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x2go_install

X2Go Client Setup

Based on instructions from UCSB.

The X2Go client provides a fast remote desktop to our servers, with disconnect and resume capability.

Instructions

  1. Download and install the latest version of the x2go Client from http://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php. If the latest version doesn't work for your Windows OS, roll back to the penultimate version and install.
  2. -If you are not on UD network, make sure you are connected to UD network through a VPN connection.
  3. Open the X2Go client program
  4. OS X may prompt you to install X11 (10.7 and earlier) or XQuartz (10.8 and later), proceed with installing either package
  5. Create a new session
    1. Select Session→New Session from the file menu, or click the New Session icon from the top left of the X2Go window
    2. Enter a Session name (i.e. analog)
    3. Enter the Host name: cpeg424.ece.udel.edu
    4. Enter your EECIS username
    5. Select Mate or Kde as the desktop (Gnome is not functional if you are familiar with it).

  1. Choose appropriate Connection Speed under “Connection” tab on “Session Preferences→New session” window, (i.e. LAN for on campus machines, ADSL for remote students).

  1. You can set the resolution based on your monitor. Change your font size on the Input/Output tab, then Set display DPI. The default is 72, increasing the size will result in a larger font (96 dpi is generally good).

  1. Connect to the server by clicking on the session box at the right of the window, then entering your EECIS password

  1. You should be able to see your desktop screen now. For closing the session, use System→Log Out

Students should also log off the X2Go session using System→Log Out. This will allow a clean exit of the system and avoid burdening the server with orphaned sessions.

Forwarding, Suspending and Resuming X2Go Sessions

X2Go can forward the user window of a single application to your computer, without the desktop environment, similar to traditional X11 forwarding. Applications can be suspended and resumed.

  • Follow the instructions above, but instead of selecting Kde or Mate, choose Published Applications and connect to the server
  • X2Go will connect, at this point, you can click on the CD icon in the center of the client, underneath Status, and choose an application to launch.
  • When finished, use the Suspend or Terminate icons near the application launcher.

Troubleshooting

Slow Performance

If X2Go is sluggish or laggy, make sure you are running the latest client version. If that does not help, try changing the following options in Session Preferences:

  • Lower the connection speed
  • Disable sound, printing, and shared folder support
  • Change the Session Type to Published Applications

If those still don’t work:

  • Move from Wi-Fi to wired ethernet
  • Try the alternate windows client PyHoca-GUI
  • Ping and traceroute analog.ece.udel.edu . Move to a more stable internet connection if there are long response times (>500ms) and dropped packets.
  • Check that the VM servers are not overloaded with uptime or top (load averages greater than 32 will generally slow down response times)
  • Email IT Admin.

Connection Problems

The OS X client may have issues reconnecting to a session if kept running. Close both the X2Go client and X11 apps, then open the X2Go client and try connecting again.

Screen Refresh Issues

If the screen is not updating, try the following:

  • Disconnect and reconnect the session
  • Refresh the screen by switching to a different virtual desktop
  • Log out of your remote session and restart it (vs closing the X2Go window, which only suspends the session).
  • Verify/reinstall the latest client: http://code.x2go.org/releases/
  • Change the network speed option. Under the X2Go session preferences, connection, then connection speed. Try both higher and lower settings.

Session is Stuck

Sometimes when you don't exit xwindow session without proper log out, the session enters a limbo state and wont start up. You can login using Kde and then there will be options to terminate the older session and start fresh.

Suspended State

When you log off X2Go, use System-Log Off from the top menu bar. Otherwise your session will be in a suspended state on the server and when you connect the next time it may create issues. In case that happens, “terminate” the prior session by clicking on the corresponding symbol in the GUI. After this you will be able to create a new session.

Keyboard Issues

x2go_install.txt · Last modified: 2021/08/26 00:26 by vsaxena