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@DestinyOne
Last active November 15, 2023 13:21
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Letting ubuntu bash on Windows 10 run 'ssh -X' to get a GUI environment in a remote server

Letting Ubuntu bash on Windows 10 run 'ssh -X' to get a GUI environment on a remote server

  • First

Install all the following. On Window, install Xming. On Ubuntu bash, use sudo apt install to install ssh xauth xorg.

sudo apt install ssh xauth xorg
  • Second

Go to the folder contains ssh_config file, mine is /etc/ssh.

  • Third

Edit ssh_config as administrator(USE sudo). Inside ssh_config, remove the hash # in the lines ForwardAgent, ForwardX11, ForwardX11Trusted, and set the corresponding arguments to yes.

# /etc/ssh/ssh_config

Host *
    ForwardAgent yes
    ForwardX11 yes
    ForwardX11Trusted yes
  • Forth

In ssh_config file, remove the front hash # before Port 22 and Protocol 2, and also append a new line at the end of the file to state the xauth file location, XauthLocaion /usr/bin/xauth, remember write your own path of xauth file.

# /etc/ssh/ssh_config

#   IdentifyFile ...
    Port 22
    Protocol 2
#   Cipher 3des
#   ...
#   ...
    ...
    ...
    GSSAPIDelegateCredentials no
    XauthLocaion /usr/bin/xauth
  • Fifth

Now since we are done editing ssh_config file, save it when we leave the editor. Now go to folder ~ or $HOME, append export DISPLAY=localhost:0 to your .bashrc file and save it.

# ~/.bashrc
...
...
export DISPLAY=localhost:0
  • Last

We are almost done. Restart your bash shell, open your Xming program and use ssh -X yourusername@yourhost. Then enjoy the GUI environment.

ssh -X yourusername@yourhost
@echristopherson
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Please change XauthLocaion to XauthLocation (in two places).

@alaindomissy
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👍 Yes, please change XauthLocaion to XauthLocation (in two places).

@xiaodaigh
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Can I ask where do I edit the ssh_config? On the server or local

@akay
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akay commented Jan 29, 2020

Can I ask where do I edit the ssh_config? On the server or local

ssh_config is for settings related to the client, so, local.

@Kelly510
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Kelly510 commented May 6, 2021

I was trying to use cv2.imshow after these steps to test the GUI, but it showed error like 'connect localhost port 6000: Connection refused Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection'. I searched a solution for this: add 'xhost +' in the end of ~/.bashrc. But finally it showed another 'xhost: unable to open display "localhost:0"'. Can I ask where may be the problem?

@DestinyOne
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Author

I was trying to use cv2.imshow after these steps to test the GUI, but it showed error like 'connect localhost port 6000: Connection refused Unable to init server: Could not connect: Connection'. I searched a solution for this: add 'xhost +' in the end of ~/.bashrc. But finally it showed another 'xhost: unable to open display "localhost:0"'. Can I ask where may be the problem?

Did you use X server, such as VcXsrv?

@Antonio-Bennett
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Having the same issue as @Kelly510 any updates on that?

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