# X2Go

This guide explain how you can install and configure the X2Go (opens new window) software to get instant and 'passwordless' access to graphical tools in your lab, such as RStudio, Stata, SPSS and MatLab.

If you are connecting to the home machine in your lab, you are good to go after you have set up your local computer:

If you want to connet to an unmanaged machine in your lab (On-demand or BLUE machines) you will need to install the X2Go server before you set up your local computer:

# Set up your local computer

Requirements

  • A working connection to your lab machine(s).
  • A lab machine set up for X2Go connection (Home machines are by default set up with X2Go).

# 1. Install the X2Go client

Install the x2go client (opens new window) on your own local computer.

Windows

Download and run the X2Go client (opens new window) clicking Download X2Go for MS Windows™ and install. and then selecting the exe-file.

OS X/macOS

Use brew (opens new window) to install both XQuartz (required for X2Go) and the X2Go client:

brew install --cask xquartz
brew install --cask x2goclient

XQuartz

If this is your first time installing XQuartz, you must logout and log back in or restart your Mac for it to work.

Please read the official X2Go installation docs (opens new window) for handy tweaks of the X2Go client.

OS X 10.15 Catalina

In case of issues with x2goclient you can try nightly build (opens new window) version.

Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)

Install the X2Go client using apt:

sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt install -y x2goclient

# 2. Configure the X2Go client for your home machine

Once installed, open the X2Go client and click New session and enter a Session name that you will use to identify this connection later, e.g. demolab - rstudio

NOTE

The configuration below will work on home machines. This configuration will -not- work on unmanaged On-demand and BLUE machines.

# 2.1 Create session

Click Create new session.

X2GO introduction

# 2.2 In the Session tab

2.1 Follow instructions below

x2go_session_image

# 2.3 In the Connection tab

Play with the Connection speed and Compression methods. For office use LAN and 16m-png should be fine.

# 2.4 In the Media tab

X2GO media

  • Uncheck Client side printing support
  • Uncheck Enable sound support

Hit OK in the lower right corner.

# 3. Connect to X2Go server

3.1. Ensure that your HUNT Cloud VPN is running and connected.

3.2. Click on your newly saved session in X2Go to connect to your lab machine. If this works you should see a terminal pop up on your screen.

3.3. Type xclock in the terminal to test the setup. With a little bit of luck, you should now see a new window popping up with a digital clock.

# 4. Connect to other software

You may use X2Go to access software with graphical interfaces. Such software needs to be installed in your lab machine before you can connect.

For your home machine, RStudio should be installed by default. To access this program, go back to your configuration and update Session type at the bottom of the Session tab from /usr/bin/xterm/ to the location of Rstudio (/usr/bin/rstudio) and reconnect. With a little bit of luck, you should now see Rstudio on the your screen. If so, time to celebrate with coffee! If not, time to visit the troubleshooting section.

# 3. Configure the X2Go client for unmanaged machines

Once installed, open X2Go and click New session and enter a Session name that you will use to identify this connection later, e.g. demolab - rstudio

The configuration below will only work on On-demand and BLUE machines, and not on home machines.

NOTE

This setup require that someone in your lab already have installed X2Go server and your software of choice on the particular machine you will be connecting to.

# 3.1 Create session

Click Create new session.

X2GO introduction

# 3.2 In the Session tab

Server section

  • Host: 10.5.5.<something>

    • You need to type in the IP address for the machine that is set up for X2Go. You will fine the IP by logging into the iaas machine on ssh and type ifconfig | grep 10.5.5.

  • Login/username: <iaas-machine-username>

    • The default user name of iaas and blue machines is ubuntu. It may be good to confer with your lab coordinator to learn their specific setup for the machine you plan to access.

  • SSH port: 22

  • Use RSA/DSA key for ssh connection:

    • For Mac and Linux:

      Leave blank if your login is "passwordless" (key-based). If not, confer the 'establish a password less login' section in the installation guide.

