FreeNX

Getting FreeNX working on Slackware (12.2 as of writing).

Build it

Get Eric Hameleers' build script:

wget -np -r http://connie.slackware.com/~alien/slackbuilds/freenx/build/

cd connie.slackware.com/\~alien/slackbuilds/freenx/build/

Build nx and freenx:

./nx.SlackBuild && ./freenx.SlackBuild --cleanup

Install the resultant packages:

installpkg /tmp/{nx-3.3.0-i486-1alien,freenx-0.7.3-i486-2alien}.tgz

The installer runs the initial configuration (including adding a new user "nx" to the system).

Configure it

The main config file is /etc/nxserver/node.conf. The comments are helpful, so read them.

Of interest to me was specifying the port that the system's sshd listens on. If you run your sshd on a non-standard port (i.e. not 22), then uncomment the line:

  #SSHD_PORT=22

and replace 22 with whatever you port number is.

If you're a bit paranoid with your security settings in /etc/ssh/sshd_config (like I am), make sure you add the user nx to AllowUsers, otherwise the client you choose will fail to connect to your ssh daemon.

If you've made changes in /etc/ssh/sshd_config, then restart sshd. This is the command I use when I'm logged in remotely and I need to restart sshd:

/etc/rc.d/rc.sshd stop; sleep 5; /etc/rc.d/rc.sshd start

Run it

Check to see if the server is running (it was after my installation, but your mileage may vary):

nxserver --status

If you see:

  root@darkstar:~# nxserver --status
  NX> 100 NXSERVER - Version 3.2.0-73 OS (GPL, using backend: 3.3.0)
  NX> 110 NX Server is running
  NX> 999 Bye

you're good to go. Otherwise, run:

nxserver --restart

Connect to it

http://en.opensuse.org/FreeNX_Server_HOWTO lists a number of clients able to connect to a (free)nx server. Since my main interest was in accessing my Linux box at home from my Windows box at work, I used the NoMachine client for Windows.