Xming

Installing/Configuring PuTTy and Xming. Most of us connect to the CTM server via a PC running Windows, essentially making the PC a terminal. The PC interacts with the server through the X-windows system, forwarding the display from the server to the PC. Xming is the perfect choice for using the implementations of SSH or Secure Shell to forward X11 sessions. The program fortifies SSH.EXE and PuTTY, and comes with a dedicated version of PLINK.EXE. Additionally, the project offers a portable version of the program, which can be carried in a USB flash drive, and doesn’t need installation. Free xming for windows 10 download. Internet & Network tools downloads - Xming by StraightRunning.com and many more programs are available for instant and free download.

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Xming is the leading free X Window Server for Microsoft Windows (XP/2003/Vista). Unlike Cygwin/X it does not depend on the Cygwin environment. It is fully featured, small and fast because it is standalone native Microsoft Windows application.

Xming is secure when used with SSH and optionally includes an enhanced PuTTY Link SSH client and aportable PuTTY replacement package. Xming can work completely independent of the Window's registry when used with Xming-portablePuTTY. Interactive 3D graphics capability is provided compatible with OpenGL/ GLX.

Xming is cross-compiled on Linux for Microsoft Windows (32-bit x86), usingMinGW, mainly from the canonicalX.Org source code withpatches applied. Public Domain version can bedistributed and used without restriction.

Releases

Links and release status
Website ReleasesVersionState/NotesReleased MD5 signaturesSize MB
Xming (+Mesa)7.5.0.4 Latest release19 Apr 2009 MD5 signatures3.39
Xming7.4.0.4 Latest release19 Apr 2009 MD5 signatures3.45
Xming-portablePuTTY7.4.0.6 Latest release27 Apr 2009 MD5 signatures1.39
Parallel development occurs in both 7.5 and 7.4 series. See Donations for how to obtain a Donor Password.
Public Domain ReleasesVersionState/NotesReleasedMD5 signatureSize MB
Xming-fonts7.4.0.3 Latest release10 Mar 200954e15f944a986456f3293ebe84d89a8530.3
Xming
Xming-mesa
6.9.0.31 Superseded4 May 20074cd12b9bec0ae19b95584650bbaf534a
e580debbf6110cfc4d8fcd20beb541c1
2.10
2.50
Xming-portablePuTTY7.3.0.26 Superseded3 Oct 20085b8196d91df4337d8794590bb15b35c11.50
Xming-tools-and-clients6.9.0.28 Superseded23 Mar 20074b9b2ab58da77898dcd882035fbed11c7.41

Installers for 32-bit Windows

These installers make it child's play to quickly install Xming components, interactively, with a few mouse clicks. They will alsoinstall/uninstall, silently, using command line parameters.
Xming

This essential installer includesthe XLaunch wizard. Optional extras include thePuTTY Link for Xming SSH client and Tools and clients.
If you intend to use PuTTY make sure you correctly pick the PuTTY Link SSH client (plink), either for use with standard PuTTY or Xming-portablePuTTY (i.e. there are two different plink's in the installer).
You must associate XLaunch.exe with the .xlaunch file extension (an installer option, that is enabled by default) to get the X server quickstart feature (i.e. just one click runs Xming, the way you want, via a saved .xlaunch configuration file).
Xming usesMicrosoft's OpenGL renderer interface as standard (i.e. unless a Mesa version). You need the Mesa libraries or a Mesa version when you have an awkward X client that's failing to display. Xming Mesa versions usually render most clients that use OpenGL.
The Xming executable has an absolute minimum of fonts; the so-called built-ins. X clients usually need extra fonts to supplement these...

Xming-fonts

This additional installer provides standard core X fonts (which are usually required) and optional extended Bitstream Vera replacement fonts fromDejaVue. You must install Xming-fonts in the same directory you installed Xming.
I separated these fonts from the Xming installer, above, since they have a high installed footprint, don't change very often and modern X applications use client side fonts instead. Xming-fonts are however needed by traditional X applications e.g. emacs. Also if you have a correctly configuredX font server on your network you can use it instead of this package.
Since these standard X Window fonts tend to be ugly, you could use better TrueType fonts from your Microsoft systemlike this.

