1. Go to this URL:   https://fastx.slac.stanford.edu:3443
   
   

2. Click on the link that says:   "Looking for the desktop client?"
   
   

3. After you download and start the desktop client, click the + (plus) icon to configure a new session.
   
   

4. Select "Web" when given the choices of Web or SSH.
   
   A "Web" session is required for the clustering configuration to work, and also to restore a browser session you already started.  If you select SSH instead of Web, then you may not see all your available sessions – you may only see your sessions that are running on a single FastX server, and not all your sessions running on different servers in the FastX cluster.  Also, you may not be able to reconnect to a session you previously started in a browser connection to FastX.  And if you start a session using the desktop client in SSH mode, you may not be able to reconnect to it inside a browser connection later.
   
   

5. Next to name, type something like (this can be any name you choose):

   slac fastx web

    

6. Next to URL, type:

   https://fastx.slac.stanford.edu:3443

    

7. Next to User, type your SLAC Unix username.
   
   
8. You can leave the "Ignore SSL errors" box unchecked.
   
   
9. Click the Save button.
   
   
10. Double click on your new saved session.
    
    
11. You will be prompted for your SLAC Unix password even if you have a Kerberos ticket on your desktop/laptop because this is using https authentication and not ssh.
    
    
12. You can start a new session using the same instructions the the above session for "Connecting to FastX" – click the + (plus) icon.
    
    
13. When you start a new session using the desktop client, you have a choice for Window mode: Multiple or Single.
    
    Multiple window mode means that your remote Linux application will appear as a seamless window on your desktop, and any additional Linux X applications you start from the same session will also appear as seamless windows on your desktop.   So, "Multiple mode" means you will see multiple windows on your desktop for each remote Linux application you start in this one session.  Multiple mode works well if you only use the desktop client and do not plan to use your web browser to access this session in the future.  If you want the option to connect to your session in the future using your web browser, then you should choose Single Window mode.  With Single Window mode, all of your Linux X applications will be run within one larger single window (as opposed to the multiple seamless floating windows you get if you choose multiple mode).  The single larger window (if you run in Single Window mode) can be run in full screen mode for maximum resolution.  After you start your session, just maximize the single window.  Whenever you maximize or resize your single FastX window, you should then tell FastX to resize your screen so you get the maximum resolution.  To do that, hover your mouse pointer over middle of the top of the single window.  You will see several icons – one of them is to tell FastX to resize your window.
    
    
14. You can reconnect to one of your already running sessions by double clicking on it under the Name column.   It may take many seconds for your saved session to appear.
    
    
15. You should also see any sessions you already have running that you may have started in a browser connection to FastX.

FastX-l mailing list

SLAC has a fastx-l mailing list for users of the FastX service to communicate.  This is good venue to ask questions and discuss anything related to using the FastX service.  When you have a FastX question or problem, there are several option you can use to get help:

1. Subscribe to fastx-l by using this command:

   echo subscribe fastx-l | mail listserv@slac.stanford.edu 

    

2. Send your question or problem to the fastx-l mailing list.  You will reach other SLAC users of the service, and they may have already researched and solved your problem.
   
   
3. Send your question or problem to ithelp@slac.stanford.edu .   SLAC Desktop support provides support of the FastX service, and can help with desktop, laptop, and browser related questions about using FastX at SLAC.  They are familiar with supporting the FastX service, and may have already helped another user solve the problem you have.
   
   
4. If ithelp@slac.stanford.edu determines they need Unix or server configuration support to help answer your question, they will work with unix-admin to solve the problem.   unix-admin can open a support cases with FastX, and utilize our site-wide vendor license for engineering support.  FastX support engineers are eager to hear about problems and bugs, and they have already worked with unix-admin to modify configuration options and apply patches in our test cluster.  If we can reproduce a bug, then they gather information from our environment and release a bug fix with the next standard release of the FastX server and clients.

Protecting your SLAC AFS ~/.fastx_server/ directory

Your SLAC AFS ~/.fastx_server/ directory contains sensitive information which could expose your FastX X11 connections to others.  This could lead to a compromise of your account, and/or unauthorized keystroke monitoring.  Keystoke monitoring can capture other passwords you type, such as sudo, ssh password authentication to remote sites, or information entered in browser windows, even for https sites since the keystrokes are captured before SSL encryption is done. 

Therefore, please take care in protecting access to this directory.  Since this directory is in AFS space, you need to use AFS Access Control Lists (ACLs) to lock down the directory (regular Unix file modes using chmod do not work inside AFS space).  The Scientific Computing Services (SCS) tool "system ranger" will automatically detect and fix any ~/.fastx_server/ directories in AFS space which are too permissive, and you will get an information email just letting you know it was fixed.  If you get this email, it is only for your information, and no action is required.  If necessary, the system ranger protects your ~/.fastx_server/ directory by removing the following entries from the AFS Access Control List:

   system:anyuser rl
   system:slac rl
   system:authuser rl

Frequently Asked Questions