    • For Windows:

      You will need to save the access keys to your local computer and point to this file: (1) log into your lab home machine, (2) print your key with cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa, (3) open Notepad on your local computer and copy the text from -----BEGIN KEY----- to -----END KEY----- (including both headers and the key between) into a file that your save on your computer. (4) link to this file in the window Use RSA/DSA key for ssh connection.

    • On IAAS nodes:

      In addition to the steps above, ensure that you are able to log directly into the machine from your local computer following this guide.

  • Try auto login: Check

  • Use Proxy server for SSH connection: Check

Proxy server section
  • Proxy server type: SSH
  • Host: <lab-ip>
    • This is your lab specific IP that starts with 10.42.130.. You will find the full address in the software that you use to connect to your lab.
  • Port: 22
  • Same login as on X2Go Sever: Leave blank
  • Login: <your-lab-username>
    • This is the user name that you use to connect to your lab.
  • Same password as on X2Go Server: Leave blank
  • RSA/DSA key:
    • For Mac and Linux: Leave blank
    • For Windows: Link to the same file that you established above
  • ssh-agent or default ssh key: Check
Session type section
  • Choose Single application from the drop down menu
  • Add /usr/bin/xterm in the command window

# 3.3 Remaining configuration

Follow the setups outlines in the Configure the X2Go client for home machines for further setup, including In the connection tab, In the media tab, connecting to the X2Go server and Connect to other software: Start here.

# Install a desktop environment

The default X2Go setup connects directly to individual applications. This section describe how you may install a lightweight XFCE (opens new window) desktop environment using common settings.

Minimal setup of XFCE desktop 
sudo apt-get update -y && sudo apt-get autoremove -y
sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends xubuntu-desktop

In session preferences change Session type to XFCE.

# Tips for configuration

The default setup will need some care to run smoothly:

# TAB completion

  • Fixing TAB completion using shell: (1) Log into your lab machine and (2) run this code:

    sed -i 's|name="\&lt\;Super\&gt\;Tab" type="string" value="switch_window_key"|name="\&lt\;Super\&gt\;Tab" type="empty"|g' ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml

  • Fixing TAB completion using GUI approach over x2go client.

    1. Open the Xfce **`Application Menu`** > **`Settings`** > **`Window Manager`**
2. Click on the **`Keyboard Tab`**
3. Clear the Switch window for same application setting
# Copy-paste functionality

Connect to your lab machine and run this code:

  • Client is connecting from MacOS

    touch ~/.Xresources
chmod u+x ~/.Xresources
echo "*VT100.translations: #override Meta <KeyPress> V: insert-selection(PRIMARY, CUT_BUFFER0) \n" >> ~/.Xresources
cp ~/.Xresources ~/.Xdefaults
xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

  • Client is connecting from Windows or Linux

    touch ~/.Xresources
chmod u+x ~/.Xresources
echo "*VT100.Translations: #override Ctrl Shift <Key>V: insert-selection(CLIPBOARD) \n" >> ~/.Xresources
echo "*VT100.Translations: #override Ctrl Shift <Key>C: copy-selection(CLIPBOARD) \n" >> ~/.Xresources
cp ~/.Xresources ~/.Xdefaults
xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

    MATLAB for X2Go users on MacOS

    MATLAB does not use system shotcuts and implements it's own configuration of shortcuts. You might be able to add META + C / META + V, but the behavior is not as expected. Since MATLAB is running on Linux server it enforces CTRL + C / CTRL + V and those should work as expected.

# Install X2Go server on unmanaged lab machine

Connection to X2Go require the application x2goserver to run for connections to work. You may install this on iaas and blue machines as follows:

NOTE

This section is those of you that want to set up an unmanaged On-demand or BLUE machines for GUI access.

REQUIREMENTS

Root access to your lab machine. The below configuration will not work on home machines.

