Introduction:
If you’ve encountered a frustrating issue with X11 forwarding, specifically related to Google Chrome and Chromium browsers displaying grey panels when forwarded through SSH X11, you’re not alone. This problem has been observed on Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04, as well as LinuxMint 19.2 and 19.3. While other applications work fine during X11 forwarding, these browsers seem to be affected. In this article, we will explore this issue in detail and provide possible solutions to resolve the grey panel problem.
Understanding the X11 Forwarding Issue
- Describing the problem: Google Chrome and Chromium browsers displaying grey panels during X11 forwarding
- Examining the specific versions and operating systems where this issue occurs
- Noting that other applications, such as Firefox and LibreOffice, do not exhibit the same problem
Investigating Error Messages and Logs
- Analyzing the errors related to Google policies and FontService that appear in the terminal launching the application
- Discussing the potential implications of these errors on the grey panel issue
- Considering the relevance of privacy concerns when sharing logs for troubleshooting purposes
Resolving the Grey Panel Issue
- Introducing a temporary solution involving environment variables before launching Google Chrome
- Explaining the use of specific environment variables to bypass the rendering issue
- Sharing the steps to set the required environment variables and launch Google Chrome
Alternative Rendering Method
- Proposing an alternative rendering method using the “swift-shaders” flag during the SSH session
- Demonstrating how to launch Google Chrome with the “–use-gl=swiftshader” flag to mitigate the grey panel problem
- Addressing potential performance issues that may arise with this alternative method
Troubleshooting and Fine-Tuning
- Discussing potential reasons for slow UI response when using the alternative rendering method
- Encouraging readers to experiment with different configurations and parameters to optimize performance
- Highlighting the importance of a stable and high-speed SSH connection for optimal X11 forwarding
Conclusion:
By following the solutions presented in this article, you can overcome the grey panel issue experienced with X11 forwarding of Google Chrome and Chromium browsers. Whether you choose to set environment variables or utilize an alternative rendering method, the goal is to achieve seamless browser display during SSH sessions. Experimentation and fine-tuning may be necessary to achieve the optimal balance between performance and functionality.
