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https://github.com/mviereck/runx
Provide X server on MS Windows with cookie authentication.
https://github.com/mviereck/runx
cookie cygwin gui linux-gui-applications ms-windows msys2 vcxsrv windows wsl wsl2 x x11docker xauthority xserver xwin
Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Provide X server on MS Windows with cookie authentication.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/mviereck/runx
- Owner: mviereck
- License: mit
- Created: 2019-05-28T07:42:24.000Z (over 5 years ago)
- Default Branch: master
- Last Pushed: 2023-07-31T07:36:40.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2024-06-11T13:45:10.704Z (3 months ago)
- Topics: cookie, cygwin, gui, linux-gui-applications, ms-windows, msys2, vcxsrv, windows, wsl, wsl2, x, x11docker, xauthority, xserver, xwin
- Language: Shell
- Homepage:
- Size: 209 KB
- Stars: 85
- Watchers: 5
- Forks: 14
- Open Issues: 6
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Funding: .github/FUNDING.yml
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
- jimsghstars - mviereck/runx - Provide X server on MS Windows with cookie authentication. (Shell)
README
# runx - Run Linux GUI applications on MS Windows
`runx` allows to easily run Linux GUI applications and desktops on MS Windows in Cygwin, MSYS2 or WSL.
- This is especially of interest for [WSL](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about) in Windows 10 that does not support graphical applications on itself.
*Background*:
- `runx` starts an X server, either *VcXsrv* or *XWin*, to provide a graphical environment for Linux applications.
- `runx` creates an authorization cookie to restrict access to the X server to allowed clients only.
- `runx` runs the desired Linux GUI application with the credentials needed to access the X server.
For similar functionality on native Linux systems use [x11docker](https://github.com/mviereck/x11docker) with options `--backend=host` or `--xonly`.
## Table of contents
- [Linux environments on MS Windows](#linux-environments-on-ms-windows)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Installation of X server](#installation-of-x-server)
- [Installation in WSL](#installation-in-wsl)
- [Installation in Cygwin](#installation-in-cygwin)
- [Installation in MSYS2](#installation-in-msys2)
- [GPU hardware acceleration](#gpu-hardware-acceleration)
- [Usage examples](#Usage-examples)
- [Providing X server in background](#providing-x-server-in-background)
- [Output of `runx --help`](#output-of-runx---help)
- [Screenshot](#screenshot)
## Linux environments on MS Windows
`runx` can run in:
- [WSL](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about): Windows subsystem for Linux.
- [Cygwin](https://www.cygwin.com/): Cygwin is a large collection of Open Source tools which provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows.
- [MSYS2](https://www.msys2.org/): MSYS2 is a software distro and building platform for Windows and serves as a base for [git for windows](https://gitforwindows.org/) and [MingW](http://www.mingw.org/). It is mainly used by developers.
## Installation
Installation in general:
- Install an X server, *VcXsrv* or *XWin*.
- Copy `runx` into folder `/usr/local/bin` and make it executeable with `chmod +x /usr/local/bin/runx`.
- Install Linux dependency `xauth` if available.
- Install Linux dependency `telnet`.
### Installation of X server
`runx` needs an [X server](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System). Install on MS Windows one or both of:
- [VcXsrv](https://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/) to provide X server *VcXsrv*.
- Easier to install than *XWin*.
- [Cygwin](https://www.cygwin.com) with packages `xinit` and `xauth`.
- This provides X server *XWin* for Cygwin and WSL.
- *XWin* has a better `--gpu` support than *VcXsrv*.
`runx` will automatically use *XWin* if available. You can specify the desired X server with options `--xwin` or `--vcxsrv`.
### Installation in WSL
- Run the following commands in WSL/Ubuntu terminal to install `runx` and its dependencies:
```
sudo wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mviereck/runx/master/runx -O /usr/local/bin/runx
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/runx
sudo apt update
sudo apt install xauth
```
### Installation in Cygwin
- Run the Cygwin installer and install packages `xinit`, `xauth` and `wget`.
- In Cygwin terminal run the commands:
```
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mviereck/runx/master/runx -O /usr/local/bin/runx
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/runx
```
### Installation in MSYS2
- In MSYS2 terminal run the commands:
```
mkdir /usr/local/bin
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mviereck/runx/master/runx -O /usr/local/bin/runx
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/runx
```
- Constraint in MSYS2: `runx` only supports X server *VcXsrv*, but not *XWin*.
