computing:department:unix:offsite:fastx [School of Physics and Astronomy Wiki]

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====== FastX ======

FastX allows you to connect to a linux desktop session through your web browser. Using this lets you run software on more powerful systems than you might otherwise have access to. You can also start a session from one computer, and then reconnect to it later from elsewhere.

To connect, follow these steps:

1. Open a web browser and go to our FastX gateway:
  * https://fastx.physics.umn.edu:3443/

2. You will be prompted with the FastX login screen.

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:login_fastx_2016_02_11_16_00_37.png?800|}}

3. You need to have an active Physics account. Use your Physics login username and password. This should bring you to the following screen:

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:cavan_blinky.spa.umn.edu_fastx_2016_02_11_16_01_57.png?800|}}

4. Click on "Start a new session" and then click on "Bookmarks"

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:cavan_blinky.spa.umn.edu_fastx_2016_02_11_16_03_12.png?800|}}

5. You will see the suggested window manager "XFCE Desktop". If you do not see any bookmarks listed, enter 'startxfce4' as the command.

6. If you see a warning about a popup being blocked, click on 'Click here to go to your session'. You can also modify your web browser to allow popups from that website.

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:cavan_blinky.spa.umn.edu_fastx_2016_02_11_16_04_06.png?800|}}

7. This should bring you to a Linux desktop (XFCE shown here is our default; we want a simple desktop manager in order to leave system resources available for computational use):

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:fastx_2016_02_11_16_06_03.png?800|}}

8. If you would like to enlarge or shrink your desktop, first resize your browser window. Then click on the {{:computing:department:unix:offsite:fastx_button.jpg|}} button in the lower-left of your browser window. 

{{:computing:department:unix:offsite:fastx_2016_02_11_16_07_07.png?800|}}

9. The double-ended arrow will resize your Linux desktop to match your current browser window.

10. The question mark at the right side of the row of buttons is a help page with explanations of the other buttons.

===== Resetting your XFCE session =====

In case you get a blank desktop...

  - Shut down the panel first, ''xfce4-panel --quit''
  - Kill the xfce4 configuration daemon, ''pkill xfconfd''
  - First delete settings for the panel, ''rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/panel''
  - Clear out the settings for xfconfd, ''rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml''
  - Restart the panel, run ''xfce4-panel &''.
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