Re: Running X11 over a network
Hi!
Uhmm, I need to correct myself: I think removing xbase is only recommended
if you exactly know what you are doing. It contains all manpages,
documentation, the "X" wrapper, all config-files ...
And since xbase depends on xlib6 you cannot remove it, too.
Maybe someone else has a step-by-step instruction to cope without xbase...
You may still want to use the laptop's fonts (via xfs) to avoid duplicate
installation. The basic fonts do not need much space, but maybe you are
curiose enought to try to get along without xbase - and then you must get
them from a font-server.
ok, I'll try to cleanup a little:
1) set up your network (see Ben Pfaff's mail, Net-3-HOWTO)
I assume you gave your desktop the hostname "desktop" and your laptop the
hostname "laptop"
2) set up the laptop:
- install xbase, xlib6, xlib6g (if you're running hamm), xfntbase, xfnt75
- make it run xdm and xfs: Put "start-xdm" and "start-xfs" into
/etx/X11/config to start them automatically on reboot. See
/usr/doc/X11/debian.README for further information about this file. If
you want to avoid a reboot, you can start xdm / xfs manually by
executing "/etc/init.d/{xfs,xdm} start"
3) set up your desktop:
The absolute minimum package to *run* your desktop as X-terminal is:
xserver-* the Xserver you need for your graphic card
And since it simplifies the setup, provides doc, ...
xlib6 if you are running hamm, you need xlib6g instead
xbase
During "comfortable" setup you additionally need
Xserver-vga16 it contains XF86Setup
xfntbase
- install all above mentioned packages
- run XF86Setup to configure the xserver
- run startx to test the configuration (maybe tweak it with help of
xvidtune)
- run dselect and purge
xserver-vga16 (if you don't intend to run it)
xfntbase
<HINT>
- this would be the point to remove, not purge xbase. Removing keeps the
config-files (XF86Config, ...). And if you use "/usr/X11R6/bin/XF86_*" as
your xserver (instead of the wrapper "/usr/X11R6/bin/X") and start it as
root you may be able to run without xbase and xlib6.
</HINT>
- tweak /etc/X11/XF86Config to use your laptop as fontserver:
go to
Section "Files"
and add a line
FontPath "tcp/laptop:7100"
to this Section. Maybe you need to comment out other FontPath entries. I
don't know if they mustn't exist and if they are removed automatically.
- check, that /etc/X11/config doesn't contain "start-xdm" to avoid it
starting up atomatically
- now you can start X (runnig on the laptop, displaying on the desktop)
with
X -query laptop
- since you didn't remove xbase, you should still be able to run a local
X with startx, but your laptop always needs to be reachable, since it's
fonts are required.
- you may write your own /etc/init.d/Xserver or so (take a look at
/etc/init.d/skeleton) and make the appropriate inks in /etc/rc*.d with
update-rc.d to start the Xserver automatically.
> Incidently, do you know what kind of performance hit I will get running
> X over 20m of BNC cable (there are 2 other (Win'95) machines on the
> network)?
I agree to Ben Pfaff that this shouldn't be a bottleneck. I was using X on a
*heavy* loaded network and it was never much too slow.
> BTW, I wasthinking about the IP addresses and would it make sense for me
> to use 192.168.xxx.1 and 192.168.xxx.2 (xxx=random number) in case I
> added someone elses Linux system to my network for some reason in the
> future?
as long as xxx is constant: yes ;-)
I would reserve at least *.1 for a possible router. I think it is very
common to use this for a router
Regards
Rainer
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