Using Linux GUI Apps on Windows (Vista, 7)

On an ongoing project I need to work on a Linux machine to run some tools. Normally, I either use Putty to use a command line interface, WinSCP for copying files to & fro and TightVNC for a remote desktop into the Linux machine.

This is when my friend Anindya recommended using XMing – a X-Server and Launcher for Windows. As you may (or may not) know, the Linux GUI shell runs in a “client-server” mode. You can actually go ahead and use a client to run the components on the server and get the view pulled to your machine running Windows. Now, this has been possible earlier as well by doing things like installing GNOME or KDE for Windows, as well as other solutions. However,  these have been fairly cumbersome to use, screws up your Windows installation and generally painful.

XMing on the other hand,  lets you run these apps directly on the Linux machine with their graphical interface as a proper window on your Windows machine. And installing and using Xming is a breeze as well as a small install only. So, if you need to work with X-Windows from within Windows, then Xming is something you should use.

BTW, XMing works perfectly on Windows 7, including showing thumbnails of all the running apps and allowing you to do Aero Peek within them. Take a look at the screen below.

Xming  
Using XMing to run a gnome-terminal and a revisor session from a Linux machine on Windows 7. Note that the thumbnails show the two apps properly and you can even “peek” between them.


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Categories: Linux | Windows 7 | Windows Vista | Rave

23 Comments
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Comments

Interesting post, this was really useful. thanks!

May 11. 2009 14:35 | ricky United States |

I have not been able to get the public version of Xming to work with Win 7 RC -x64.
Nothing obvious is wrong, and running as administrator or in XP compatibility mode doesn't work either

May 13. 2009 02:12 | John New Zealand |

I used XMing after reading this article and it worked great for me.Thanks a lot for posting this nice tutorial.This is the best blog for technlogy niche

May 15. 2009 08:35 | Flashlightz India |

Very nice article and very helpful indeed thanks for letting us know about xming

May 15. 2009 08:38 | Programmable Thermostats France |

Excellent Explaination..
Thank you for sharing....

May 26. 2009 06:56 | lissa United States |

wow, i never knew that. thanks for informing

June 7. 2009 12:28 | Danny United States |

wow ..great idea. that good inovation

June 10. 2009 13:45 | tukang nggame United States |

interesting, thanks for posted

June 16. 2009 12:02 | mark United States |

what a great blog, i really like it.

June 22. 2009 01:59 | Sulumits Retsambew United States |

Woow! A good beginning for learning. Thanks,

June 28. 2009 15:06 | Rusli Zainal Sang Visioner United States |

Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting Smile I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this

June 28. 2009 15:18 | Stop Dreaming Start Action United States |

thanks for this nice info, it's so useful for me.

July 4. 2009 12:30 | computer terms United States |

I using vista

July 8. 2009 11:26 | stop dreaming start action Indonesia |

good post for me.

July 12. 2009 13:00 | Belajar SEO United States |

this is very useful.

July 12. 2009 13:00 | Crhn United States |

thanks for sharing the idea.

July 12. 2009 13:02 | Crhn United States |

this is an interesting topic.

July 12. 2009 13:02 | Crhn United States |

Thanks for sharing this great article! That is very interesting Smile I love reading and I am always searching for informative information like this

July 12. 2009 13:04 | SEP United States |

wow ..great idea. that good inovation

July 12. 2009 13:05 | blog United States |

Excellent Explaination..
Thank you for sharing....

July 12. 2009 13:06 | blog United States |

Very nice article and very helpful indeed thanks for letting us know about xming

July 12. 2009 13:06 | blog United States |

thnkas

July 12. 2009 17:07 | توبيكات Saudi Arabia |

goooooooooooooooood

July 12. 2009 17:08 | مركز تحميل Saudi Arabia |

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