DISPLAY Variable FAQ


Q

Should I set the DISPLAY variable on Mac OS X platforms for GUI mode?

A

No. In Mac OS X, Java is integrated with the native Macintosh graphics system, rather than with X11. As a result, you must have physical access to the machine's graphic display in order to install EMS on Macintosh platforms.



Q

Why and how should I set the DISPLAY variable on other UNIX platforms for GUI mode?

A

The installer on UNIX, must open an additional window, generally for graphics. It uses the DISPLAY environment variable to tell it on what computer to open the window. If the environment variable is not set, the installer will either wait or abort after displaying:

     
    InstallShield Wizard 
    Initializing InstallShield Wizard... 
    Preparing Java(tm) Virtual Machine... 
    ................................... 
    ................................... 
    ........ 

The DISPLAY variable must be set to the IP address or name of the computer (on which the installer graphics window are to be displayed), followed by a screen address, which can be :0.0. For example:

 
# Bourne shell 
DISPLAY=<ip_address>:0.0; export DISPLAY 
 
# Korn shell 
export DISPLAY=<ip_address>:0.0 
 
# C-shell 
setenv DISPLAY <ip_address>:0.0 

For example, consider a scenario where you need to install the adapter on a remote HP-UX machine (named itaska). Because you have a Solaris 5.6 machine (named alaska) that has a video card and monitor installed, you can run an X-Window application on it. So you decide to telnet to itaska from alaska.

When you telnet to itaska, you will not get access to itaska's monitor and will be unable to display an X-Window application. That is why you must set the DISPLAY variable, which instructs the X-Server to redirect all windows to the computer set in the variable. Before doing so, the computer (specified in the DISPLAY variable) must give permissions to share its monitor.

 
alaska> xhost + # give permission for all to its share monitor 
alaska> telnet itaska 
Welcome to HP-UX itaska 11.00 
User: 
Password: 
itaska> export DISPLAY=alaska:0.0  # set display on alaska 
itaska> ./TIB_ems-simple_4.3.0_hpux110_hppa.bin 

TIBCO Enterprise Message Service™ Installation
Software Release 4.3, February 2006
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