Xming-portablePuTTY

XmingThis optional installer provides a fully portable replacement forPuTTY. You don't have to install portablePuTTY in the same directory you installed Xming as it is completely autonomous.
Xming-portablePuTTY works without requiring access to the Windows registry. The portable plink executable also incorporates the changes from the PuTTY Link for Xming SSH client.

Using Xming

Most operating systems have an X Window Server, why not Microsoft Windows?
Note this website convention: Window = X Window Windows = Microsoft Windows

What can you use Xming for?

All the normal X Window Server functions and some you might not have thought ofXming
  • 'Project' your favourite X Window GUI applications onto a Microsoft Desktop.
  • Use your Windows machine as just a thin client to Linux/Unix .
  • Extend server-side X fonts to include any TrueType fonts on your Windows machine. These high quality fonts can be accessed, in situ, and added to the server font list.
  • Use Xming with portablePuTTY as a Pocket PC X Server by copying both to a USB flash drive etc. Once made portable, no installed software or access to the Windows registry are needed.
  • Use as a KVM substitute. No need for expensive hardware or a tangle of leads.
  • Headless your Linux/Unix machines by removing keyboard, mouse, monitor and video card. Redirect the BIOS console and then access terminals via minicom (using a serial port) or PuTTY, and GUI's via Xming (using an ethernet).
  • You can display remote X clients directly on a Windows Desktop without running a remote Display Manager and so free up the system resources used by that DM. Note however that use of XDMCP mode needs a remote DM running!
  • You can use the Xming X server, just locally, together with coLinux, Cygwin, SFU (Microsoft Services for Unix) / SUA or UWIN.
  • Use SSH and X-Forwarding in -multiwindow mode, instead of VNC, to reclaim precious resources (including desktop space) and facilitate cut-and-paste between windows.
  • If you want focus-follows-mouse use Microsoft's PowerToy TweakUI to enable X-Mouse for -multiwindow mode.
  • You can run Xming on multiple monitors in many ways, e.g. if you have two monitors on a Windows machine, you could put the full remote Linux/Unix session on the second monitor using
  • Configure a Linux kernel on a remote machine, 'make xconfig' i.e. using the convenient GUI method.
  • Update remote machines via the distribution's GUI tools e.g. for Mandriva use mcc, rpmdriva and MandrivaUpdate.
  • Install the Enlightened Sound Daemon, EsounD, to have sound with remote X applications. PulseAudio is an EsounD replacement, free of cygwin1.dll, that can also be used as a sound server.
  • Xming can be used with external Windows window managers, such as xwinwm (via -mwextwm), openbox or twm (via -rootless). I test xwinwm with this script and twm with this script (xwinwm and openbox are available in Cygwin/X, twm is in Xming tools and clients). However using an alternative window manager on the Windows desktop is really only an amusing party trick, just use -multiwindow mode, run virtual machines or install Linux instead .

Manuals

Using X servers can be difficult and complex, so if you want to use Xming 'quick and easy' start it with XLaunch. The learning curve for seamlessly combining X, Microsoft Windows, SSH and Linux/Unix can be pretty steep for novices. Documentation here just scratches the surface of many topics so be prepared to read more elsewhere and to try options out. Also this documentation is constantly being updated and may be incorrect for old versions.

Xming Manual. This doesn't contain any X server commands. You could view these with -help or runthis XLaunch file. These onlineX.Org Manual pages also give more detail on server and client options, however they may be out-of-date. Note that not all generic options are logical for Windows or honoured by Xming.

Other manuals are available forXLaunch,Xmingrc,portablePuTTY,Xmon, theRun Utility and command line use of Xming'sinstall and uninstall programs.

To simply start Xming in -multiwindow mode, with no access control, from Command Prompt or Start/Run.../Open:

This gives you a rootless X server on display-number :0 (the default), with an integrated Windows window manager, in its easiest to use form. This is as simple as it gets, but is totally unsafe (seeAccess control), so start the X server without -ac and only use X-Forwarding to display remote clients. Note: you cannot run two X servers with the same display-number; use the:display-number option if you want multiple instances.

