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Modern X Client Connection Problems

Problems with starting X clients from a host running a modern Linux operating system can be difficult to diagnose. Use these troubleshooting tips to launch X clients successfully and solve common client connection problems.

The Linux - gnome-terminal client fails to launch from a GNOME 3 Desktop or on "My desktop" when connecting to a remote system with the Wayland display server installed.

Check the following configurations:

  • Be sure to Prefix the X client command with dbus-run-session -- as follows. (X clients in a GNOME 3 environment require a unique D-Bus session.)

    (dbus-run-session -- /usr/bin/gnome-terminal --display=%IP#% --wait)

  • If you are launching gnome-terminal (version 3.27.1 and above), be sure to launch the client with the --wait command line argument as shown below. Otherwise, the gnome-terminal detaches a server process and the network session may close before the terminal X client connects to the X server.

    (dbus-run-session -- /usr/bin/gnome-terminal --display=%IP#% --wait)

  • If the terminal or X client appears on the remote host console instead of the Reflection X desktop, prefix the client command with GDK_BACKEND=x11 as follows:

    (GDK_BACKEND=x11 dbus-run-session -- /usr/bin/gnome-terminal --display=%IP#% --wait)

An X client takes a long time to appear on the Reflection X desktop

Try disabling attempts by the client to attach to the accessibility bus (a11y) by prefixing the client command with NO_AT_BRIDGE=1.

(NO_AT_BRIDGE=1 dbus-run-session -- /usr/bin/gnome-terminal --display=%IP#% --wait)

An X client fails to launch when the remote host has proprietary video drivers installed such as NVIDIA

Try setting __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=mesa in the environment before launching the command as follows:

(__GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=mesa glxgears &)