# [solved]Simple Terminal Server on a headless system

## pactoo

Hello,

I am just wondering wether there is a simple terminal server solution for gentoo. So basically just XDMCP with session support. 

I would like to start a remote X application or desktop, lets say blender,  or just openoffice, do a bit of work and let the machine then calculate  whatever it wants to calculate. 

Meanwhile I disconnect from the host and shut down my client. Next day I reconnect from the same machine, or, even better, from any other machine, and find the desktop as I left it – pretty much as if I just would have turned off the monitor. However, as the host does not going to run X itself, just XDM without local display, VNC is not a solution. 

I tried x2go once, although only verion 2 and under debian, but it did not really work out. And I heard, nx is even worse. And and not free either. 

Especially it seems that x2go is very gnome- or kde centric. 

I am just running an old fashioned window manager and some non desktop integrated applications and therefore wonder wether there is a more generic solution? I do not need printing or ldap or support for USB/cdrom or any other fancy stuff, just disconnect my remote session without closing it.Last edited by pactoo on Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:26 am; edited 1 time in total

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## timeBandit

 *pactoo wrote:*   

> I would like to start a remote X application or desktop, ...  disconnect from the host and ... [later] reconnect from the same machine, or, even better, from any other machine, and find the desktop as I left it....

 That is a common desire easily accommodated by VNC or NX. I routinely use both--VNC on my LAN, NX from remote locations--for exactly this purpose. To my knowledge it is not possible with XDMCP, which is designed for a different purpose.

 *Quote:*   

> However, as the host does not going to run X itself, just XDM without local display, VNC is not a solution.

 A VNC server uses a memory-backed framebuffer, it does not require a local display. It will happily run in the background while you are not connected.

 *Quote:*   

> I heard, nx is even worse.

 That is incorrect. In fact, NX is by far the best option for remote X sessions over low-bandwidth links (i.e., the Internet), for which it is specifically designed. The session-management behavior is exactly as you describe.

If you search the forums you will find HOWTO guides for setting up an NX server and client or a VNC terminal server.

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## pactoo

Thanks. Tightvnc seems to do the trick. I only knew VNC as a way to redirect the display, not as a terminal server.

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