--- /dev/null
+We run [Ubuntu][] on a lot of the department computers, and some
+things are easier to configure via their appropriate GUI than they are
+from the command line (sigh, :p). I don't have to do this often, so
+often I don't remember the interface, or even the name, of the app
+required for the particular configuration I'm try adjust. Ah, I think,
+if I was only sitting in front of the computer in question rather than
+logging in via [[SSH]], I could click on the *Preferences* dialog and
+it would be right there. Wait, why should it matter what computer I'm
+sitting in front of? Enter nested X servers such as [Xnest][] and its
+successor [Xephyr][].
+
+The problem with running a remote desktop or windows manager is that
+when you fire up your local X server, you usually also fire up a
+windows manager to manage it. If you try to run a remote windows
+manager, there will be two managers trying to manage one server, which
+can be problematic. Xephyr lets you start another X server nested
+inside a window of your main X server, and you can then start the
+remote windows manager in the Xephyr window. Basic usage looks like
+this:
+
+ home$ Xephyr :1 -ac -screen 800x600 2>/dev/null &
+ home$ export DISPLAY=:1
+ home$ ssh -YC hop1
+ hop1$ ssh -YC hop2
+ ...
+ hopN$ ssh -YC target
+ target$ gnome-session
+
+Don't forget to kill the Xephyr process once you're done with it.
+
+Of course, with all the X forwarding, it doesn't actually matter which
+host Xephyr is running on. However, it may be easier for you if you
+only have to install it on your main computer. See Igor Ljubuncic's
+[Xephyr tutorial][] for a more detailed explanation of the whole
+process.
+
+[!tag tags/linux]
+[!tag tags/tools]
+
+[Ubuntu]: http://www.ubuntu.com/
+[Xnest]: http://packages.debian.org/lenny/xnest
+[Xephyr]: http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/Xephyr
+[post]: http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/xephyr.html
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