Subject: LInux-vserver and "X11 namespacing"
From: Tor Rune Skoglund <trs@sg.no>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:48:21 +0200

I am working on some kind of special project where I would need
to run an X11 server on the host. The guests would need to connect
to the host for their GUI stuff. Network-wise, the host will be the
router, and every guest would be on an "inner" LAN.

I would like to force each guest only to be able to
draw on one specific virtual desktop on the X11-server, and a
special application will be used to switch between desktops.
In a sense, some kind of "X11 namespacing".
The idea is to be able to install several independent applications -
with GUI - on a single computer and monitor.

I do of course foresee several problems (challenges! :) here,
e.g. how to address a single virtual desktop, how to limit the
guests to only that virtual desktop. Maybe I would need several X
servers and then distribute the connect DISPLAY envvar to each guest,
but then, can X have several "screens" reside on one single monitor,
which window manager to use (if any), ..... and so on.
There's a long list.

However, before actually starting prototyping and testing, is there
anything in linux-vserver that could be of specific interest when
looking at that "X11 namespacing" thing?

Any pointers to already such done projects?

I must say I am becoming fairly acquainted to linux-vserver over the
years. However, I do not claim to be an expert. (Would anyone, besides
Herbert...? :-)

I'll share my experiences after the project if there is any
interest.

- Tor Rune Skoglund <trs@sg.no>