Control Linux PC via Mac Pro running Snow Leopard

[x87]

I have a slightly complicated problem!
I have a Mac Pro 2,1 running snow leopard. I still want to use snow leopard because the software I use is better suited for me with this.

However, online functionality even with the Arctic Fox browser just isn't working out for me, so I had this idea that I could get a PC, install ubuntu, and then somehow connect it through a local ethernet connection to the mac pro. From there, I would control the PC via my mac pro. I am sure that with a local connection this would be fast enough to not notice any graphic lags and glitches, like you do on screen sharing programs such as teamviewer. However, I don't know how I would go about setting this up.

I am after a somewhat seamless integration of this linux PC, as if it was a virtual machine (I have even tried getting ubuntu to run in a VM, but the VM software for 10.6.8 is so old, it is unable to boot any modern linux distro!).

Then I could totally disconnect the mac pro from the internet, and just have the linux PC dealing with all the online stuff. This obviously would be better for security as well as functionality.

 

[2984839]

You probably want SSH with X forwarding. The gist of it is to install Ubuntu, install and enable sshd on it, then enable X forwarding in sshd_config by setting "X11Forwarding yes". Then connect from OS X with "ssh -X user@your-ubuntu-server"

Tinkering may be required.

 

[x87]

Thanks for the reply Joe.
I do kind of understand what you mean, but I have heard that ssh is rather slow due to encryption? I do want to be able to stream HD video from youtube off the linux PC to the Mac, and with all the encryption it might be a bit choppy, even over a local LAN network?

 

[chrfr]

Thanks for the reply Joe.
I do kind of understand what you mean, but I have heard that ssh is rather slow due to encryption? I do want to be able to stream HD video from youtube off the linux PC to the Mac, and with all the encryption it might be a bit choppy, even over a local LAN network?

Streaming video through screen sharing like this (with or without encryption) will not work smoothly, and you also won't get audio passed through from the remote computer.

 

[x87]

Ah so I guess that idea is dead then! I have actually managed to get lubuntu working today on virtual box but struggling to get the guest additions installed. I’ll make a new thread.