The "X server", of which Exceed for windows is an example, is the part that runs on the machine you are sitting in front of. This piece receives data via the X11 protocol, and possibly also a protocol like GLX, and maps that to changes to your video card's frame buffer.

Examples of X servers that run on windows machines include those described at the following two URL's:

The X server receives these X11 protocol packets from a remote host, which usually runs unix.

Then on your X server, you're about certainly going to want some kind of window manager. This is the piece that gives your windows titles and buttons for closing them and iconifying them and such. Sometimes this will run on the remote host (the *ix host), and sometimes this will run on the machine you are sitting in front of. If you run it on the machine you are in front of, you may find response times better, however this is likely to limit your choices in the windows world.

I'm not certain, but if you want CDE to run, you may be able to get that going by running dtwm on the AIX side, which of course is a "_w_indow _m_anager", however I don't see it on my path on an AIX 5.1 box. I'm a bit partial to Gnome (which can be associated with a bunch of different window managers, one of which is metacity) and fvwm2 for window managers. fvwm2 is an easy build on AIX.

xinit is for starting an X server on the machine you run the command on. It is suitable for when you are sitting in front of a *ix machine, and want an X server to be brought up on that same machine. It is not for when you are sitting in front of a windows box, and want to display graphical apps back from a remote *ix host (but the cygwin Xfree86 port may be an exception).

"xhost +" is a way of facilitating communication between the host running an X program, and your X server. However, it is extremely insecure. If you are on the internet and run this command, that means anyone, anywhere on the internet, can see all of your X packets, including your windows and your keystrokes (including passwords). If you must use xhost, then it's better to say "xhost hostname.com". But better than that by far, is to use "xauth" authentication - which ssh likes to set up in a very convenient way for you, so if your chosen X server has ssh support, it might be a good idea to try it.

Basically, the X11 authentication is done by a sort of mutual agreement. The X server has to be told to accept windows from the machine running the apps - done via xhost or xauth usually, and the host running the graphical apps has to be told where to send the windows via the DISPLAY environment variable.

For information about xhost, xauth and $DISPLAY, you may find:

...informative.

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Timestamp: 2024-04-19 01:19:06 PDT

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