faq-remote-X11-beta.md
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+# New ways for remote X11 (SBGrid beta) featuring x2go and xpra
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+
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+In general x2go is easier to use and sufficient for most seneriaos. Xpra has more features and generally better performance. Both clients connect through ssh and run faster than ssh -Y. Support for these is beta, x2go is more familiar to the staff. Most linux systems do not have these tools installed, so you may need to request them.
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+
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+# x2go
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+It relies on a gui and can connect to new sessions over ssh.
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+
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+## download
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+x2go can be downloaded from this page.
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+
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+https://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php/download:start
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+
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+## Additional Steps
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+You will need to open System Preferences - Security - General - Temporarilty 'Allow from anywhere' open the application, make sure you can reopen it. Then change your security setting back to 'App Store and Identified Developers'
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+
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+Off the sbgrid network it will be easiest if you use the [vpn](faq-connecting-to-cmcd-vpn.md).
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+
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+From the x2go application -
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+Create a new session
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+Make sure you fill out
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+host - the host that you want to connect to.
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+login - your username
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+port - 22
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+Session type - Mate
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+
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+You can adjust the resolution after the session has started.
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+
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+
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+## Using XPRA
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+
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+xpra has been described as 'tmux for X11' and we are evaluating its usefullness.
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+
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+### OSX to Linux workstation usage
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+
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+For Mac OSX newer than 10.9 the installer is on their downloads page
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+https://www.xpra.org/trac/wiki/Download
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+
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+For our usage please us the 'pkg' installer located here -
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+https://xpra.org/dists/osx/x86_64/Xpra.pkg
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+
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+The other version is built around a gui that we are not covering for now.
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+
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+### xpra, keep it simple!
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+
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+On your local Mac OSX system open a terminal window and run
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+`xpra start ssh/oconnor@sch-boltzmann/42 --start-child=xterm`
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+
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+With this one command you should have a remote xterm window come up. From there you can launch what ever application you need to run on the other system, including applications that need GLX extensions such as coot.
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+
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+To disconnect, just ^c from the origional terminal window(not the xterm that you connected to), or if you connect from another system it will automatically detach.
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+
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+So to reattach to attach -
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+
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+`xpra attach ssh/oconnor@sch-boltzmann/42`
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+
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+Note the number 42. You need to pick a number that someone else on the system is not using. So definitly do not use 0 or 1, instead pick a higher number up to 999.
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+
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+Note, if you simply close all the windows, including xterm, the remote server is still running
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+`ssh oconnor@sch-boltzmann`
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+`xpra list`
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+Found the following xpra sessions:
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+/run/user/46627/xpra:
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+ LIVE session at :666
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+`xpra stop :666`
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+xpra at :666 has exited.
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+
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+Or one might have run
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+`xpra start ssh/oconnor@sch-boltzmann/42 --start-child=xterm --window-close=shutdown`
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+,but if you accidently close the wondow everything will close.
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+
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+In summary, If I am off site and want to create a new session on one of our systems -
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+
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+'ssh -L 4444:ja-gpu1:22 -N oconnor@crystal.harvard.edu'
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+open a new terminal and then -
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+`xpra start ssh/oconnor@localhost:4444/617 --start-child=xterm --window-close=shutdown`
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+
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+## Troubleshooting tips.
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+
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+Ideally you would have already set up [password-less ssh](faq-setting-up-passwordless-ssh.md).
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+
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+Make sure you can ssh to the host with out error. You should not need to type 'yes' for ssh keys, etc.
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+
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+Press enter one time - is it waiting for password input?
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+
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+connect to the remote host and type -
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+`xpra list`
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+
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+If there is an active session you can connect to it via `xpra attach ssh/user@host/42'i from your client.
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+
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+There could be an active session with no windows open. Stop the session and start again.
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+'xpra stop :42`
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+
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+Lastly try to launch a session from the host in a tmux or screen session on the remote server -
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+`ssh user@myhost"
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+`tmux`
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+`xpra start :617 --daemon=no --start-child=xterm`
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+You should see a line that that contains `xpra is ready.`
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+Detach with CTRL-b d keys and then you can attach from your own system like so
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+`xpra attach ssh/oconnor@sch-boltzmann/617`
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+
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+The launching from within a tmux or screen session might be easier to experiment with other flags like "start-desktop"
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+`xpra start-desktop --start=mate-session :618 --daemon=no'
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+
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+See Also
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+`man xpra'
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+
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+There are a lot of features, but for our usage keep it simple.
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+
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+## Coming soon xpra via https
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+
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+
faq-sshfs.md
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4. Run SSHFS installer `pkg`
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5. Create a folder to access the remote filesystems (aka a mount point): `mkdir /sshfs/`
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+## OS X (Mac) helpful hints
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+
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+A good example of mounting from OSX on your local system is as follows -
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+`sudo mkdir -p /sshfs/userdocs`
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+`sudo chown -R $USER /sshfs`
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+`/usr/local/bin/sshfs oconnor@crystal.harvard.edu:/nfs/userdocs /sshfs/userdocs -o volname=userdocs,reconnect,ServerAliveInterval=15,ServerAliveCountMax=3,idmap=user,auto_xattr,dev,suid,defer_permissions,noappledouble,noapplexattr,IdentityFile=$HOME/.ssh/sshfs-id_rsa`
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+
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+Basically, your local user needs to own the destination $PATH. We mount one complete filesystem from the remote site(avoids local Apple Finder issues). We give the volume a name (shows mount point on your desktop), add some additional options for server connections, etc. If you are using an [ssh key](faq-setting-up-passwordless-ssh.md) you would add it's path to the IdentityFile paramater.
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+
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+On occasion the mount wll become stuck and unresponsive, so you may be required to force unmount it before mounting it again.
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+`umount -f /sshfs`
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+
faq-using-sbgrid-programs.md
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If you need to download a newer version of X11 for OS X, you can find the
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binaries here: <http://xquartz.macosforge.org/trac/wiki>
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+To enable GL required by some programs like coot you will need to run this in a terminal from your account.
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+```
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+defaults write org.macosforge.xquartz.X11 enable_iglx -bool true
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+```
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+
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## Running SBGrid Programs
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Running programs from the SBGrid software tree should be as simple as opening