* steve downes (steve@kingswayelec.co.uk) [020305 01:10]: <snip> > debug1: Requesting X11 forwarding with authentication spoofing. that looks good. > steve@gateway:~$ xterm > xterm Xt error: Can't open display: > steve@gateway:~$ vncviewer > Error: Can't open display: > steve@gateway:~$ That looks bad. the DISPLAY variable should automatically get set to something like remote:10.0 . ssh doesn't do this if the DISPLAY variable wasn't already set on the local side before ssh was called. What that means is this, pretty much: local$ export DISPLAY=:0 local$ ssh -X remote remote$ xterm & (that should work) local$ unset DISPLAY local$ ssh -X remote remote$ xterm xterm Xt error: Can't open display: (doesn't work) one (big) clue that you have that the DISPLAY variable isn't being set up is that it says "Can't open display: " instead of "Can't open display: remote:10.0". You can also verify this with echo $DISPLAY. The reason ssh doesn't set up the remote display if the local display is unset is because it simply doesn't know where to tunnel it to! It's the same as trying to run an xterm locally with DISPLAY unset; it just doesn't know where to display it. Similarly, ssh doesn't know where the near side of the tunnel opens up if DISPLAY isn't set on the local side already in ssh's environment when it's run. Also, please, please, PLEASE! DON'T do this: local$ ssh remote remote$ export DISPLAY=local:0 # DON'T EVER DO THIS!!! remote$ xterm As others have already explained. You might as well be using telnet. This defeats the entire purpose of tunneling. What you'd be doing in this case is telling the remote x client to connect directly to the local x server using the unencrypted X protocol. If the local X server even accepts it (woody and sid have been told not to, by default) all the traffic sent over that connection is in the clear -- might as well just be telnet. good times, Vineet P.S. People, please remember to trim your quotations to the relevant pieces you're replying to! Especially in long threads like this one. -- Currently seeking opportunities in the SF Bay Area Please see http://www.doorstop.net/resume/
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