How to correctly enable X11 on DietPi without any DE installed?

Troubleshooting
1

I mean about launch single apps to GUI (i.e. “psensor”, “gedit”, etc.) via SSH.

I can do that with Debian without Desktop Environment but seem to not working on DietPi.

I tried:

  • Switch to OpenSSH
  • Checked /etc/ssh/sshd_config → X11Forwarding yes
  • Enable IPv6
  • Installing LXDE
2

You can install X11 without any DE, look for X.Org X Server in the list, or:

sudo dietpi-software install 6

Then SSH X11 forwarding should work.

However, as you installed LXDE as well, it did not work for you afterwards either? Did you restart the SSH server after installing LXDE?

3

After I installed LXDE, the X11 support was not there.

Now on a fresh install on DietPi, I ran the:

“sudo dietpi-software install 6”

I rebooted DietPi and the SSH server but the result is always:

“X11-forwarding disabled or not supported by server”.

While on many Debian 12 fresh installs without any DE, that support is active and working.

EDIT:

I forgot to switch to OpenSSH, now it seem to be working, thank you.

4

I recognize just now that Debian builds Dropbear without X11 forwarding enabled. I actually does support it with the respective variable set at compile time: dropbear/src/default_options.h at bd12a8611b3c838f1ed1d1c2cbaff2da1072a315 · mkj/dropbear · GitHub

Oh, has actually been discussed here already, only compile time options have been confused with runtime options :smiley:: Dropbear X11 Forwarding on Mac with Quartz

5

I also have to add also that after I switched to OpenSSH and installed “X.Org X Server”, the command:

sudo /etc/acpi/powerbtn-acpi-support.sh

Of the package:

acpi-support-base

Did not work anymore.

But, the most common command:

sudo shutdown

Started to work in this DietPi installation.

6

X11 sessions usually make use of logind, which provides ACPI functionality as well. Even possible that it conflicts with acpid you used before and hence broke that script in turn:

apt autopurge acpi-support-base
apt install dbus # should be installed already
systemctl unmask systemd-logind
systemctl start systemd-logind

shutdown is actually more used for scheduled shutdowns with a bunch of extra features, which depend on logind in some cases as well. poweroff is easier for direct shutdown.