[SWLUG] Stealing windows from my desktop

[justin at discordia.org.uk]

On 28 Apr, Foeh Mannay wrote:

> Is it possible using one machine (running Linux) to log into another machine 
> (also running Linux) and to hijack windows from its desktop, then return them 
> when finished?

This can be done, but the only obvious way i can think of requires some
previous planning.

If you ran your desktop on a linux VNC server, which is a virtual X
display. Then you can display that desktop on whatever machine you are
using at the time, even a windows machine.

You can disconnect one client and reconnect another, without loosing or
closing any windows, or even view it from several clients at once.

This does of course add a little overhead, but as long as what your
doing isnt hugely graphically intensive, it should be entirely bareable.

Having the server on linux is _much_ faster than one of the alternative
uses where the desktop you are viewing is a windows machine. Something
about the difference between intercepting graphics primatives and the
other having to do screen grabs, or something.