if you need to quit the X server, you can right-click on the X icon, and then click on the Display number at the lower left (usually 0) and select Shut down

Nothing special to do, if you are using "ssh -X" or "ssh -Y" or PuTTY to connect to a remote Linux server

You need to know what you consider as the Local machine, and what is the Remote server

• Local machine: your local Windows computer, where you have installed WSL+Ubuntu

• Remote server : we consider 2 types of remote servers:
  • an actual remote server
  • The WSL computer running on a virtual machine inside your local Windows computer. This can be considered as a different and remote computer, even it is running on the local computer
    You need your local X server to display graphics generated in WSL
  • Define the DISPLAY variable in the terminals used in WSL:
    • bash shell: export DISPLAY=localhost:0.0
    • tcsh shell: setenv DISPLAY localhost:0.0
    • You probably want to define the DISPLAY variable automatically in one of the shell configuration files

The idea is to:

• Open a terminal and check that the DISPLAY environment variable is correctly defined on the local machine
• Connect to the remote machine
• Check that a (new) DISPLAY variable is automatically defined on the remote machine
• Check that you can start an application using graphics (e.g. xterm) on the remote machine

Some basic commands in a terminal

[Local] $ hostname
name_of_your_local_machine

[Local] $ echo $DISPLAY
:0

[Local] $ ssh -X some_login@some_remote_server
[some connection information skipped here]

[Remote] $ hostname
name_of_the_remote_server

[Remote] $ echo $DISPLAY
localhost:20.0

[Remote] $ xterm

We just open a Powershell window (Start ⇒ Windows Powershell ⇒ Windows Powershell) and type some basic commands

PS C:\> $env:computername
name_of_your_local_machine

PS C:\> $env:DISPLAY
PS C:\> $env:DISPLAY="localhost:0"
PS C:\> $env:DISPLAY
localhost:0

PS C:\> ssh -Y some_login@some_remote_server
Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11 forwarding.
[some connection information skipped here]

[Remote] $ hostname
name_of_the_remote_server

[Remote] $ echo $DISPLAY
localhost:19.0

[Remote] $ xterm

We assume here that PuTTY is already installed and configured and correctly configured (with Enable X11 forwarding)

We just have to open a pre-configured PuTTY Session on a remote server

[Remote] $ hostname
name_of_the_remote_server

[Remote] $ echo $DISPLAY
localhost:19.0

[Remote] $ xterm

We assume that WSL+Ubuntu is installed and that the DISPLAY variable is configured correctly

Open a WSL terminal (you should know how, if you have installed WSL) and type some basic commands

[Local WSL] $ hostname
name_of_your_local_machine
[Local WSL] $ echo $DISPLAY
localhost:0.0
[Local WSL] $ xterm

[Local WSL] $ ssh -X some_login@some_remote_server
[some connection information skipped here]

[Remote] $ echo $DISPLAY
localhost:22.0
[Remote] $ xterm

That's unfortunate, but:

• Have you turned on your computer?
• Do you have network access, and an account on a remote server?
• Have you run the Tests?
• Have you installed and configured the X server correctly? Is it really running?
• Have you configured PuTTY and/or other required applications correctly ?
• Is the DISPLAY variable defined correctly on the local and remote computer?

It's hard to know what the best OpenGL settings for your X server are: it depends on your local computer, the remote computer, the network speed, the application generating the graphics, the libraries' versions…

• If Native opengl is activated in VcXsrv, you may have to also use the following environment variable on the remote computer: export LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1
  • or maybe not! You can try to understand the What does LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1 actually do? thread…

• If you use VcXsrv and the content of some displayed X windows appear blurry, see if you can fix the compatibility settings, or try to use x410.

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