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by QuantumNomad_ 86 days ago
> The closest set up for x11 would be to use x11 forwarding with xpra.

Older versions of macOS even had an X server distributed by Apple that you could install on your machine, and if memory serves right you were then easily able to forward X11 from a remote Linux host (or other operating systems running X11 applications) using ssh and have it render to your macOS desktop.

From a quick google search there is apparently still an Apple supported third-party open source project called XQuartz one can use.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XQuartz

X11 forwarding with ssh and XQuartz looks to work the same way that I remember using the Apple distributed X server in the past. Install the X server and then use the -X flag of ssh. Same way that you forward X11 between two Linux computers, or Sun workstations or whatever with an X11 desktop, over ssh.

https://docs.cse.lehigh.edu/xforwarding/xforwarding-mac/

3 comments

I tried that a few times back in the day, but I found it so jarring & ugly against the macOS GUI. The problem was that it was rendering the application alone, for a seamless integration. I don't remember if there was even an option to run a compositor or window manager such that you had a proper window with it's own background and the linux apps show up inside that (like the cocoa-way example).
Used to use XQuartz often years ago for (I think?) forwarding Firefox running in containers for browser-facing integration testing. It was pretty slow IIRC. Switched to VNC, which worked much better.
This is Wayland. You could use xprs
wprs? Does not work for mac yet IIRC...