How to use an ssh X tunnel to run melts (or any program) remotely on linux.

[jesnow]

If you have access to a linux box running MELTS and need or want to run it on your mac, it's pretty easy. Possibly easier than running it locally.

1) Make sure you have xQuartx installed. Any version seems to work.
2) Find xQuartz.app in your Applications/Utilities folder, launch it. If it's already running command-tab to it.
3) Under the xQuartz menu item Applications click the menu item Terminal, this starts the xQuartz terminal (different from the MacOS one).
4) Use the command ssh -X myserver.edu to log into your linux box. This forwards the X display to xQuartz.
5) Create a folder for your calculations, copy or move the .melts file to it, cd to it.
6) Launch the *linux* melts executable from this command line.

The X GUI should now appear on your mac desktop, but its working directory is back on the linux box, and the output files will land there. Sometimes re-starting melts will fail, you need to open a new xquartz terminal then to launch it.

Cheers,

Jon.