Connecting to SSCC Linux Computers using X-Win32

X-Win32 is the SSCC's suggested Linux client for Windows PCs. To install X-Win32, first download it from the SSCC web server. You'll need to give your SSCC user name and password, as X-Win32 is only licensed for UW faculty, staff, and students (if you normally log into the SOE-AD domain, give your username as SOE-AD\username). Save the file in a convenient location, and then double-click on it. It will install and configure itself.

X-Win32 can be a bit confusing because it doesn't log you into anything when it starts. It merely places an icon that looks like a blue and white 'X' with a monitor down in the lower-right corner of your screen:

The X-Win32 Icon

To log into a server, click once on the icon and choose a session. If you double-click on the icon you'll get the configuration program instead. As your session begins you'll note a status window that describes what X-Win32 is doing as it connects to the server. Feel free to check Close this dialog when command completes or just close the window once your session starts.

Setting up New Sessions

If you need to connect to a particular Linstat server (most likely to monitor a job you started previously--see Using Linstat) or if you want to connect to some other server, you'll need to set up a new session. This is easy to do:

  1. Double click on the X-Win32 icon to start the configuration program. Click the Wizard button under New Session.

    X-Config

  2. Give the session a Name (for your own purposes--the computer doesn't care what it is). Choose StarNet SSH as the Type. Then click Next.

    Creating your session

  3. Give the address of the server you want to connect to and click Next. The three Linstat servers are linstat1.ssc.wisc.edu, linstat2.ssc.wisc.edu, and linstat3.ssc.wisc.edu.

    Server address

  4. Type in your username and password. Click Next.

    User name and password

  5. The next screen allows you to choose which terminal program to run. Our suggestion is that you use the GNOME terminal, and that is what the pre-defined sessions use. To use it type gnome-terminal in the Command box.

    Choosing GNOME as your terminal program

    However, if you prefer xterm, just click on Linux and X-Win32 will enter it for you automatically.

    Choosing the xterm terminal program

  6. Click Finish, and your session will be ready for use.

Last Revised: 7/12/2011