1. General



2. MobaXterm interface



3. Global settings



4. Sessions settings



5. How to



6. Frequently Asked Questions

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1. General





1.1. Presentation


MobaXterm is your ultimate toolbox for remote computing. In a single Windows application, it provides loads of functions that are tailored for programmers, webmasters, IT administrators and pretty much all users who need to handle their remote jobs in a more simple fashion.
MobaXterm provides all the important remote network tools (SSH, RDP, X11, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, Rlogin, ...) to Windows desktop, in a single portable exe file which works out of the box. Some plugins can be used to add functions to MobaXterm such as Unix commands (bash, ls, cat, sed, grep, awk, rsync, ...).











1.2. Sessions


MobaXterm allows you to launch remote sessions. You just have to click on the "Sessions" button to start a new session.





You can then choose to create a new SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, RDP, VNC, XDMCP, FTP, SFTP, Mosh or Serial session. Every session you start is automatically saved.





You can edit, delete, move, import or export sessions by right-clicking on them in the left MobaXterm sidebar. You can also create a desktop shortcut in order to automatically launch a session or a group of sessions at MobaXterm startup.







1.3. Multitab environment


The multitab environment allows you to work with many terminals or remote sessions at the same time. You can toggle between "multitab" mode, "2-terminals" mode and "4-terminals" mode by clicking on the "Split" button.





MobaXterm brings another really useful mode called "Multi-execution" mode. This mode allows you to display all your terminals at the same time and to write your commands to all of them at once: when you press a keyboard key, it will write the same letters on all your terminals at once. This mode can be activated by pressing the "MultiExec" button.












1.4. X11 server


A X11 server is embedded into MobaXterm executable. This X server is based on the well-known Xorg server and compiled in order to run natively on Windows platform. The X server supports OpenGL rendering and the latest extensions in order to allow you to run up-to-date applications through it.
This embedded X server can also be used to render remote desktops: just create a new "XDMCP" session, then select your settings, verify that your remote server supports XDMCP and start your session. If this does not work or if you need some better security, you can also access your remote desktop through a secure SSH connection: start a new SSH session and in the "Remote environment" setting, choose the correct desktop you want to run a the remote server.












1.5. Unix-like terminal


MobaXterm features a great terminal emulator based on the efficient PuTTY program (by Simon Tatham). This terminal allows you to run remote commands through SSH, telnet, rlogin or serial connections, but also to run Unix commands on your local Windows computer thanks to the use of dedicated plugins. There are many Unix commands which can be used inside the local terminal when using the "CygUtils" or other dedicated plugins: ssh, telnet, rlogin, rsh, rsync, wget, vim, corkscrew, httping, fdupes, iperf, mathomatic, xhost, xprop, xdpyinfo, xmodmap, xkill, Xorg...

The terminal provides a bunch of settings that can be tuned in order to suit your needs (font, background/foreground colors, antialiasing, old keyboards compatibility, ...). The default terminal parameters can be set by clicking on the "Settings" button.











1.6. Built-in graphical tools


MobaXterm comes with useful Unix command-line utilities, but also built-in graphical tools such as a fast picture viewer, a developers text editor, a file/folder comparison tool, a ports analyzer and a packet capture tool.
The feature which is in our opinion the most useful may be the graphical SSH-browser: when you log to a remote server using SSH, a graphical SSH-browser pops up on in the left sidebar allowing you to drag and drop files directly from or to the remote server using your secure SSH connection and SFTP or SCP protocol.

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2. MobaXterm interface





2.1. Different integration modes

• Tab interface

MobaXterm can start many independent sessions thanks to a tab-based interface.
Use the appropriate button to create new tabs, close existing tabs, cycling through tabs or rename tabs.

• Split modes

MobaXterm allows you to display some terminals in the same Window just as you would do using the "screen" utility.
You can display 2 terminals in horizontal or vertical mode, or even 4 terminals in the same Window

• Detach tab feature

MobaXterm allows you to detach tabs in order to display them in a separate window. You can detach, reattach tabs or go fullscreen using the right-click menu on your tab.

• Services

MobaXterm allows you to launch some light daemons (TFTP, HTTP, FTP, SSH/SFTP, TELNET) from the main interface. You can manage these daemons by clicking on the appropriate button from the top toolbar.

• SSH tunnels (port forwarding)

MobaXterm allows you to create some SSH tunnels (a.k.a. "port forwarding") with a nice and intuitive interface: you can manage these SSH tunnels by clicking on the appropriate button from the top toolbar.

• Global settings

You can edit your options using the corresponding button from the top toolbar. Your options will be saved to an INI file. You can select a persistent home directory for keeping your files and parameters instead of having your home directory in a temporary folder. You can also select the terminal fonts, colors, skin, transparency, keyboard shortcuts, specify a font server, etc...

• Sessions manager

You can store your connection settings in bookmarks that are stored in your INI file. Sessions can be accessed easily through the corresponding menu in the top toolbar or in the left sidebar, but you can also create a desktop shortcut to each session in order to launch them easily.













2.2. Local terminal features


MobaXterm features a great terminal emulator based on the efficient PuTTY program (by Simon Tatham). This terminal allows you to run remote commands through SSH, RDP, Telnet, Rsh or serial connections, but also to run Unix commands on your local Windows computer thanks to the use of the "CygUtils" plugin:

• open command

This command allows you to open your local files. This command will open your documents using the Windows default association for your document type.

• cygpath command

This command allows you to work with dos/unix paths. You can obtain the Dos path from a given Unix path and vice-versa. You can also list your computer paths like the Windows, System, Desktop, Profiles and Start Menu paths.

• /drives mount path

This directory contains a mount point for each drive of your computer. You can for example browse your system drive by cd to /drives/c/

• /registry virtual folder

This folder is a virtual directory containing your registry keys and values. You can open and read a registry key by doing a simple "cat" of these virtual files.

• // mount point

You can also browse computers from your network neighborhood by typing //<remote_computer>

• Executing native Windows programs

You can execute native Windows programs from MobaXterm as you would in a "cmd" console.

