Graphical remote destop connection to see the open windows

Question

Is there any wayto pop up all of the open windows in a remote Ubuntu? I am using ssh -X. Any other solution to see the open windows graphically?

Answer 1

You should use a VNC based solution (or other desktop sharing program) if you want to see the desktop of a logged in user, which will share the desktop rather than create X sessions.

ssh -X forwards an X session, but it's a new X session.

Lots of Window's users coming over to Linux fail to realize that the X Windows paradigm is different than how Window's handles things. Window's generally has a single desktop, and you attach to that session (hence why RDP kicks off users when you connect).

X is a general windowing system, and allows each session to have it's own graphics, so when you connect via ssh -X, you're usually starting a new session, with graphics that are unique to that SSH session.