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This guide is meant for people who are forced to use Windows on their machines connected in network to a Linux server and you cannot run Linux your machine because "Applcation X" is not available for Linux.

So you want to run Linux applications on your Windows box through network eh ?

Its very easy !

A small piece on the Linux server -

Find the SSHD configuration file (usually /etc/ssh/sshd_config) and ensure that this directive is present in it (or change its value)-

X11Forwarding yes

You need to download PuTTY SSH client and Xming - The X Server port for Windows.

You should check out this page - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html for downloading PuTTY's latest setup file. You don't need PuTTYtel.

And http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming/files/ for latest version of Xming.

NOTE- The sourceforge page will by default provide a file which is not required. Scroll down, you will get a Folder Tree and search for the Xming folder (see screenshot) in it.

Xming download Page

Download the setup file.

Now you have all the components needed to accomplish your task. Here are the steps -

1. Install PuTTY
2. Install Xming
3. Start Xming (NOT XLauncher)

PuTTY steps -

1. Launch PuTTY
2. Set the options - Host Name and Enable X11 Forwarding in the SSH options (see screenshot)
3. Connect !

PuTTY Screenshot #1

PuTTY Screenshot #2

Connected Terminal -

PuTTY Screenshot #3

Give a command on the terminal which launches a GUI. For example GIMP (GNU Image manipulation Program)-

(Image Size is 570KB, so giving thumbnail, click on it to get the full image)-

And you have Linux apps running on Windows !