• Other useful commands

There are many other useful commands for interacting with Windows, like editrights, shutdown, regtool, ps, passwd, MobaControl, mkshortcut, MobaSwInfo, MobaHwInfo, MobaTaskList, MobaKillTask, MobaControl[...]







2.3. Network utilities

• Remote computing

MobaXterm includes some useful command line clients for executing commands on remote computers:
. ssh (utility to access shell accounts using a secure crypted connection)
. telnet (useful to login to remote system hosts)
. rlogin (same aim as telnet but using a different protocol)
. rsh (useful for sending commands on remote computers, especially using the passwordless feature)
Do not forget that you can bookmark your connections using the bookmarks feature (see the corresponding section for more information). You can also set up passwordless connections with rsh or ssh, there is also a corresponding section to this feature.

• DISPLAY settings

MobaXterm includes an X server so that it can display X11-based graphical programs.
By default, an X server is started at MobaXterm startup. Your DISPLAY environment variable is automatically set and it is written in your terminal startup message. When you use a remote computing client to connect to a Unix computer, you can export your DISPLAY to your local Windows desktop thanks to MobaXterm. When you use a SSH connection, if the remote server supports X11-Forwarding, your DISPLAY is automatically set and it will be sent through the SSH connection to your Windows desktop.

• File transfer

MobaXterm includes some useful clients for transferring files
. ftp (File Transfert Protocol)
. sftp/scp (File Transfert using a secure crypted SSH connection)
. rcp (Copy files to/from remote computers using the rsh protocol)
. wget (download files through http/ftp protocol with enhanced settings)
. rsync (synchronize directories through a network with incremental capabilities and enhanced options)

• Network monitoring

MobaXterm includes 2 useful utilities for monitoring your network:
. TCPCapture (allows you to capture network packets)
. MobaListPorts (allows you to list all open ports with their current state)
. httping (monitor your web server)
. iperf (monitor the available bandwidth on your network)







2.4. Other utilities

• Editors

MobaXterm includes everything you need to edit text files: vi on command line, nedit for a graphical editor or MobaTextEditor which is a light but powerful editor for developers with textdiff utilities.

• Miscellaneous

. MobaPictureViewer (Display pictures in fullscreen with zoom features)
. MobaTextDiff (Diff utility for text files)
. MobaFoldersDiff (Diff utility for folders)
. fdupes (Find and erase duplicate files)
. mathomatic (computer algebra system)

• Plugins

Some commands can be added to MobaXterm thanks to the use of plugins. You can download some ready-to-use plugins at https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/plugins.html .

• MobApt package manager

If you want to add more embedded tools to MobaXterm, you can download them easily using the "MobApt" package manager.

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3. Global settings



The "global settings" window can be accessed through the "Settings" menu.
In this window, you can configure and tune MobaXterm parameters in order to better suit your needs.








3.1. "General" tab settings

• Persistent home directory

Choose a folder that MobaXterm will use as its HOME directory (/home/mobaxterm). This directory will persist upon MobaXterm restarts, so you can store your SSH keys in it.

• Default text editor program

Define the text editor that will be used for text files edition. By default, MobaXterm will use its embedded text editor "MobaTextEditor".

• Right-click menu on Windows folders

Put a new entry to the right-click menu of Windows explorer "Start MobaXterm here".

• MobaXterm passwords management

Configure MobaXterm password management:
- Define whether MobaXterm should store passwords
- Define a master password
- Manage MobaXterm stored passwords

• MobaXterm keyboard shortcuts

Define MobaXterm hotkeys

• Manage my shared sessions

Point to sessions files shared by your team members in order to easily share your sessions definitions with colleagues

• Persistent root (/) directory

Choose a folder that MobaXterm will use as its ROOT directory ("/" folder).
This directory will persist upon MobaXterm restarts, so you can store your programs in it.

Note: This is especially useful if you use the MobApt tool.











3.2. "Terminal" tab settings

• Customize

Customize terminal colors scheme

• Font

Define MobaXterm terminal font. This setting can be overriden in each session.

• Charset

Define MobaXterm terminal default charset. This setting can be overriden in each session.

• Display separation line

Show/hide the separation line between each command in local terminal.

• Use Windows PATH environment

Append Windows PATH to the shell environment
This allows you to launch Windows commands like "ipconfig"

• Paste using right-click

Use the right mouse button for pasting

Note: when this option is checked, contextual menu is still available using Ctrl+Right-click or Shift+Right-click.

• Backspace sends ^H

Check this option if you want the backspace key to send ^H
Uncheck this if you want the backspace key to send ^?

• Show confirmation on terminal exit

Show a confirmation dialog on terminal close request when a command is still running inside it

• Display scrollbar

Show/hide the terminal scrollbar.

Note: If you hide the scrollbar, you will still be able to scroll the terminal using Shift+PgUp or Shift + PgDown.

• Track terminal activity

Icon of terminal tab is displayed with a blue dot if some activity is detected and title of inactive terminal tab is displayed using blue color if terminal has been modified

• Warn before pasting multiple lines

Show a confirmation message before pasting multiple lines into the terminal

• Log terminal output to the following directory

Check this option if you want to copy all terminal activity to a text file for further analyzis

• Customize syntax highlighting definitions

Create your own syntax coloration definition











3.3. "X11" tab settings

• Engine

Choose rendering engine for X11 server

• Keyboard

Choose keyboard language

• Unix-compatible keyboard

Use a keyboard compatible with old Unix systems
(for instance, erase key performs a "^H" instead of "^?")

• Automatically start X server at MobaXterm start up

Check this option in order to start X11 server at each MobaXterm startup.

• Run on monitor

Run X11 server on the selected monitor
Warning: fullscreen mode only works on first screen.

• Display offset

Starting offset for the "DISPLAY" parameter.

By default, MobaXterm will try to open the ":0.0" DISPLAY, and will increment this variable if another X server already exists on this port.

If you choose the "36" offset for instance, MobaXterm will start probing at DISPLAY ":36.0".

