X session in Git Bash on Windows?

git user-interface x11 putty git-bash
user1271772 picture user1271772 · Apr 12, 2012 · Viewed 14.1k times · Source

I'm using Git Bash on Windows. I have used Git Bash to SSH into a UNIX machine and tried to run a program with a GUI. I got the message: LINUX/UNIX system detected, but unable to access X11 display.

I have X-Win 32 (commercial). I've also used Xming which is like a free version of X-Win 32 but has problems with certain graphics.

Is there a way I can get this remote system to access my X11 display through X-Win 32 or Xming or through any way ?

I'd just like to run programs like MATLAB, with a GUI popping up, from UNIX machines, when SSH'ed into that machine via Git Bash on Windows.

I also have PuTTY and Secure Shell Client installed, but would prefer to work exclusively form Git Bash because it requires less buttons to press in order to ssh to other machines.

If it's impossible to get this working on Git Bash I'd like to get it working with PuTTY (Secure Shell Client is good but has discontinued updates permanently).

Answer

Stefan Näwe picture Stefan Näwe · Jan 21, 2013

This Q is rather old, but anyway... I was (at last...) able to get this working using the ssh command from Git for Windows and XMing. All I had to do was to set the DISPLAY environment variable to localhost:0.0 (it was set to only :0.0).

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