UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi there, I'm a newbie so please be patient. I wanted to know if it was possible to run X server on a box w/o a video card. The reason I want to do this is I'd like to have a CDE session from sun workstation into the AIX box. Please let me know if this is feasible. Thanks for your time.

I don't think you can run an X server without a video/graphics card. I could be wrong, but I think you cannot. The Xserver is the side that shows the graphics, so there is no reason (I can think of right now) to run an X server without a graphics card and monitor.

You don't need an X server running on a platform to run an X application on that same platform, but you have to display the X application on a platform with an X server running. So, you can export the display to an X server from a platform without an X server running (not the reverse).

I welcome a kicking if I am wrong but I think that the terms have become confused here.

You would think that the X 'server' would be the box running the X apps, wouldn't you? As in "file server". But this is not the case. An X server is a process which 'displays' X programs. Therefore the X server is the machine actually displaying the program.

Therefore the last post would stand to reason now that we have clarifies the terms. Of course you need a graphics card to run an X server, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see anything.

You do not need a graphics card to execute X programs however - so yes, the AIX box does not need a graphics card to execute the code - but the Sun box must in order to run the X server to display the output of the AIX box.

Very confusing!!

I think the confusion comes from applying client-server networking terminology to X. One instantly thinks " I'm connecting to the [AIX] box, therefore it is the X server ".

Hope this is clear(er)

they are both correct.

the x server must reside on the box in which you want to use it on. and you can not display any graphix without a video card. the rs/6000's we have here use a dummy terminal along with the sun boxes.

BUT i can use exceed (windows x-server/client) to get my cde on any of the boxes.

you also need to have the dtlogin (sun and aix) deamon started so it knows to listen on the "x-windows" ports.

if any of this info is incorrect please correct me.

Hi,



This may be irrelevant but at&t provide a very good set of software to access remote desktops.

Vncserver and vncviewer are freely available from: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/



Andy Hibbins

X servers and applications are always confusing and many people develop an understanding (which is also correct) like this:

The X server is the client. X applications can run anywhere and are displayed on X servers (which are clients to the X application). So, they are both, as Optimus_P points out; the X server is a server both can also be considered a client. Yes, it is confusing!!