Mocha X11

I don't have a Mac, so can't develop for iOS. I've coded some things using Python under iSH, using Safari for the GUI, but not everything can be done well that way. This X server fills that gap. On iSH, `export DISPLAY=0.0.0.0:0` and you won't have to worry about the actual IP number. Run `tail -f /dev/location` in the background to keep iSH running while you switch to the Mocha screen, otherwise your windows won't appear. There are some things that could probably be done better, such as allowing it to run on localhost for better security, but I'm happy with it the way it is. Get the 'lite' version and play with that first to get used to it before paying for the Pro version. The only difference I know of is that the lite version times out in 5 minutes, and the Pro version lasts at least an hour.

Honestly, it’s hardly a replacement for an X11 client on a real computer, e.g. Xquartz on a Mac, or a real X11 environment on Linux. As an X11 environment, it’s pretty rudimentary, but setting up a client is straightforward. Starting a client is more than a little awkward on an iPad. The touch interface just isn’t natural, so using a Magic Keyboard is probably best. Then, getting the keyboard to work in an xterminal isn’t always intuitive, what with the non-obvious icons at the bottom of the screen. However, as a stop-gap measure until you can get to a real computer, it does the job.

I set up to connect to my linode Linux server but when I tap Start I get one line: IP : 172.20.10.2 - traffic: 0 Spent $29 and doesn’t work

For this app to be great, it would need a few things: a) importing the settings from the lite/demo version, switching from the lite/demo means setting up all clients again from scratch b) support for Apple MagicKeyboard; an iPad Pro with MagicKeyboard would make a perfect X11 Terminal, but mouse pointer remains in a mode that is appropriate for a touch screen, and doesn’t recognize/change to reflect the touch pad used. c) Allow to lock the screen size to the actual display. Even with the proper screen size chosen, one can still scroll the screen, which is annoying. d) client templates, like e.g. for using Xephyr to get a remote desktop x11 session, this can be quite useful e.g. operating a Raspberry Pi connected over USB-C networking to an iPad Pro. It’s a nifty way of getting a programming environment and Mathematica by attaching a cigarette pack sized box to the iPad. It really is all there, it just needs some polish, and that would make all the difference between “OK, gets the job done, somehow, but is still annoying” and “Great, it’s a joy to use.”

I use this on an iPad to connect to macOS Catalina running XQuartz. I find it works just fine for the apps I use. I just tap the ipad, so can't say about BT. Many thanks to the developer for keeping X11 alive .. long live X11 .. boo hiss to Wayland.

Basic functionality is present but there are glitches. App gets confused when you are using a BT keyboard. You have to toggle it off bring up the on screen keyboard and switch the BT keyboard on again to get it to work.

It’s great that somebody has finally got a new X server working on iOS, but there are still some substantial shortcomings to be addressed before this is truly useful for productive work. To be clear my main use case is running IntelliJ from a headless Linux server and doing real work remotely if I’ve only got my iPad, iPhone and a BT keyboard, which would mean not having to take a laptop with me on certain short trips, as well as enabling mobile work over LTE when not near Wi-Fi. SERVER: - The server sometimes becomes unresponsive for reasons unrelated to the client host or networking. Running on the same network via XQuartz is fully responsive. There have been tasks I had to complete on a laptop because they repeatedly froze the server. An example is signing into my account from JetBrains Toolbox, which launches Firefox. There was no way to complete that via the iPad. Firefox in general seems to cause responsiveness issues. - As a nice-to-have, trying to select a good desktop resolution is a bit of an annoyance. It would be nice if the app were better at offering smart options based on device resolution. WINDOW MANAGER: - The integrated window manager exists, but is a bit too crude. Menus open with full borders and title bars. Modality is not correctly respected, so that dialogs can disappear behind their parents. The resize mechanism seems to only be available sometimes, and the close button frequently doesn’t do anything. - I understand it’s a bit tricky in this environment, but locking a single app window to fill the entire device screen is super valuable on a tablet. USER INPUT: - I don’t know what limitations prevent the normal iOS keyboard support from translating into this app, but you have to turn on a setting in the app if you are using a BT keyboard. Modifier keys on the keyboard that work fine in other remote apps don’t work here. In fact, I couldn’t find a way to use an ALT modifier at all, either from the keyboard or the on-screen shortcut pad. It just didn’t work. Arrow keys on the keyboard also worked only sometimes. - Likewise I am trying to use the “Easy Mouse” app instead of buying the single BT mouse listed as supported, and the tap gestures do not work as described in the mouse app. I am having to two-finger-tap to click, 2-tap+hold to right-click. Dragging is fiddly and awkward. I have yet to get scrolling to work at all. - Perhaps most annoyingly, you cannot connect the mouse or keyboard after a session has starte