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I have a raspberry pi 2 and installed the Raspbian Version from 2015-05-05.

As "boot option" I chose "Console Text console..." because I don't want a full desktop.

I logged in from my remote PC via SSH (putty). I want to start Firefox but get the following error:

root@raspberry:~# firefox

(process:2425): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_slice_set_config: assertion 'sys_page_size =                                   = 0' failed
Error: no display specified

If I try to start xclock I also get an error:

root@raspberry:~# xclock
Error: Can't open display:

I want to start the programs on my display connected via HDMI. Even if I do this directly on my raspberry console it doesn't work.

How can I tell my raspberry to display this programs on my via HDMI connected Display?

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  • I've just noticed it's sort of implicit here that you don't have any GUI desktop running. You cannot run a GUI app without a desktop.
    – goldilocks ♦
    Jun 1, 2015 at 23:20
  • What is showing on your HDMI display?
    – Bex
    Jun 2, 2015 at 7:16
  • Hi Bex, the console session is showing on the HDMI display.
    – frupfrup
    Jun 2, 2015 at 8:26

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
2

You need the display number. To find that:

> xauth list
localhost.localdomain/unix:1  MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1  ea5bf

It's the number after the colon. Then set:

export DISPLAY=:1

Notice I included the colon. You should now be able to launch xclock or

firefox &

You have to be logged in as the same user who opened the display, or else run that root/sudo, which in the case of a web browser is a bad idea.

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7
  • if i try this i get: root@raspberry:~# firefox & [1] 2335 root@raspberry:~# (process:2335): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_slice_set_config: assertion 'sys_page_size == 0' failed Error: cannot open display: :0.0
    – frupfrup
    Jun 1, 2015 at 14:55
  • Hmm -- works for me. I've edited in how to make sure the display number is correct.
    – goldilocks ♦
    Jun 1, 2015 at 15:38
  • hm... okay maybe X is the problem. if i do xauth list i recive nothing...
    – frupfrup
    Jun 2, 2015 at 6:39
  • @frupfrup Did you start X? Is it installed?
    – Bex
    Jun 2, 2015 at 7:14
  • X musst be installed because with startX comand i get the "normal" Raspbian desktop. I also can leave this activ but i would like to start e.g. xclock directly from the console... or is this still impossible? - Sorry i am not an linux expert... :-/
    – frupfrup
    Jun 2, 2015 at 8:28
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To start xWindows stuff over the ssh you need to add -X to the ssh command, so:

ssh -X ....

In putty it is a bit different - you need to enable X11 forwarding by following this procedure (for example :))

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  • ok. Thx for this link. But i get the error mentioned in the comment before also if i type in "Firefox &" directly on console... i would even be happy if it would work on the console
    – frupfrup
    Jun 1, 2015 at 15:03
  • @Bostjan ... can you copy the highlights of the article you reference into your answer - the page might go away some time in the future and that would leave your answer without a key component.
    – Phil B.
    Jun 1, 2015 at 16:31
  • 2
    But the O.P. isn't trying to forward X (I think); s/he wants to start a GUI application on the remote machine's display after logging in via ssh. X11 forwarding is when you want to run a GUI application from the remote machine and display it on your local desktop. I can start xclock on another system with X11Forwarding no in sshd_config and without using -X, as long as I set the DISPLAY variable correctly. I can't promise it isn't something else to do with the sshd config, or the X server config, but this is not the issue.
    – goldilocks ♦
    Jun 1, 2015 at 19:55
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If you want to run xclock from console with out startx try : xinit xclock

NOTE: this is an alternative compromise :) But you need to run startx then you can run and X application(Gui Application).

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