If you have installedportablePuTTY or PuTTY, have a configured SSH server on your remote Linux/Unix machine, and have then tested and saved some PuTTY sessions, you could safely display an xterm like this

or use a Windows SSH client, likeCygwin's OpenSSH, to do the sameXLaunch makes using Xming with PuTTY's plink and generic Windows ssh clients easy...

The XLaunch wizard

XLaunch is a wizard for simplifying the startup of an Xming server. Its re-usable XML configuration files can also act as mini-session managers. One X client can be selected for concurrent display from a local or remote machine. When remote, the X client is accessed securely viaPuTTY (e.g. via the PuTTY Link for Xming SSH client) orSSH (e.g. usingCygwin OpenSSH) with plink.exe or ssh.exe respectively.

Remote login using XDMCP is also provided as well as a host finder and chooser via the -find command and XPing button...

Xming Wsl2

Also use XLaunch to just simply start the X server and then run several X clients later by hand, or from Xmingrc menu entries.

Example .xlaunch configuration files for aremote xterm via PuTTY, aremote login via XDMCP and aremote xcalc via SSH.
Using the wizard to get a remote xcalc via PuTTY in -multiwindow mode...

You can select the windowing mode, the way sessions are started and save the configuration for later reuse. An XLaunch configuration file can be just clicked to rerun saved settings without having to go through the wizard pages. Also automatic validation of configuration files against theXLaunch XML Schema Definition is selectable when starting the wizard. Additionally, automatic display-number (i.e. server) allocation is provided for the first twenty instances.

XLaunch Help pages...
Display settingsSession typeStart programXDMCP settingsAdditional parametersFinish configuration

LanguageStringsReleasedMD5 signature
Chinesetext16 Sep 2007170ded8b1a73c6de249ab649c9a90a76
Czechtext25 Oct 2007f0f3d8ed7df9c59c70d5dce9296966d5
Deutschestext16 Sep 2007aea61e52eb6e3428f36b655993c7a346
Españoltext16 Sep 20076a8bfd1f7f14258d1aed79775c2ad4b4
Finnishtext16 Sep 2007e5a7019bb34d70b476c011c506edd7b6
Françaistext16 Sep 20071de51c6d718a05dcb487d0a24420aaf2
Italianotext16 Sep 2007a0aa263e36495a14b90809c547cf741e
Japanesetext27 Nov 2007b71ec8ab186a2e7779d6c98a7d72d9cc
Koreantext15 Nov 20078d01a7aa7630ff174781f8f20118abf4
Nederlandsetext16 Sep 2007d8348188a842044f6e3592684b7adfd2
Polishtext07 Nov 2007b080f196019135d23f883260d6e2504b
Russiantext16 Sep 200738c6c74f51b7ceefa24aa7e66ca32b73
Slovenskýtext16 Sep 2007e58bd86935be6738d008f1443fe2ba18
Currently these do not include the XDMCP finder/chooser

Xmingrc and the X icon menu

You can configure the X toolbar icon menu (i.e. the right-click menu on the Xming system tray icon), Windows icons, styles and system menus (i.e. the right-click menu on a Window's title bar) using anXmingrc file. Additionally, on the icon menu, a Host Finder is provided for listing, choosing and then accessing any responding XDMCP hosts on your network, as well as a log file viewer. I use this Xmingrc file to open X Window clients (singly or combined in session files), PuTTY, Cygwin or Command Prompt terminals and EsounD, and to control access to the X server.

Any program (local Microsoft Windows, local or remote X client) can be run from an Xmingrc menu item.

Xmingrc is a structured text file so to avoid errors, try the installed example_Xmingrc file, studymy example and read theXmingrc Manual.

