run OpenGL program on server without window over ssh

Question

I am trying to run a OpenGL program which does not need a window, this program creates a file. This is done on a debian xfce, so far so good.

Then i try to run the program from another computer using ssh, if the xfce is on with a monitor, I can compile and run the program with DISPLAY=:0 (so glut is opened for like a millisecond and closed).

The problem is when i reboot and I disconnect the monitor, xfce won't launch the GUI, and glut will not launch.

VirtualGL is not what i want, hidden window is not what I want, I want to run the OpenGL program from terminal without the X GUI. Or to be able to force xfce to boot GUI and make it login in the GUI so i can launch glut.

A small example would be nice.

Ziad Akiki · Accepted Answer · 2017-06-20 09:39:44Z

1

With the current driver models, what you want to do it impossible in a way that works reliably. All the OpenGL implementations that so far exist for Linux absolutely require some kind to window (and be it an invisible, hidden 1×1 pixels small one) to create an OpenGL context.

Note that in the near future with the introduction of Wayland and a larger EGL based, OpenGL infrastructure is about to change. But we are not there yet.

Also if you can live with a slow, software implementation, Mesa has a sidekick library called "OSMesa" that gives you a OpenGL context that renders to a memory region provided by your program. But OSMesa won't use any kind of GPU acceleration.

edited Jun 20, 2017 at 9:39

Ziad Akiki

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answered Oct 10, 2014 at 8:32

datenwolf

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2 Comments

Eph Bee Over a year ago

So is there a way to launch the window without a monitor?? If i login to the linux, then remove the monitor display cable and run glut, it runs well, but if i reboot it will not, I need a way to force linux to run in x without a monitor connected then a way to make it login so I can run freeglut from ssh.. Thanks for your reply.

datenwolf Over a year ago

@user3797639: You should always be able to start an X server even if there's no display connected. If the X server refuses to start, you can forcibly add a display configuration in xorg.conf. Or you can trick the graphics card into thinking that a display is connected, by pulling the green analogue output pin to signal ground using a 150 ohms resistor.

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