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X Windows, or X.Org, is the graphical system widely used by GNU/Linux and UNIX Operating Systems.

Usually Linux machines and Apple OSX have a native system that would allow a client to remotely login and execute X.Org programs on her own machine. Unfortunately this is not the case for MicroSoft Windows (also called MS Windows in this document); one needs to install additional software for remote applications to open windows in the Microsoft graphical environment.

There are plenty of software out there, the mostly used being:

* Xming: http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming/ * VcXsrv: http://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/

I used to use Xming, but has been reported to have some quirks with newer versions of windows, so I investigated some new ones and I am now using VcXsrv.

This page will show how to use this software together with another well known remote access software, Putty.

A typical remote access from MS Windows to some X-Windows enabled server will include:

1. Starting the X server on the MS Windows machine;
2. Logging in via SSH using some ssh client;
3. Remotely launching a program that requires X Windows.
4. Locally working on a window generated by the remote X client interacting with the local X server.

* X.Org: http://www.x.org/wiki/ * Xming: http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming/ * VcXsrv: http://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/ * Putty: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html