• Clipboard

Define the way MobaXterm will handle copy/paste operations between X11 applications and Windows applications:

- disabled: copy/paste from and to X11 applications will not work
- enabled: copy/paste from and to X11 applications will work
- disable "copy on select": selecting some text will not automatically copy it, only explicit requests to copy text will be handled.

• Xorg version

Choose Xorg version.
If you have some troubles with a certain version of Xorg, this allows you to try an older Xorg release.

• OpenGL acceleration

OpenGL acceleration type:
- choose "Hardware" if your graphic adapter supports HW OpenGL acceleration
- choose "Software" if you need OpenGL capabilities rendered using software
- choose "None" otherwise

• X11 remote access

Choose access control mode for Cygwin X11 server:

- Restricted: Access control is enabled. You can use the "xhost +[...]" command in order to allow remote hosts to connect.
- Full: Access control is disabled. Any remote X11 application can connect to the X11 server. Warning: remote applications can listen or simulate key strokes.

In any case, X11-Forwarding will work flawlessly, without any popup warning, as the X11-forwarding connection is made locally using a secure connection.











3.4. "Display" tab settings

• Flicker-free main window

Check this setting if you want to avoid flickering effect on MobaXterm main window, especially when resizing terminal or when hovering buttons.
Warning: this can slow down MobaXterm graphical interface.

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4. Sessions settings



The "sessions manager" window can be accessed through the "Session" menu.
The session manager window allows you you to create remote sessions, configure them using advanced settings and save them for further use.








4.1. SSH settings

• Remote host

SSH server name or IP address

• Specify username

Check this option if you do not want to see
the "Login:" prompt before connect

• Port

SSH server listening port

• Do not exit after command ends

Stay connected to the remote server after command has been executed

• Execute command

Specified command will be executed on the remote server after connect.
You can specify multiple commands and separate them with ";" or "&&".
For instance:
pwd; ls -al; date; uname -a

• X11-Forwarding

X11-Forwarding (automatic DISPLAY redirection through SSH channel)

X11-Forwarding is a mechanism that allows the X11 protocol to be routed through an existing SSH channel. The main advantages of this solution are:
- X11 protocol will be encrypted
- X11 protocol can be compressed
- There is no need to set up a new communication channel (and to open communication ports in your firewall) for X11: the network packets go through the already existing SSH connection

• Compression

Compress data transfered through the SSH channel
This is useful for slow connections (WAN)

• Remote environment

Start a full desktop from your remote server in a new window.
For instance, on Raspberry Pi device, you can start LXDE.

• Use private key

Specify a private key for passwordless login.

A new key can be generated using the following command:
ssh-keygen -t rsa
or
ssh-keygen -t dsa

You can also create and manage your SSH keys using the embedded MobaKeyGen application (available in the "Tools" menu).

• Follow SSH path (experimental)

Automatically place the graphical SSH-browser in the same directory than the SSH terminal.

Note: This feature is experimental and it will not work on old Unix systems.

• Adapt locales on remote server

Try to send the local language settings to the remote server:
this allows the remote server to be aware of the language and charset settings used locally.

Note: the remote server should support these language settings.

• SSH-browser type

Display a graphical SSH-browser which allows you to browse your remote server content.

Available settings:
- None: SSH-browser is disabled
- SFTP protocol: SSH-browser is enabled and uses SFTP protocol
- SCP (enhanced speed): SSH-browser is enabled and uses latest SCP protocol implementation for maximum transfer speed
- SCP (normal speed): SSH-browser is enabled and uses old SCP protocol implementation for legacy support

Note: unlike FTP protocol, SSH-browser uses a secured encrypted SSH channel for transport.






4.2. Telnet settings

• Remote host

Telnet Remote Hostname

• Username

Type telnet username or leave this field empty if you want to use the "Login:" prompt instead.
Note: Some telnet servers do not support this feature: even if you choose a login, they will still prompt you at each connection.

• Port

Telnet server listening port

• Prevent MobaXterm from closing when this session is active

If you check this setting, you will not be able to close MobaXterm as long as this session is running.






4.3. Xdmcp settings

• Connect to any server

Use this setting if you want to connect to the first available server

• Specify server to connect to

Choose this option if you want to specify the server name or IP address you want to connect to

• Start XDMCP on screen number

Warning: fullscreen mode only work on first screen.

• Set Numlock off

Some old Unix systems (AIX, Solaris, HP-UX) need this in order to properly work

• Clipboard

Define the way MobaXterm will handle copy/paste operations between X11 applications and Windows applications:

- disabled: copy/paste from and to X11 applications will not work
- enabled: copy/paste from and to X11 applications will work
- disable "copy on select": selecting some text will not automatically copy it, only explicit requests to copy text will be handled.






4.4. Rdp settings

• Remote host

RDP server name or IP address

• Port

RDP server listening port

• Username

RDP user name
leave this field empty if you want to use the remote logon screen

• Connect to console (/admin)

Connect to server console

• Redirect ports

Show local ports on remote server

• Redirect drives

Show local drives on remote server

• Use smartcard for login

Use smartcard for remote server authentication

• Redirect printers

Show local printers on remote server

• Enhanced graphics

Use Enhanced settings for remote desktop

• Redirect clipboard

Allow copy/paste from/to RDP tab

• Forward keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts will be forwarded to remote desktop instead of being handled by local Windows environment

• Use CredSSP if available

Enable or disable Credential Security Support Provider (CredSSP) for authentication






4.5. Vnc settings

• Remote hostname or IP address

VNC Remote Hostname











4.6. Ftp settings

• Remote host

FTP Remote Hostname

• Passive mode

This mode is recommended, especially if you are behind a firewall.
In this mode, FTP client initiates the 2 connections (control and data), whereas in active mode, control connection is initiated by the client and data connection by the server.

• FTPS mode

If this option is checked, MobaXterm will attempt to perform a FTPS connection to the server.

• Encrypt data channel

If this option is checked, the channel used for data transfer (files, directory listings) will be encrypted, otherwise only command channel will be encrypted.

• ASCII mode

Text files will be converted to Unix/Dos format during transfer.
Warning: This feature is not suitable for binary files!!






4.7. Sftp settings

• Remote host

SFTP Remote Hostname

• ASCII mode

Text files will be converted to Unix/Dos format during transfer.
Warning: This feature is not suitable for binary files!!

• Use private key

Specify a private key for passwordless login.

A new key can be generated using the following command:
ssh-keygen -t rsa
or
ssh-keygen -t dsa

You can also create and manage your SSH keys using the embedded MobaKeyGen application (available in the "Tools" menu).






4.8. Mosh settings

• Remote host

Remote hostname
(mosh-server must be installed on this server)

• Use SSH private key

Specify a private key for passwordless login.

A new key can be generated using the following command:
ssh-keygen -t rsa
or
ssh-keygen -t dsa

You can also create and manage your SSH keys using the embedded MobaKeyGen application (available in the "Tools" menu).

• SSH port

SSH server listening port






4.9. Terminal settings

• Customize

Customize terminal colors scheme

• Customize

Create your own syntax coloration definition

• Terminal font settings

Select terminal font, choose encoding and font size.
You can also force a fixed number of rows/columns.

• Backspace sends ^H

Check this option if you want the backspace key to send ^H
Uncheck this if you want the backspace key to send ^?

• Use Windows PATH

Append Windows PATH to the shell environment
This allows you to launch Windows commands like "ipconfig"

• Log terminal output to

Check this option if you want to copy all terminal activity to a text file for further analyzis

• Paste delay

This allows you to set a line delay for paste operations:
if your remote server is slow or cannot handle large paste buffers all at once, this setting can be helpful: when pasting huge buffers of data, it will add a small time delay after pasting each line in the terminal.











4.10. Network settings

• Connect through SSH gateway (jump host)

Use a gateway SSH server in order to reach your end server

MobaXterm will
1. open a SSH tunnel to your gateway SSH server
2. use this tunnel to connect directly to the end server

Note 1: if you use X11-forwarding, DISPLAY will be automatically redirected
Note 2: if you use the SFTP browser, it will also be automatically redirected











4.11. Bookmark settings

• Lock terminal title

Terminal title will be set to the session name

If you check this option, any attempt by the shell to set tab title will fail.
Uncheck this option if you want to allow the shell to change tab title.

• Display reconnection message at session end

A message will be shown after session end asking you if you want to restart the session

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5. How to





5.1. Set up a passwordless ssh connection



You can connect to an SSH server without supplying any password: this is useful if you want to run shell scripts that are not interactive. This can be done in 2 steps:

• On client side

You will have to generate a public rsa key on the client. This can be done by launching the "MobaKeyGen" tool (from the "Tools" menu) or by typing

• On server side

Copy the file that has been generated on the client (".ssh/id_rsa.pub") to the ~/.ssh/ directory of the server and rename it to "authorized_keys".






5.2. Set up a passwordless rsh connection



You can connect to an RSH server without supplying any password: this is useful if you want to run shell scripts that are not interactive. This can be done in 1 step:

• Using /etc/hosts.equiv

Edit the /etc/hosts.equiv file on server side: you can specify in this file the authorized users that will be able to connect to the server without supplying any password. The file syntax is:

• Using ~/.rhosts

Edit the ~/.rhosts file on server side: you can specify in this file the authorized users that will be able to connect to the server using the current account without supplying any password. The file syntax is:






5.3. Use keyboard shortcuts in MobaXterm

• Navigate through tabs

• Navigate forward: Ctrl + TAB
• Navigate forward: Ctrl + Alt + RightArrow
• Navigate backward: Ctrl + Shift + TAB
• Navigate backward: Ctrl + Alt + LeftArrow
• Navigate to tab number 6: Ctrl + Alt + F6

• Inside MobaXterm terminal

• Scroll Up: Shift + PageUp
• Scroll Up line per line: Shift + ArrowUp
• Scroll Up to the begining: Shift + Home
• Scroll Down: Shift + PageDown
• Scroll Down line per line: Shift + ArrowDown
• Scroll Down to the end: Shift + End
• Column mode selection: Ctrl + Alt + Click

• Inside MobaXterm local bash shell

• Interrupt/kill current task/program: Ctrl + C
• Exit current shell: Ctrl + D
• Begining of the line: Ctrl + A (or HOME)
• Begining of the line: Ctrl + E (or END)
• Previous command: ArrowUp
• Next command: ArrowDown
• Back one character: ArrowLeft
• Back one word: Alt + B
• Forward one character: ArrowRight
• Forward one word: Alt + F
• Recall the last command (history): Ctrl + R (searches the command history as you type)
• Clear screen: Ctrl + L

• Configurable shortcuts

Note that all these shortcuts can be configured through "Settings" --> "Configuration" --> "MobaXterm keyboard shortcuts" button.

• Start a new terminal: Ctrl + Alt + T
• Close current tab: Ctrl + Alt + Q
• Previous tab: Ctrl + Alt + LEFT
• Next tab: Ctrl + Alt + RIGHT
• Toggle fullscreen mode: F11
• Start/stop X server: Ctrl + Shift + X
• Save terminal output: Ctrl + Shift + S
• Print terminal output: Ctrl + Shift + P
• 1-terminal mode: Ctrl + Alt + 1
• 2-terminals mode (vertical split): Ctrl + Alt + 2
• 2-terminals mode (horizontal split): Ctrl + Alt + 3
• 4-terminals mode: Ctrl + Alt + 4
• Start a new remote session: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Show/hide sidebar: Ctrl + Shift + B
• Start MobaTextEditor: Ctrl + Shift + M
• Cycle through tabs: Ctrl + TAB
• Reverse cycle: Ctrl + Shift + TAB
• Find in terminal: Ctrl + Shift + F
• Find next: Ctrl + Shift + F3
• Paste in terminal: Shift + INSERT
• Quick connect: Ctrl + Shift + Q
• Detach/reattach tab: Ctrl + Shift + D
• Duplicate current tab: Ctrl + Shift + U
• Help and documentation: Ctrl + Shift + H
• Exit MobaXterm: Alt + F4
• Show MobaXterm / hide to systray: Ctrl + M
• Show / hide popup terminal: Ctrl + Alt + M

5.4. Execute a shell script at MobaXterm startup

• Using commandline parameters

You can edit a shell script (be careful, it has to be in Unix and not Dos format) and run it at MobaXterm startup. You just have to launch MobaXterm with the following command line:
MobaXterm also uses some internal commandline parameters that can be used by advanced users in order to integrate MobaXterm in their own environment:
This command can be used to start a new instance of MobaXterm and immediately execute a given MobaXterm command

This command can be used to start a new tab inside a running instance of MobaXterm (or start a new instance of MobaXterm if no other instance is running) and immediately execute a given MobaXterm command

This command can be used to start a bookmark by specifying its name. (Note: this only work for 1st level bookmarks: bookmarks from subfolders can not be invoked by this command)

This command can be used to start a macro by specifying its name.

