NW Linux : blog

Forwarding X11 display over ssh is a fairly simple task from Linux box to Linux box. Your terminal command would be something like this:

sudo ssh -Y username@internal_ip

However, what if you are using a Windows XP machine and Putty to accomplish the same task? Assuming that you cannot complete the task using VNC or other RDP program, a few simple modifications can make the difference. First, you need an X window manager for Windows. Download and install Xming from SourceForge. Start the Xming window manager service. You should see the X icon located in your Notifications area (look for your clock). Next, download putty ssh client for Windows. Fire up Putty and navigate to the X11 section of the tree menu and check the box for X11 display forwarding and type in the loopback address (127.0.0.1) as seen below.

You are almost home free. Type in the ip of the machine that you want to visit. A reminder: if you are accessing a machine within a network that does not have a static ip, you will need to Port Forward 22 to that particular machine. In all reality, if you are using ssh to remote into your linux box, this task should be completed already. It may take a few seconds to load the display through Xming, but remember that you are forwarding part of Linux through XP. I am not sure that XP likes the linux infection that much!

As always, if you have questions about this post, drop a comment below.