xdotool doesn't work via SSH

Question

I want to use xdotool via SSH but get the following error:

Error: Can't open display: (default)

I found this solution:

export DISPLAY='0:0'

Still get nearly the same error :(. I also tried:

export DISPLAY=:0; or: export DISPLAY="0:0", ...

Always a error like that:

Error: Can't open display: (0:0)

Is thera a alternative (working) solution for xdotool?

I don' know whether It work lokal. I've only got a SSH-connection.

Ynez

How is SSH involved here? Are you trying to use SSH's X forwarding feature? How did you run ssh to log into the server where you're trying to run xdotool? – Wheaton

Answer 1

export DISPLAY=:0.0 && xdotool key a

Try this =)

Carbajal

Answer 2

You did the right thing export DISPLAY='0:0'
But you should also set XAUTHORITY like this:
export XAUTHORITY="/home/username/.Xauthority"

Ofcourse the username is an account which has logged in via gnome.

Don't forget to change username with your right account name.

Vanderhoek

This answer worked. Perhaps you could mark it as accepted. – Masquer

Answer 3

I have found a useful link for this problem please refer the below post Accessing the X Display for Ubuntu GDM login screen

It says

"You need authority to connect to the display. Note the -auth parameter to the X command. That's where the authority is."

try with

export XAUTHORITY=/var/run/gdm/auth-for-gdm-[whatever-it-is]/database

Hope it helps

Inspector