This command can be used to start MobaXterm in the specified folder

This command can be used to start MobaXterm that is immediately minimized into the system tray

This command can be used to exit MobaXterm when the given action is finished. This parameter should be combined with -bookmark or -exec

This command can be used to specify a path for MobaXterm configuration file (MobaXterm.ini)

This command can be used to write down some debug information in a log file

This command can be used to install the right-click context menu in Windows explorer

This command can be used to install the URL protocol handler, in order for MobaXterm to be able to execute sessions from HTML pages

This command can be used to start MobaXterm configuration window

This command can be used to start MobaXterm keyboard shortcuts configuration window

This command can be used to start MobaXterm documentation

This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded picture viewer program

This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded text editor (MobaTextEditor)

This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded diff tool

This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded folders-diff tool

This command can be used to disable X server for the given MobaXterm instance

This command can be used to scale MobaXterm interface if the fonts are too small. You can try the following values: 120 (x1.25), 144 (x1.50) or 192 (x2.00)

• Using bookmarks

Create a new bookmark, select the "Custom shell script" option in the dropdown menu and edit your shell script. You can then click on your bookmark and choose to create a desktop shortcut to this bookmark.







5.5. Share sessions with my team members

• Share my sessions

In order to easily share sessions, the sessions owner should:

• right-click on a folder in the sessions tree
• click on "Share these sessions with my team"
• put the sessions file in a location accessible by team members

• Use sessions shared by someone else

In order to display sessions shared by one of your colleagues in your sessions tree, you can:

• click on "Settings", then on "Manage shared sessions"
• click on "Add" to add a new shared session file location
• choose a name for the shared sessions node
• choose a backend protocol (shared folder, http/https, ftp/ftps or ssh/sftp) in order to retrieve the shared sessions file
• configure the shared sessions file settings and click on "Save" and "Apply" when done

This will add a new tree node in your sessions tree, in which you will find the shared sessions.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions





6.1. General

• What is the purpose of MobaXterm?

MobaXterm is an enhanced terminal for Windows with an X11 server, many network tools for remote computing and network commands packaged into a single portable exe file. MobaXterm has been designed to suit the needs of computer users, sysadmins, developers and webmasters by providing:
- a multitab terminal with embedded Unix commands (ls, cd, cat, sed, grep, awk, rsync, wget, ...)
- an embedded X11 server for easily exporting your Unix/Linux display
- a session manager with many network utilities: SSH, RDP, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, Rlogin and XDMCP
- some basic network daemons (TFTP, FTP, HTTP, ...)
- a graphical SSH tunnels builder

• What are the main advantages of using MobaXterm over other SSH/SFTP/FTP/RDP/VNC/X11 solutions in Windows?

MobaXterm has many advantages over its competitors:
- a full All-In-One solution: it features an X11 server, a terminal with embedded Unix/Linux commands and a complete collection of network tools (SSH, SFTP, telnet, rlogin, RDP, VNC, XDMCP, FTP and Serial console)
- a portable solution without the need to install and without the need of administrator privileges: MobaXterm is a single executable self-contained file which does not need to be installed or run with administrator privileges
- no complex settings: there is no need to set up your environment or to tune settings: MobaXterm default parameters have been chosen in order for it to be immediately usable
- some unique features like the remote sessions with saved passwords or the SSH-browser: when you connect to a remote server through SSH, a graphical remote file browser will automatically be displayed allowing you to transfer files or to edit them directly using the integrated text editor "MobaTextEditor"
- a robust terminal based on PuTTY with clean fonts, tabs, split modes (2 or 4 terminals side by side), Multi-execution (write once, execute everywhere), copy/paste, save/print text and much more
- a non-intrusive program: MobaXterm does not connect to the Internet or write entries into your Windows registry without asking before. It does not automatically check for updates. There is no time limit for using it.

• Does MobaXterm perform unwanted internet connections?

No, MobaXterm has been designed to just perform the connections you request: no background internet connection is done without your consent. Even the update mechanism is manual: MobaXterm will not search for updates if you do not click on the "Check for updates" menu entry.







6.2. X11 server

• What is X11? Why would I need an X server?

The X server (a.k.a. X11) is something very important in an Unix/Linux environment: it is the graphical layer on which all graphical applications are based.
As X11 is a network protocol, applications that can display their graphical interface on a Linux/Unix desktop can also display it through the network on another computer as well. This 2nd computer only needs to run an X11 server to display them.
MobaXterm includes an X11 server, based on "X.Org", that allows you to display remote graphical Linux/Unix applications on your local Windows computer with great speed and performances.
Example: On your remote Unix/Linux computer, you just have to perform the following command:
...and you will see the "xclock" interface on your Windows desktop

• What does X11-Forwarding means?

X11-Forwarding is a mechanism that allows the X11 protocol to be routed through an existing SSH channel. The main advantages of this solution are:
- X11 protocol will be encrypted
- X11 protocol can be compressed
- There is no need to set up a new communication channel (and to open communication ports in your firewall) for X11: the network packets go through the already existing SSH connection

• How does X11-Forwarding work?

With MobaXterm, it is really easy to use X11-Forwarding: just connect to your server and keep the "X11-Forwarding" setting checked in your SSH session. Then, from the remote server prompt, run "xclock". You will see the "xclock" interface which has been transfered through SSH on your Windows desktop.

