Access the display on a remote computer

You want to access an X11 session that already exists.

Reasons can be

• someone is running Linux and requesting support from you
• you want to train a user how to work with a specific gui software
• you have left your desktop computer and want to continue work in front of the TV (Simpsons coming) on your notebook

Go to your notebook and do:

user@user-notebook $ ssh user@user-desktop
user@user-desktop $ export DISPLAY=:0
user@user-desktop $ x11vnc

The program x11vnc tells you where to connect. The line will read like

The VNC desktop is:      user-desktop:0

Connect from your notebook:

user@user-notebook $ vncviewer user-desktop:0