## GPU hardware acceleration
`runx` supports GPU hardware accelerated graphics with option `--gpu`.
- GPU access can cause issues with X server *VcXsrv*, especially with NVIDIA cards. For that reason GPU usage is disabled by default in `runx`.
- If you encounter issues with option `--gpu`, try X server *XWin* instead of *VcXsrv*.
## Usage examples
- File manager pcmanfm in WSL:
- Installation:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcmanfm
```
- Run:
```
runx -- pcmanfm
```
- Mate desktop environment in WSL:
- Installation:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mate-desktop-environment
```
- Run:
```
runx --desktop --gpu -- mate-session
```
### Providing X server in background
You can make an entry in the file `~/.bashrc` to have an X server always available.
Possible entry in `~/.bashrc`:
```
source /usr/local/bin/runx
```
In future runs of the terminal you can directly run Linux GUI applications, e.g.:
```
pcmanfm
```
### Use an already running X server
- If you specify option `--display`, runx will check if an X server is already running
with the specified display number and will only provide the access credentials
`DISPLAY` and `XAUTHORITY` instead of running an additional X server.
- The access credentials are also stored in file `~/.Xenv`.
You can make them available in a new terminal sourcing the file with `. ~/.Xenv` or `source ~/.Xenv`.
## Output of `runx --help`
```
runx - Run Linux GUI applications on MS Windows.
Provides an X server on MS Windows in Cygwin, MSYS2 or WSL.
Syntax:
runx [OPTIONS] -- [COMMAND]
Options:
-h, --help Show this help.
-d, --desktop Open a parent window for desktop environments.
-g, --gpu Enable GPU hardware acceleration. Can fail
with NVIDIA cards. Works best with XWin.
--size WIDTHxHEIGHT Window size for option --desktop, e.g. 800x600.
--vcxsrv Use X server VcXsrv.
--xwin Use X server XWin.
--clipboard [=yes|no] Enable clipboard sharing yes/no. Default: yes.
--display N Use display number N for new X server.
If the display number is already in use, runx will
only provide the likely access credentials.
--ip ADRESS IP adress to use. Default: First found 192.168.*
--no-auth Disable X cookie authentication. Discouraged.
--cleanup Stop all X servers and delete cookies.
-v, --verbose Be verbose.
Installation of runx in WSL:
- Copy runx into /usr/local/bin/
- Make runx executeable: sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/runx
- Install xauth: sudo apt update
sudo apt install xauth
Install an X server on Windows:
runx supports two X servers: VcXsrv and XWin. Install at least one of them.
- VcXsrv: Download and install from:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/vcxsrv/
- XWin: Download and install Cygwin64 with packages: xinit xauth
https://www.cygwin.com
VcXsrv is easier to install. XWin provides a better GPU support.
WSL, Cygwin: runx starts XWin if available, otherwise it starts VcXsrv.
MSYS2: runx supports VcXsrv only.
Usage:
Example to directly run an application with runx:
- Install file manager pcmanfm: sudo apt update
sudo apt install pcmanfm
- Run pcmanfm with: runx -- pcmanfm
Example to run Mate desktop:
- Install Mate desktop with: sudo apt install mate-desktop-environment
- Run Mate desktop with: runx --desktop -- mate-session
Example to get a Wayland environment:
- Install Wayland compositor: sudo apt install weston
- Run Weston with: XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp runx -- weston
Providing an X server in background all the time:
- Create an entry in ~/.bashrc: source /usr/local/bin/runx
- In future terminal session you can directly run GUI commands.
E.g. just type: 'pcmanfm' instead of 'runx -- pcmanfm'.
- If you specify a display number with --display, runx will re-use
a possibly already running X server with same display number
and only provide the access credentials DISPLAY and XAUTHORITY.
This allows to use the same X server across several terminals.
runx stores the access credentials DISPLAY and XAUTHORITY in ~/.Xenv
This allows sourcing the file for custom access setups.
runx version 0.4.20
Please report issues and get help at: https://github.com/mviereck/runx
```
## Screenshot
`runx` running Mate desktop on MS Windows:
