---
name: "xon"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "xutils"
version: "1:7.1.ds.3-1"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xon"
---

# xon(1)

start an X program on a remote machine

## NAME

xon - start an X program on a remote machine

## SYNOPSIS

**xon** remote-host \[-access\] \[-debug\] \[-name window-name\] \[-nols\] \[-screen screen-no\] \[-user user-name\] \[command ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

*Xon* runs the specified command (default xterm -ls) on the remote machine using rsh, remsh, or rcmd.  Xon passes the DISPLAY, XAUTHORITY and XUSERFILESEARCHPATH environment variables to the remote command.

When no command is specified, xon runs 'xterm -ls'.  It additionally specifies the application name to be 'xterm-*remote-host*' and the window title to be '-fIremote-host*'.*

*Xon can only work when the remote host will allow you to log in without a* *password, by having an entry in the .rhosts file permitting access.*

## OPTIONS

*Note that the options follow the remote host name (as they do with rlogin).*

- **-access**

  *Runs xhost locally to add the remote host to the host access list in the X* *server.  This won't work unless xhost is given permission to modify the* *access list.*

- **-debug**

  *Normally, xon disconnects the remote process from stdin, stdout and stderr* *to eliminate the daemon processes which usually connect them across the* *network.  Specifying the* **-debug** *option leaves them connected so that* *error messages from the remote execution are sent back to the originating* *host.*

- **-name window-name**

  *This specifies a different application name and window title for the default* *command (xterm).*

- **-nols**

  *Normally xon passes the -ls option to the remote xterm; this option* *suspends that behaviour.*

- **-screen screen-no**

  *This changes the screen number of the DISPLAY variable passed to the remote* *command.*

- **-user user-name**

  *By default, xon simply uses rsh/remsh/rcmd to connect to the remote machine* *using the* *same user name as on the local machine.  This option cause xon to specify an* *alternative user name.  This will not work unless you have authorization to* *access the remote account, by placing an appropriate entry in the* *remote users .rhosts file.*

## BUGS

*Xon can get easily confused when the remote-host, user-name or various* *environment variable values contain white space.*

*Xon has no way to send the appropriate X authorization information to the* *remote host.*