[FreeNX-kNX] NX usage scenario?

[Terje Andersen]

On Mon, 2008-04-21 at 08:36 -0700, Mark Weisler wrote:
> 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.

Here are some information regarding some of the most common reasons
resuming fails:

http://www.nomachine.com/ar/view.php?ar_id=AR02F00506

PS! I would go for the scenario outlined above, myself :)

	/Terje