Tools and clients

Many X.Org tools and clients have been ported to Microsoft Windows console applications using MinGW. These include appres, atobm, bitmap, bmtoa, cxpm, editres, ico, listres, mkfontscale, oclock, setxkbmap, sxpm, twm, viewres, xauth, xcalc, xclock, xdpyinfo, xev, xeyes, xfontsel, xhost, xkbcomp, xkill, xlogo, xlsatoms, xlsclients, xlsfonts, xmessage, xmodmap,Xmon (xmond + xmonui), xprop, xset, xsetroot, xwininfo. Note that xkbcomp is built without a console as it is used by Xming during server startup.

glxgears and glxinfo are supplied separately along with many other GLX and OpenGL test clients for Windows.

Examples, from Command Prompt

Xmon example


These Windows X clients are not the complete X.Org set. Since MinGW does not provide a POSIX API some clients just can't compile (e.g. xterm), also a few need client-side fonts or are useless on Windows. Their absence is not really significant, and most users don't need to install 'Tools and clients' anyway. Using PuTTY with Xming is however highly recommended as it provides SSH for Win32, xterm emulation and plink is especially useful...

PuTTY Link for Xming SSH client

PuTTY Link (plink) is a command line connection tool similar to Unix ssh.

The Xming plink SSH client is made with MinGW from patchedPuTTY code. The modifications substitute Windows prompts for most console ones, which are helpful when used with XLaunch or Xming (both run console free and so console messages are hidden). An original (i.e. PuTTY project supplied) plink works just fine with XLaunch/Xming when no interactive input is required or errors encountered.

Debug XLaunch via plink withthis XLaunch file (i.e. a test is triggered by the tags ClientStart='PuTTY' + Program='testplink') and get help by just clicking the plink.exe file. Note: plink is built as a console application, as it runs from the command line and accepts input from stdin.

The Run Utility

The Run Utility is an autonomous tool used to start Windows programs with a hidden console command window. This is theManual for run. Its binary andsource code are supplied separately from Project Xming; and licensedGPLv2.
Here is an example Desktop Shortcut using run and plink to display a remote konsole; but you could alternatively just use this code in a .js script file...

Donations

Without updating equipment my Xming development can't continue or advance, hence this hardware funding initiative...By donating you will get a Donor Password sent by return email, enabling access toXming Website Releases andDevelopment Snapshots for Windowsprivate individuals. This will be sent to the email address in the PayPal payment history, so please make sure it works! If you have contributed in other ways (e.g. code or patches), or not received your password, contact me. Also if you can't use PayPal, again contact me by email (colin dot harrison at virgin dot net) for alternatives. The suggested PayPal donation is £10 since less has a high percentage loss due to transfer charges. Note: You don't need a PayPal account to use PayPal from the button above, but the link does need cookies enabled.

I greatly appreciate contributions towards improving Xming's development and hosting resources. Plus, if you found Xming useful, a little thanks gives me the motivation to make it even better.

Xming Website Builds include...

  • Many Enhancements, Changes and Bugfixes not in the Public Domain Release.
  • The latest Website Releases and regularly updated Development Snapshots.
  • Modular executables and libraries upstream from X11R7.5 plus latest keyboard and locale databases.
  • Extra Windows X clients including GLX demonstrators and Xmon.
  • OpenGL enabled rendering via latest Mesa GL (libGL, in the 7.5 series).
  • Mesa libraries that are drop-in compatible with Microsoft's OpenGL (opengl32 and glu32, in the 7.4 series).
  • The XPing XDMCP host chooser integrated into XLaunch also with quick and simple activation from Xming.
Other projects also benefit from Xming developments. These are freely available for their use when correctly cited in accordance with conditions.

Support

I get so much email that I literally do not have time to answer it all. I regret this, but there's nothing I can do about it. So if you can possibly avoid sending mail to me, I recommend you do so. In particular, support requests are probably better sent to newsgroups, or passed to a local expert if possible. Problem reportswill always be ignored by me if not accompanied by a complete Xming log file (with a full Dr. Watson Drwtsn32.log if a crash report) and are imprecise as to what you are doing. That said; I do appreciate well formulated reports and suggestions.

Terms and Conditions

Here are the terms and conditions includingcomponent licenses and all other non-technical clarifications.

Table of Contents

  1. Releases
  2. Installers for 32-bit Windows
  3. Using Xming
    1. The XLaunch wizard
The Xming website, documentation and images are licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.