Install x2goserver

Log into your unmanaged lab machine and install x2goserver:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:x2go/stable
sudo apt update
sudo apt install x2goserver libnss3 libasound2 -y
Ensure smooth access

You need to make sure you and your lab colleagues can log in to the x2go machine passwordless using RSA certificates, e.g. by following these steps:

  1. From your local computer, log into your lab's entry machine:

    ssh <labname>-entry

  2. Form your entry machine, copy your machine key to your iaas-machine with the running X2Go server:

    ssh-copy-id <name-of-iaas-node>

    NOTE

    Contact us if you are unable to make the above step work since a security setting may prohibit this depending on your lab setup.

  3. Confirm the passwordless route to your iaas machine:

    ssh <iaas-node>

  4. Get the IP for your IAAS machine

    Inside your IAAS node, list the IP address for the node with ifconfig. The IP address is listed after inet addr: and start with 10.5. Note this as you will use this for the X2Go setup on your local computer (steps above).

    hostname -I

# Troubleshooting

# Password prompts during login

Read more

X2Go rely either password or certificate to authenticate your connection. If the certificate do not work (or not included), your may be asked to insert your password four times before your application start. If so, try to fetch and save your certificate as described in our X2Go configuration under Use RSA/DSA key for ssh connection.

# Keys do not release

Read more

Key-buffer not receiving a key release action after a keypress is a known bug of X2GO. There does not seem to be any clear solution to this. It is possible to disable key repeating, which will cause intended key repeating to stop working (e.g. holding arrows). We recommend to check connection settings and to make sure that the best network connection available is used. If this is causing too many problems, alternatives to X2GO like MobaXterm can be considered.

# Manually 'killing' a stuck X2Go session

Read more

From time to time your X2Go sessions may get stuck, such as when your software inside X2Go consumes all available memory. In such circumstances you may need to manually terminate the stuck X2Go processes using the command line in your lab machine.

  1. From your local computer, connect to your lab machine over SSH, either using command line (Mac/Linux) or MobaXterm (Windows).

  2. Once onboard your lab machine, list X2Go processes running under your user name.

    ps aux | grep x2go | grep $(whoami)

    A single line of your output will similar to the output below. This is from a process running the RStudio software. Your output may look different depending on the software your run:

    demouser 22463 0.0 0.0 11300 1796 ? Ss Jul11 0:00 /bin/bash /usr/bin/x2goruncommand 50 22408 demouser-50-1563761927_stRrstudio_dp32 39401 /usr/bin/rstudio nosnd R

  3. Identify the process ID number that you want to terminate. The unique process ID is listes in the second column in the output from Step 2. For example, the process ID for the X2Go session below is 22463 (your number will be different).

    demouser 22463 0.0 0.0 11300 1796 ? Ss Jul11 0:00 /bin/bash /usr/bin/x2goruncommand 50 22408 demouser-50-1563761927_stRrstudio_dp32 39401 /usr/bin/rstudio nosnd R

  4. Terminate the session ID that is stuck.

    kill <process-id>
# e.g.: kill 22463

  5. Confirm that the process is killed by reapeating Step 2 to verify that the process ID is no longer listed. Repeat the procedure to kill additional processes if needed.

  6. Restart X2Go.

# XQuartz in Mac

Read more

If XQuartz is used as X11 Server on OS X, X2Go Client has to be informed. Click on the screw-wrench in the upper left bar in order to open the settings window. If not indicated yet, select XQuartz for the X11 application and supply the right version. Make sure that you have restarted your mac after installing the XQuartz.

XQuartz

# Slow Firefox in x2go

Read more

Since version 47 Firefox became slow when using x11 rendering. Current versions should still allow setting xrender. Open new tab and write about:config as a url in your firefox browser, then search for gfx.xrender.enabled and set it to true. Restart your Firefox browser.

# Shared folders

Read more

X2Go requires sshfs to be installed in the lab in order to use Shared folders feature.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y sshfs

# MacOS Ventura - black screen in x2go

Read more

Run below command in your Mac terminal for possible resolution of wrong colour display.

defaults write org.xquartz.X11 enable_render_extension 0
Last Updated: 4/25/2024

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