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Desktop Mode

desktop mode as opposed to seamless mode runs a full desktop session in a window instead of having each individual window forwarded separately.
This feature requires X11 server support and is not available on MacOS or MS Windows servers.

The behaviour is more similar to VNC but with the added benefits of the xpra protocol: audio, printer forwarding, etc. (see features)

You can also connect using VNC clients.
To access an existing desktop session, use the shadow server which is also available on MacOS and MS Windows.

Usage

To start a desktop session simply run:

xpra start-desktop --start=xterm

Then connect as usual from the client, or using a VNC client.

Alternatively, you can start a session and connect in one command from the client using the ssh syntax:

xpra start-desktop --start=xterm ssh://USER@HOST/

Window Manager or Desktop Environment

In order to run a window manager or even a full desktop environment within this desktop session, simply replace the "xterm" example above with the command that starts the WM or DE of your choice, ie for "fluxbox":

xpra start-desktop --start=fluxbox

When choosing a window manager, be aware that the more featureful ones also tend to use more bandwidth and will appear to run more slowly.

Desktop Size

By default, the desktop size will start using a screen resolution of 1920x1080, this virtual screen can be resized at any point using regular X11 tools (ie: "xrandr").

To change the initial desktop size:

xpra start-desktop --resize-display="1024x768" --start=fluxbox

Caveats

  • to get the session to terminate when you exit the window manager, use --start-child with --exit-with-children
  • some desktop environments may show options to shut down or reboot the system from their start menu, which may or may not be appropriate