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I've a machine M and I ssh to it remotely. If I run xclock it responds with error Error: can't open display:. How can I access the display, so that apps I run show up on the physical screen of the machine I logged into? I know I can use xvfb to create a virtual screen, but is there a way to remotely access the physical one?

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Have you tried "DISPLAY=:0 xclock"? – skrblr Jun 6 '12 at 15:52
@skrblr: Can't open display 0 – zzz Jun 6 '12 at 15:58

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Try using Remote Desktop software, they can see the apps in your main screen, and are easy to set up and run.

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I understand I can use VNC. Is there a way to do what I described? SSH, then run xclock so it shows on the physical screen? – zzz Jun 6 '12 at 15:56
@zzz The method is too old, better use VNC. – HackToHell Jun 6 '12 at 15:59
tunnel VNC through ssh, it is too vulnerable to be used on its own. – Bruno9779 Jun 6 '12 at 16:03
or through a VPN – HackToHell Jun 6 '12 at 16:05

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