The xhost command is used in Linux systems to control which X clients can display on the X server. It is a utility that allows the user to grant or revoke access permissions to the X server for other users or computers.
Overview
The xhost command is used to control access to the X server by other clients. The command can be used to grant or revoke access permissions for specific clients or for all clients. By default, the X server allows any client to connect to it and display on it. However, this can be a security issue, especially if the X server is running on a remote system.
To grant access to a specific client, use the command xhost +<hostname>. For example, to allow the client with the hostname client1.example.com to connect to the X server, use the command xhost +client1.example.com.
To revoke access for a specific client, use the command xhost -<hostname>. For example, to disallow the client with the hostname client2.example.com to connect to the X server, use the command xhost -client2.example.com.
To grant access to all clients, use the command xhost +. To revoke access for all clients, use the command xhost -.
Options
The xhost command has the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| + | Grants access to all clients |
| – | Revokes access for all clients |
| +<hostname> | Grants access to a specific client |
| -<hostname> | Revokes access for a specific client |
| +SI | Grants access to Secure Internet X clients |
| -SI | Revokes access for Secure Internet X clients |
| +localhost | Grants access to the local host |
| -localhost | Revokes access to the local host |
Troubleshooting tips
- If you are having trouble connecting to the X server, make sure that the client has been granted access using the
xhostcommand. - If you are having trouble with Secure Internet X clients, make sure that the
+SIoption has been used to grant access to these clients.
Notes
- The
xhostcommand should be used with caution, as it can be a security risk to allow any client to connect to the X server. - It is recommended to only grant access to specific clients that need to connect to the X server, rather than granting access to all clients.