• Why is my remote DISPLAY variable configured to "localhost:10.0"?

If you check the "DISPLAY" environment variable on your remote server, you will notice that it is set to something like "DISPLAY=localhost:10.0". This is the standard behaviour for X11-Forwarding: it means that any program will use a local virtual display (:10.0) which is created by SSH and which will be automatically forwarded trhough the SSH connection to MobaXterm display.

• I want to change MobaXterm X server DISPLAY address to my second network adapter (or my VPN adapter). How can I do this?

By default, MobaXterm Xserver listens on all your network adapters.
The banner message will say that your DISPLAY environment is set to "<some_ip_address>:0.0", but this is an informational message only: it is printed here in order to help users set their "DISPLAY" environment variable when connected to a remote server. However, the embedded X11 server listens on all network interfaces, not only the one which is written in. It does not matter which IP address you see in the "DISPLAY" variable: as MobaXterm X server listens on all your network interfaces, it also listens on the 2nd, 3rd, (...) network interfaces. For instance, if your computer has 2 network adapters (192.168.0.10 and 10.10.10.36): MobaXterm says your DISPLAY is set to "192.168.0.10:0.0". However the X server really listens on "127.0.0.1" (localhost), "192.168.0.10:0.0" (1st adapter) and "10.10.10.36:0.0" (2nd adapter).

• I have an issue with an X11 remote program (Java/X11/Motif) which does not accept keyboard input: everytime I press a keyboard key, nothing is written on the text field

This problem can generally be solved easily by using X11 with a window manager instead of using X11 in "multiwindow" (transparent) mode: go to MobaXterm "Settings" window --> "X11" tab --> select "Windowed mode with Fvwm" setting in the combo box and apply. Restart your remote program and it should take keyboard input correctly.
If you want to use the standard "multiwindow" (transparent) X11 server and occasionally use the windowed X11 server with the window manager, you can go to MobaXterm "Settings" window --> "X11" tab --> select "Multiwindow mode" setting in the combo box and apply, then open the "tools" menu and select either "X11 tab with Dwm" or "X11 window with Fvwm2".

• How do the X11 tabs with DWM work? Why does MobaXterm include this "tiling" window manager?

DWM is a powerful and robust window manager which implements a smart way of arranging windows in order to gain space. Windows are automatically placed side by side so that they all occupy the maximum available space on the desktop.
- To move a window, use "Alt + Left click"
- To resize a window, use "Alt + Right click"

• How can I simply launch the X11 server without starting the full MobaXterm environment?

You can launch the X11 server at MobaXterm startup and completely hide the terminal by using the "-hideterm" command:
This will launch MobaXterm minimzed in the system tray and start the X11 server.

• Does MobaXterm X server support OpenGL? How can I use hardware acceleration?

MobaXterm X server supports OpenGL application with hardware or software rendering.
- In order to switch from software rendering to hardware rendering (and vice-versa), you can use the appropriate setting in "Configuration" --> "Settings" --> "X11" tab --> "Enable hardware OpenGL acceleration"
- For remote clients, client-side rendering is used by default. In order to force indirect rendering, you must perform the following command on your remote server before starting the OpenGL application:

• How can I display a full remote desktop from a Unix/Linux server in MobaXterm (Gnome, KDE, FVWM, Openbox, Fluxbox, IceWM, XFCE, Blackbox, DWM, Enlightenment, LXDE, ...)?

You can use 2 different solutions:
- Configure your Linux/Unix distribution for enabling XDMCP remote access. You will find the appropriate procedure in your distribution documentation or by searching for "<My_Distribution_name> activate XDMCP" on any search engine. You will then be able to display the full remote desktop by starting a new "XDMCP" session in MobaXterm
- Go to MobaXterm "Settings" window --> "X11" tab --> select "Windowed mode" setting in the combo box and apply. This will run a windowed X11 server at MobaXterm startup instead of the default "transparent" X11 server. Connect to your remote server using "ssh -Y MY_REMOTE_SERVER" and then, run "gnome-session" or whatever window manager you want.
If you want to use the standard "multiwindow" (transparent) X11 server and occasionally start your full remote desktop in a windowed X11 server, you can go to MobaXterm "Settings" window --> "X11" tab --> select "Multiwindow mode" setting in the combo box and apply, then start a new SSH session and choose the appropriate desktop in the "Remote environment" field.







6.3. SSH client

• What is SSH?

MobaXterm includes a SSH client (with SFTP and SCP) which allows secure encrypted connections to be set up through the network. The SSH client embedded in MobaXterm is based on the efficient and secure SSH client PuTTY by Simon Tatham.

• How can I use public SSH keys with MobaXterm?

On client side, you have to generate a public rsa key:
Note: You can also use the graphical SSH keys manager "MobaKeyGen" (from the "Tools" menu).
Then copy the file that has been generated on the client (".ssh/id_rsa.pub") to the ~/.ssh/ directory of the server and rename it to "authorized_keys":
If the ".ssh/authorized_keys" file already exists, just append your own public key to the file:
Of course, you will have to set a persistent home directory if you want your generated keys to persist through MobaXterm restarts. A persistent home directory can be set in "Settings" --> "Configuration" --> "General" tab.

• Can I perform a SSH connection through my SOCKS proxy?

Yes, since version 6.6 of MobaXterm, this feature can be set directly in your SSH sessions.







6.4. RDP client

• What is RDP?

RDP (a.k.a. "Terminal Services" or "TS") is a remote display protocol introduced by Microsoft for Windows OS. It allows users to connect to a remote host while displaying and interacting with the remote desktop using the local keyboard and mouse.

• How can I send Ctrl+Alt+Del through RDP (terminal service)?

You can send the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys combination to your RDP remote server by using the "Ctrl+Alt+END" keys combination







6.5. SSH tunnelling (a.k.a. "Port forwarding")

• What is the purpose of the "tunneling" tool?

