Spotfire Server: How to run the configuration GUI on a headless Linux server

Note: This article provides general guidance on using third-party components to enable the Spotfire Server configuration GUI on a headless Linux server. These components are not provided, supported, or maintained by Revvity Signals. The information is provided as a general reference and may not apply to all environments. For assistance with third-party components, refer to the documentation provided by the respective vendors.

When running Spotfire Server on a headless Linux server, it is recommended that the configuration of the Spotfire Server is done via command line only. However, this may be inconvenient for some users who prefer to use the configuration GUI (uiconfig.sh).

The uiconfig.sh script can still open when connected to a Linux server via an SSH client, if a display server is running on the local Windows workstation the background.

The following steps configure the server to allow graphical applications to be displayed on the client machine through an SSH connection.


 Install required Linux packages

The following packages are required to allow graphical applications running on the server to be displayed on the client machine.

Red Hat based systems

dnf install -y xorg-x11-utils xorg-x11-xauth

Debian / Ubuntu

apt install xauth x11-utils -y

Enable X11 forwarding in your SSH client

Configure the SSH client to enable X11 forwarding before connecting to the Spotfire server. Graphical SSH clients typically provide an option to enable X11 forwarding in their connection settings.

If using the SSH command-line client, X11 forwarding can be enabled with the -X option:

ssh -X (remote_host)

Install an X11 display server in Windows

An X11 display server is required on the Windows client machine to display graphical applications launched on the Debian server through an SSH connection. 

Several third-party applications provide this functionality, including Xming, VcXsrv, and MobaXterm. The X11 display server must be running before establishing the SSH connection to the Spotfire server.

Once the above steps are complete, connect to the Spotfire Server using SSH. When you run uiconfig.sh, the Spotfire Server configuration tool should be displayed on the local desktop.