Connecting with X2Go Client#

Use Getting Connected if you are not sure which connection option to use.

X2Go Client is the primary remote terminal option for connecting to the Bellagio server. If you are having trouble getting connected, this page is one of the first setup guides to check.

Remote access tools let you connect to another computer from your own computer.

X2Go is optimized for fast performance, even over slower network connections. If you are using a VPN from off campus, X2Go should still work normally when your Internet connection is stable.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itArH9zN7wk

Download and Install X2Go Client (Windows)#

Go to the X2Go website at https://wiki.x2go.org/, and click Download in the left sidebar.

Click the appropriate X2Go Client download link for Windows.

Once the download is complete, double-click to run the setup.

Review the terms of the license agreement, and click I Agree to continue.

Click Next to continue with the "Recommended" installation.

Choose the installation location for the X2Go client. In most cases, the default location is fine.

Choose the Start Menu folder for the X2Go client’s shortcuts. This is optional, and the default is usually fine.

Click Install to begin installation.

Once the installation finishes, press Finish to close the installer.

Download and Install X2Go Client (macOS)#

Note: macOS users must first install XQuartz (see https://www.xquartz.org/).

Note: If you use macOS 26.4 or later and X2Go Client fails to start an X11 session, see X2Go Launcher for macOS.

Go to the X2Go website at https://wiki.x2go.org/, and click Download in the left sidebar. Click the appropriate X2Go Client download link for your version of macOS.

Double-click on the downloaded DMG (disk image) to open it in Finder.

Then drag and drop x2goclient.app into your Applications folder.

Configure X2Go Client (All Platforms)#

Note: Configuration is identical for X2Go across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Open the X2Go Client application on your computer. This should immediately open a session configuration window.

If the configuration window does not open, use the menu bar at the top of the window (Windows) or at the top of your screen (Mac) and navigate through Session > New Session.

Make sure that:

1. The "Host:" field contains the address "bellagio.csn.edu".
2. The "Login:" field contains your username. This can be found in the email with your Bellagio login credentials.
3. The "SSH port:" field is set to "22".
4. The "Session type" field is set to "Single application" with a "Command:" field value of "Terminal".

Press OK when you are done configuring your session.

Once the session is created, it will appear on the right side of the X2Go Client.

At this point, you can use the session by typing its name into the center text field or by clicking its box in the right sidebar.

If the following appears when starting the session:

Host key verification failed.

    The server is unknown. Do you trust the host key?
    Public key hash: bellagio.csn.edu:22 -

                                Yes        No

Press Yes. This establishes trust for future X2Go connections to the Bellagio server.

Note: You should only be prompted for this verification once, the first time you connect to a server.

X2Go should then prompt you to enter your Bellagio account password. This can also be found in the email with your username, unless you already changed it.

After you enter valid credentials, X2Go should connect to Bellagio.

This should open a terminal window that lets you interact with the Bellagio server.

X2Go Sessions Are Persistent#

An X2Go session persists when you lose your Internet connection, close your laptop, or quit the X2Go Client application without properly logging out of the session.

If you previously ran a session and exited X2Go Client without logging out, you’ll see a window like this on your next login:

You may choose to resume a suspended session, terminate a suspended session, or start a new session.

The X2Go system sometimes fails to properly restore an existing session, requiring the session to be terminated before starting a new one.

Suspended sessions are terminated after three (3) hours to provide adequate resources for all system users.

You should always save your work before leaving or stepping away from an X2Go session.

For X2Go connection questions, please reach out to a TA, use office hours, or open a help ticket in the CIT Discord server. For homework questions, use the appropriate course Discord channel without posting your actual code, office hours, or private contact.

Authors#

Miguel Castillo-Leyva, William Simpson, Bryce Forrest, and Kevin Mess