NEWS CONTENTS

  • 200218 : Xming - PC X Server ( Xming - PC X Server, )

Xming &

Old News

Xming - PC X Server

Secure SSH & SSL Server
Secure, Compliant & Scalable File Transfer Solution. Free Eval!
www.IpswitchFT.com/SecureTransfer

I recently upgraded my Cygwin install and noticed that Cygwin has switched it's X server XWin.exe from the XFree86 codebase to the Xorg codebase. Besides an updated logo, it also has some other side-effects.

The first one I noticed is that the xterm now has a menu turned on by default. If this annoys you (like it did me), you can turn it off by adding the following to your ~/.Xdefaults:

XTerm*toolBar: off

The next side-effect I haven't yet solved. I use the XWin menu to define some links to the servers I look after at work. I use plink.exe (part of PuTTY) to launch an xterm on the remote host, displayed locally, and using pagent.exe to do the authentication. For example:

This used to work, but now nothing happens. Interestingly, the command will work if you execute it directly from a bash shell. If anyone has an idea, I'd be grateful for their help

UPDATE: - 20081217 - Use Xming, maybe

I haven't yet figured out ssh-agent. However one work-around that I tried earlier and added in the comments was no good: the X clients started in a terminal that is forked off this way don't come through for some reason, to do with the way the X packets are tunnelled I think. So, I was motivated to try Xming.

Xming is being used quite successfully by my work colleagues who don't have a whole Cygwin stack on their machines. It's a lightweight X11 server for Windows, and it even uses Microsoft's OpenGL apparently. I'll have to try out some 3D clients from home soon to see what that gets me, but it could be good.

Anyway, for work, it seems to integrate very well with PuTTY. There's even a stand-alone putty you can download that's pre-integrated, though it seems to also require the Xming server.

I also found that it'll serve my local X clients quite well. The most important of these is my emacs, of course. For that to work well, I had to download the extra fonts since emacs uses servers-side fonts. But it works and is indistinguishable from the X11 server that's built into Cygwin.

I haven't yet un-installed Cygwin's X server: I fear it could also remove clients and libraries, and I don't want the hastle just now of figuring that out.

A final note: It's menu config file is Xmingrc (no dot), which lives in Window's HOME %USERPROFILE%. Also, because it's got no Cygwin dependency, you can't launch local Cygwin X clients from this menu. At least, not without wrapping them in calls to Cygwin's run.exe, e.g.

d:cygwinbinrun.exe -p /usr/X11R6/bin emacs -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 --debug-init

Recommended Links

  • [PDF]Using Xming

  • [PDF]Installing Xming

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Last modified:March 12, 2019

To display graphical applications from a Linux computer (such as the VSCclusters) on your Windows desktop, you need to install an X Windowserver. Here we describe the installation of Xming, one such server andfreely available.

Installing Xming¶

  1. Download the Xming installer from the Xming web site.

  2. Either install Xming from the Public Domain Releases (free) orfrom the Website Releases (after a donation) on the website.

  3. Run the Xming setup program on your Windows desktop. Make sure toselect ‘XLaunch wizard’ and ‘Normal PuTTY Link SSH client’.

Running Xming:¶

Xming Download

  1. To run Xming, select XLaunch from the Start Menu.

  2. Select ‘Multiple Windows’. This will open each application in aseparate window.

  3. Select ‘Start no client’ to make XLaunch wait for other programs(such as PuTTY).

  4. Select ‘Clipboard’ to share the clipboard.

  5. Finally save the configuration.

  6. Now Xming is running … and you can launch a graphical applicationin your PuTTY terminal. Do not forget to enable X11 forwarding asexplained on our PuTTY page.To test the connection, you can try to start a simple X program onthe login nodes, e.g., xterm or xeyes. The latter will open a newwindow with a pair of eyes. The pupils of these eyes should followyour mouse pointer around. Close the program by typing 'ctrl+c”:the window should disappear.If you get the error ‘DISPLAY is not set’, you did not correctlyenable the X-Forwarding.