[auton-users] X2Go vis LOP1 and LOP2 ssh proxy

[Predrag Punosevac]

Dear All,

Recently it has been brought to my attention by Rob that X2Go client can use ssh proxy to connect to destination 
server. In the layman's terms that effectively  mean that you do not need any VPN gateway or to know anything about ssh reverse proxy to have full graphical access to Auton Lab computing nodes. I asked Rob to post quick how to but he was not sure about that so here is the quick how to which is of course tested.

1. On your home computer open X2Go client which is available  for all operating systems 

http://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php/download:start

2. Click to configure new session and name it

3. As a host value type the full name of the machine you want to connect to. For example :

lou1.int.autonlab.org

4. In the login window type your username

5. keep the ports 22

6. The most IMPORTANT click option "Use Proxy server for SSH connection"

7. Additional options will open.

8. You may check use the the following options
a. Same logins as on X2Go server
b. Same password as on X2Go server

since your LOP1 and LOP2 credentials are the same as targeted machine.


9. For the host name type either

lop1.autonlab.org

or 

lop2.autonlab.org

10. As a session type please select single application "Terminal" to be on the safe side as full desktop
environment might not be available.

11.  Click OK

12. You will be asked to provide your regular Auton Lab password.

Once the terminal appears on your local X server type the name of graphical application you want to use. For 
example if you type matlab (possibly you need the full path) /usr/local/MATLAB/R2013/bin/matlab you will
get MATLAB desktop. You can use that MATLAB desktop to plot you data or to make movies for that matter.
You can similarly used RStudion-desktop or even a Firefox. 


On the final note X2Go server is only installed so far on LOV3, LOV4, and LOU1 as well as NAVY cluster. As I rebuild outer computing nodes it will be available on all computing nodes. 


Enjoy,
Predrag