Re: [Xen-users] Interacting with graphical domU's on workstation

[Mark Williamson <mark.williamson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hint: if you aren't already using the setting of "usbdevice=tablet" in
> your guest, I would recommend this, as it improves the reliability of
> the mouse by quite a bit [because the "tablet" is an "absolute"
> positioning pointing device, whilst a mouse is relative positioning -
> the latter is much harder to emulate when you get absolute coordinates
> back from the SDL/VNC-code].

Just to chime in here: definitely do this if your guest supports it (I think 
most Linux guests don't, but Windows does).  It makes interaction with the 
guest much more smooth: the mouse pointer in the guest lines up exactly with 
where you move the mouse in the host *and* it lets you have "grabless" 
operation (move the mouse freely in and out of the VM's window without using 
any funny key combos).

If you have a Windows version that supports remote desktop, you might find it 
better to connect to it using the Linux rdesktop client.  If you use 
http://www.cendio.com/seamlessrdp/ seamless RDP you can even have it 
integrate with your Linux window manager (each Windows app has a separate 
Window in dom0).

> > In case it complicates matters:  I do also run interactive
> > graphical stuff on the linux domain.  Currently, it runs on
> > dom0, but I'd like to move it to a (probably paravirualized)
> > Linux domU eventually.  I don't know what the
> > display/mouse/keyboard strategy for that should be either.
> > Just run X on domU and export the displays?  Use SDL?  Use VNC?
>
> I would run DomU as a "remote machine", e.g. use "ssh -X domu", and use
> either Dom0 or some completely different machine as display server. This
> works really well with almost any Linux applications.

Exactly what I was going to say :-)

Also, you could investigate using Nomachine X to talk to the domUs (it can 
also share printing, sound, files etc in an easy way - if you can get it to 
work.  I've used the FreeNX server but getting it to work was difficult, and 
I couldn't make the advanced features behave - that was a while ago, though) 
but you probably won't find many advantages over just using X11 over SSH in 
the local case.

X forwarding over SSH has the additional benefit that it'll integrate with 
your local window manager.

Cheers,
Mark

-- 
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat?  And no pedals!
Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard?
Dave: Skateboards have wheels.
Mark: My wheel has a wheel!

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