Redirecting the NetWare 5.x, 6.0 and 6.5 GUI - Sep. 16, 2003

Sep. 16, 2003 - Updated for NetWare 6.5, and rearranged old information that seems obsolete, and replaced it with a simpler process that has worked fine for me since at least NetWare 5.1. I tested it once on a 5.0 server, and it worked there as well, but you must have at least SP5 installed first. The servers were patched to NW50SP6, NW51SP6 and NW6SP3.

The NetWare GUI screen is just an Xwindows display that defaults to the localhost (server) address. If you run an Xwindows server on your PC, and use the proper environment settings, you can tell NetWare to send the display to some other address.

I use the following technique, which has two caveats:

1. I generally have to unload Java the first time I do this, to get the display environment settings to work. (After that, I don't need to exit Java, and I can go back and forth between a local and a remote display). Note that this will kill all JAVA programs!

java –killall
java –exit

2. The software I mention (WinAXE, from www.labf.com) has a 30-minute limit when used in eval mode. After 30 minutes, it closes the Xwindows session and you have to restart it. You do not want to start that software and then delay starting your session. I once had to repeat a BorderManager installation because the software closed down on me about 1 minute from the end of the install.

There are five parts to my method:

  1. A remote console connection, using RCONSOLE, RCONJ, or Adrem Free Remote Console. This is so that I can enter the commands to start or stop the appropriate GUI.
  2. STARTX.NCF - used to load the GUI, directed to the server console. Mostly unchanged, except for the environmental display variables.
  3. REMX.NCF - used to load the GUI, directed to my PC, which in this example is set as 192.168.10.254.
  4. DX.NCF - ("de-X") used to stop any GUI that is currently running, so that I can reload it with one of the above NCF files.
  5. An Xwindows server running on my PC, which is currently WinAxe 6.x.

For Netware 5.x ∓ 6.0, I put my files in the SYS:JAVA\NWGFX directory, where STARTX is located. For NetWare 6.5, use the SYS: JAVA\NWGFX\BIN directory.

The STARTX and REMX files also reset the display variable to null, so that it can be reset to something else.

1. My STARTX.NCF file looks like this:

env display = 127.0.0.1:0
envset display=127.0.0.1:0
load xinit

2. I created a REMX.NCF file to redirect the GUI to my PC, at IP address 192.168.10.254, like this. (Don't forget the trailing :0 when editing this for your PC's IP address):

env display = 192.168.10.254:0
envset display=192.168.10.254:0
load xinit

3. I created a DX.NCF file to unload any windows manager, like this:

unload xfvga16
unload xfsvga
unload xaccel

4. WinAxe, version 6.x is running on my PC, with these changes from the defaults:

a. Window Mode List: Single window
b. Virtual root size: Fit to screen unchecked, and 800x600
c. Xdepth: Auto

It so happens that my test server has a Nvidia TNT M64 video card in it, and my GUI is using the XACCEL windows manager, but the DX.NCF file should work for about any NetWare server because it also tries to unload the standard and super vga windows managers.
My procedure is this:

  1. Start WinaXe on my PC.
  2. Make a remote console connection to the server, with RCONSOLE, RCONJ, or Adrem Free Console
  3. Run DX to stop any GUI running, and run JAVA -EXIT to stop and exit Java
  4. Run REMX to redirect the GUI to my PC. (REMX has to be edited for your PC's IP address)
  5. Work via the GUI.
  6. Exit the GUI, on the display on my desktop. This does not shut down the display on my desktop, and I close that manually.

Note: Do not put any spaces before the = in the envset display=x.x.x.x:0 command. You can set the environment once that way, but not change it afterwards. Taking the space out lets you go back and forth without a problem.

You can download my NCF files HERE.

Remember, for Netware 5.x ∓ 6.0, put my files in the SYS:JAVA\NWGFX directory, where STARTX is located. For NetWare 6.5, use the SYS: JAVA\NWGFX\BIN directory. You may also see a lot of errors on the logger screen at first, but if you wait long enough, the full display should come up in WinAXE on your PC.


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