The Tunneling tool embedded inside MobaXterm ("MobaSSHTunnel) is a graphical interface for easily creating SSH tunnels. SSH tunnels (a.k.a. "port forwarding") allow users to redirect traffic from one port on one computer to another computer and port. The main advantages of this solution are:
- No need to open new connection ports inside firewalls
- No need to set up a proxy or a gateway when remote computers are not accessible directly
- Redirected traffic is secured by SSH encryption







6.6. MobaXterm terminal

• MobaXterm does not display correctly some special characters? I encounter problems with my country charset/encoding?

You can tell MobaXterm to use "UTF-8" character set by going to the "Settings" menu --> "configuration" --> "Terminal" tab --> choose the "UTF-8 (unicode)" entry from the "Charset" setting.

• I can not run a Windows application inside MobaXterm. My Windows PATH is not taken into account in MobaXterm.

You can tell MobaXterm to use the Windows PATH by going to the "Settings" menu --> "configuration" --> "Terminal" tab --> check the "Append Windows PATH environment variable to MobaXterm" setting.

• I want to paste in the terminal using right-click / I am using a laptop and I do not have any middle button on my trackpad. How can I paste text in the terminal?

You can tell MobaXterm to use right click for pasting by going to the "Settings" menu --> "configuration" --> "Terminal" tab --> check the "Paste using right click" setting.
If you are using a session, edit your session, go to the "Terminal settings" tab and check the "Paste using right-click" setting.
When this option is checked, contextual menu is still available using Ctrl+Right-click or Shift+Right-click

• How can I specify the characters delimiters used for selection when I double-click in the terminal

It is possible to specify the characters that MobaXterm will consider as "not-delimiters" in order to tune the automatic selection when double-clicking in the terminal:
- Close MobaXterm
- edit your "MobaXterm.ini" file using a text editor
- under the "[Misc]" section, just create a new entry
LeftDelimChars=<characters_I_dont_want_to_be_treated_as_delimiters> (alphanumerical characters are automatically taken into account)
RightDelimChars=<characters_I_dont_want_to_be_treated_as_delimiters> (alphanumerical characters are automatically taken into account)
for instance:
LeftDelimChars=/~+-.&?$%
RightDelimChars=/~+-.&?%
- Restart MobaXterm and try to double-click in the terminal in order to test your new selection setting.






6.7. Advanced features

• I would like to start MobaXterm from a BATCH script. How do I use MobaXterm inside my script? What are the command line switches available?

About launching MobaXterm from a batch file, you have many possibilities. For instance, let's say you need to start an SSH session from a batch file, keeping MobaXterm hidden and to launch an X application from that remote ssh server.
You can do this by using
- the "-hideterm" switch for hidding MobaXterm
- the "-exitwhendone" switch for closing MobaXterm after session exits
- the "-exec" switch for executing a command
For instance, this command launches an "xclock" window from MYREMOTESERVER:

A full list of command line arguments is available in the "Execute a shell script at MobaXterm startup" section.

• I have a small screen and I would like MobaXterm to be more "compact" in order to maximize the terminal area (or remote desktop area) on screen.

There is a "Compact mode" setting which should suit your need: You just have to click on "View" --> "Compact mode" in order to put MobaXterm in a very basic interface mode.
Note that you can still access the menu by clicking on the button at the right of the tabs bar.
You can also detach MobaXterm tab by dragging and dropping the tab outside MobaXterm.

• I would like to create a new plugin for MobaXterm. How can I do that?

- Download an existing plugin file (for instance "Midnight commander")
- Rename plugin extension from ".mxt3" to ".zip"
- Open the ".zip" file
You will notice that creating MobaXterm plugins only consists in putting the required commands (executables, libraries and configuration files) into a ZIP file, keeping the same folders tree than in MobaXterm ("/bin", "/lib", "/usr", "/etc").
- If you want to add a simple Windows program (exe file), you will just have to copy the executable file into the "/bin" directory, create the ZIP archive, rename it to ".mxt3" and put it in the same directory than MobaXterm executable.
- If you want to add a Linux program, you will have to get it from the Cygwin project or to recompile it using make, gcc, g++ or other compilers that are available from the MobaXterm "Development" plugin.

• What is the best way to secure my MobaXterm installation?

MobaXterm is already a secure program: its SSH connections are encrypted using well-known algorithms, its sources are available so that anyone can audit them, its passwords can be stored with strong encryption. However, depending on your company security rules, you can disable some features which may be considered as unsafe: in the "customizer" program, go to the "Settings" tab, then to the "Security" tab. Each setting can be leaved unchecked (less secure) or checked (more secure), you will have to make some choices between features and security.
For instance:
- if users do not use any of the embedded servers, we recommend to check the "Disable servers" box.
- if users do not need any packet capture or network scanner / port scanner tools, we recommend to check the corresponding items
- we would also recommend to disable unsecure protocols, such as telnet or rlogin and use SSH instead. In case an unsecure protocol is needed and cannot be replaced by SSH, then it can be "tunneled" through a secure SSH connection (you can use the "SSH gateway" setting in telnet sessions to do so).

• How can I backup/export my sessions?

You can export your sessions by right-clicking on a sessions folder and choose "Export sessions from this folder". This will export your sessions to a file. You can then import these sessions to another computer using right-click on the sessions folder and choose "Import sessions into this folder".

• Is it possible to share a MobaXterm configuration between multiple users?

There are 3 ways to share the same MobaXterm configuration between your team members:

- With the professional edition of MobaXterm, the "customizer" program allows you to hardcode some sessions into MobaXterm executable and to generate an executable which will contain these sessions. You can then distribute this exeucutable to all your team members.
or
- Using any edition of MobaXterm, you can store MobaXterm executable and its "MobaXterm.ini" configuration file on a shared folder and tell your users to launch MobaXterm from there in order for them to get the sessions you previously configured. However, if you do not want any user to add sessions to the shared "MobaXterm.ini" configuration file, you should set this shared folder as read only.
or
- You can put the "MobaXterm.ini" configuration file on a shared folder or on a web server. Then, if your users launch MobaXterm using the appropriate command line, it will tell MobaXterm to get its sessions from there.
For instance, you can start MobaXterm using the following command:

• Where does MobaXterm store its configuration or sessions?

