Linux Command Line Basics Part VI: X Window System

Knowing basic *nix terminal commands is an absolute must for any computer pro. Whether you use Windows, Mac OS or Linux, you’re bound to face the command prompt at some stage, so here’s my crash course in CLI. In the previous section of this guide we set up an SSH connection so we could operate a machine remotely. Now it’s time to extend this functionality using the X Window System to provide some remote GUI action to augment the remote CLI access we set up previously.

The X Window System

The X windowing system has been around for the best part of three decades and provides facility for displaying graphical content on a remote computer. Whilst a proficient command line user can perform advanced operations using only text input, some things are undeniably easier using a GUI. By using X, a remote user can wield the power of the command line alongside GUI programs, a formidable combo for a productive user.

One of the best parts of X is how simple it is to add this functionality to your remote session. The only change required from the SSH setup introduced in the previous section is the addition of  ’-X’ to the beginning or end of the arguments. For example, if user ‘randymarsh’ wants to connect to the remote server ’125.234.55.211′ with X, he would enter:

$ ssh -X randymarsh@125.234.55.211


Make sure you use a capital X! (more…)