[FreeNX-kNX] NX usage scenario?

[Mark Weisler]

On Monday 21 April 2008 03:18:53 Nardmann, Heiko wrote:
> Hi together!
>
> I wonder whether I can use NX for the following scenario:
>
> Situation: currently I have a pc at work with Linux and X11 on it (call it
> PC A). On the other hand for mobile working I have my laptop (PC B).
>
> Now I would like to be able to work with the same KDE session from either
> PC A (when I am at work) or from PC B (when I am not at work, e.g. at
> home).
>
> So far I end my KDE session (started by logging into PC A using KDM) at the
> end of the day at work and start a new session when I am at home and want
> to check mails (or do other stuff).
>
> What if I do not logout at the end of the day? Is it possible to tell NX to
> reuse the already running X11 session? I do not want to start two sessions
> since I am not sure about KMails behaviour in such a case.
>
> Do I have to use an NX client at PC A, too, to do that? How do I start this
> one? Shall I use the nx user to login or create a new user which has the NX
> client set as the login shell and then connect to a new NX session with my
> normal user account? I know that I can suspend the NX session.
>
> What is the "right" (easiest) way to fulfill my requirements?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Regards
> Heiko Nardmann
Hallo Heiko et al,
I'm not an expert at NX/FreeNX but I'll answer as I have faced the same 
situation you now face.

What I do is start a minimal KDE session on PC A (office). Then, on PC A, I 
start an NX session using NX client to create an NX session on PC A. In other 
words I "log onto" PC A using NX client also on PC A. 

When you do this your host would be 'localhost' and your Login would be the 
user ID you use to log in to PC A. You will then have an NX session on PC A 
and you can work with KMail, etc, there. When you are ready to leave the 
office (PC A) just disconnect (rather than terminate) the NX session you are 
running. Leave PC A running; perhaps use the screen lock to give you a 
measure of security. Then, from home, launch NX client, "aim" it at your 
office PC A and you will be given [1] the option of resuming a running 
session on your PC A.

Other people may have other suggestions.

This scenario can have you working on PC A via an NX session and/or a KDE 
session all on PC A. This can be a little curious. For example, I like the 
idea of having an NX session running most of the time and having KMail 
running in that session. So, on PC A you might use the NX session to look at 
KMail but switch to a KDE session to do other work. This can increase the 
load on PC A and, in my experience, compromise the user experience on PC A.

On a separate note, I'm finding NX very brittle-problems getting it to run or 
fully connect between client and server. I was looking into using FreeNX but 
haven't invested the time to try to figure out how to proceed with an 
installation.

[1] It is sometimes my experience that I cannot reconnect to a suspended NX 
session on the distant machine. I don't know why this is an intermittent 
phenomenon.
Good luck.
-- 
Mark Weisler 
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