MobaXterm stores its configuration and sessions settings in a file called "MobaXterm.ini".
This file can be found
- in the "MyDocuments\MobaXterm" folder if you use the installed edition
- in the same folder than MobaXterm program if you use the portable edition
- in the "%AppData%\MobaXterm" folder with some versions of MobaXterm

• How can I select where to put the configuration (MobaXterm.ini) file?

You can use the "-i" commandline setting in order to determine the configuration file path for MobaXterm.
For instance, you can start MobaXterm using the following command:
or

• MobaXterm fonts are too small / too big. How can I change MobaXterm interface font size?

You can use the "-dpi" commandline setting in order to determine the scaling factor used by MobaXterm for its graphical interface.
The dpi value van vary from 96 (normal fonts) to 240 (very big fonts)
For instance, if you want very big fonts you can start MobaXterm using the following command:

• I have a group policy which prevents MobaXterm from running tools from the TEMP folder / MobaXterm does not run because the slash folder is not writable

In order to make this work, you have to follow this procedure:

- using an admin account, put MobaXterm executable file in a folder from which your policy allows you to run executables

- run MobaXterm with admin privileges using the commandline "MobaXterm.exe -justunpack". This will uncompress the core files of MobaXterm in the "AdmSlash" subfolder and display a message when it is done

- as a "normal" user with no admin rights, run MobaXterm from there. This will create the folders structure in the user directory, but will execute files from the read-only directory

• How to disable the penguins screensaver? How to remove the "Games" menu and games entries from MobaXterm?

The penguins screensaver and the games have been added to bring fun to MobaXterm terminal. Users who use MobaXterm inside a company might want to disable these tools in order to have a more convenient tool for working. That is why the Professional edition of MobaXterm allows you to disable the screensaver and to remove the games and corresponding menu entries from the program.

• I love the penguins screensaver! Can I subscribe to MobaXterm Professional Edition and keep it?

We are glad you enjoy this screensaver: we spent a lot of time developing it! Of course, in the Professional Edition of MobaXterm, you can keep the penguins screensaver (and the games) if you want.

• I want to save my terminal output but when I choose the "Log all terminal activity to the following directory", I get a hardly readable file with special characters in it.

If you just want to save the output from a terminal, please use the "Terminal" menu --> "Save terminal text". About the terminal logging, it can be used to log anything that is displayed inside the terminal. If you want to re-open a log file, please use MobaTextEditor in order to remove these special characters from the file.







6.8. Miscellaneous troubleshooting

• MobaXterm does not run on Windows 2000: it says that the "gdiplus.dll" is missing...

MobaXterm is compatible with Windows 2000, but on old Windows 2000 installations, it can display an error message about a missing dll "gdiplus.dll", but you can download it for free and put it in the same folder as mobaxterm executable in order to make it work: https://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?gdiplus

• Why does the SSH-browser tab not pop up when I launch a SSH session? / Why does MobaXterm prompt me for a password each time the SSH-browser is started?

This means that your SSH server authentication is set to "Keyboard-interactive" mode. In order for MobaXterm to be able to save SSH passwords or to launch the SSH-browser without asking for password twice, you will have to re-enable "normal" password authentication on your server:
- Edit the "/etc/ssh/sshd_config" file on your server, and comment the following line: - Restart your SSH server using the following command: - Connect using MobaXterm SSH client and you will notice that:
- the SFTP tab will be correctly launched
- you will be prompted to save your password if you want

You should also verify if you have any "echo" commands in your profiling scripts on server side: as per the openssh FAQ at https://www.openssh.com/faq.html, if your startup scripts echo any kind of output, SFTP will not work.

• After connecting using SSH, I immediately get "Connection reset by peer" or "Software caused connection abort" error.

This can happen if an old or light SSH product installed on your remote server. As a workaround, you can try to
- Check the "Workaround for connection reset by peer issue" box under "Settings" --> "Configuration" --> "SSH" tab
- Uncheck the "Compression" box in your SSH session settings
- Uncheck the "SSH-browser" box in your SSH session settings

• My SSH connection freezes or drops out after N seconds of inactivity.

This is usually the result of a packet filter or NAT device timing out your TCP connection due to inactivity. You can check the "Enable SSH keepalive" box under "Settings" --> "Configuration" --> "SSH" tab.
Enabling this option will ensure that the connection is kept "fresh" in the device's connection table.

• When connecting using a SSH key, I get the following error message: "WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE!"

This can happen on some configurations: the "/home/mobaxterm/.ssh" folder belongs to no group. In order to correct this, you will have to type the following command in a new MobaXterm terminal:

• When connecting to a SSH server, I get the following error message: "WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!"

This warning is displayed when your remote host unique identifier has changed. This can be caused by a server re-installation, but it can also be a "man-in-the-middle" attack.
If you changed or re-install this server recently, and if you are really sure that no other computer is using its IP address, then you can reset this alarm by deleting MobaXterm ~/.ssh/known_hosts file: open a new MobaXterm terminal tab and type the following command:

• When I hit the "backspace" key, it does not work (or it outputs ^H or ^?).

Some console utilities don't interpret the backspace character (^H) as a backspace and need a delete instead.
In this case, you can edit your session, go to the "Terminal settings" tab and toggle the "Backspace sends ^H" setting. It should allow for the "Backspace" key to function correctly without affecting how the command shell works.
If you are using a session, edit this session and in the "Terminal settings" sub-section, toggle the "Backspace sends ^H" setting.

• I want to ask for some support. Can you help me?

Please send us an email by going to the "Help" menu --> "About MobaXterm" --> "Send us an email". In this email, please tell us:
- Which version and which edition (personal or professional) of MobaXterm you are using
- Which Windows version you are using
- In case you encounter an issue, please describe precisely what happens (error message, freeze, etc...) and try to give us a step by step procedure we can follow in order to reproduce the bug.

• I sent an email but you never answered

Please allow the "mobatek.net" domain in your email server so that our emails will not go to your SPAM folder. Also verify that you correctly wrote your email address in the contact form.