Hello, I'm not sure if IDL 706 will work correctly on the remote host if I was logged on locally.  I don't really have access to the machine.  I'll try to chase up the admin.  However, a coworker of was able to reproduce the error using a laptop to SSH into a desktop machine and try to run IDL remotely.  When issuing IDL commands via the SSH connection, the X windows were popping up on the desktop computer.  This is a new configuration all around.  The machine previously had 10.5.8 and IDL 6.x (not sure of the exact version).  It was then updated to MacOS 10.6.2 and IDL 706 simultaneously. I haven't experienced any other applications throwing the same error.  When running xclock or xcalc on the remote server, the X windows are correctly forwarded through the SSH connection and show locally. When the problem occurs here's what I do: 1. Start X server on local machine. (Xquartz 2.5.0) 2. ssh -X 3. idl 4. window 5. The error occurs: : kCGErrorFailure: Set a breakpoint @ CGErrorBreakpoint() to catch errors as they are logged. xp_init: error: not initialized error: invalid pixel format attribute Abort trap My display variable on the remote server is set to "localhost:10.0".

When I am logged into the machine locally and connect simultaneously via SSH from another machine, X windows are forwarded correctly from within IDL.  While not logged in locally, I also tried to run 'idlde' and received a different error which seems a bit more descriptive: _RegisterApplication(), FAILED TO establish the default connection to the WindowServer, _CGSDefaultConnection() is NULL. Does that help?

Hi Corey, Just to let you know that  IDLDE is a native Mac application and therefore you will never be able to X forward that GUI. The only way to do this will be by using some version of VNC to share your desktop. As Brandon said, we are researching your other problem at the moment. How critical is for your everyday job this issue? Regards, Fernando

  Fernando, thanks for the information on idlde. I'll keep that in mind in the future.  A coworker of mine was experiencing the same problem and went through the proper ITT support channels. My problem was corrected by renaming the gl_driver.so files in the /Applications/itt/idl/bin/bin.darwin.* directories to gl_driver.so.bak.

Hi Corey, Oh, I see. I think I was working then with your colleague. This is what I told him to solve this problem: Please, go to the server, i.e the Mac where IDL will be running, and remove or just rename the following two files: cd /Applications/itt/idl71/bin/bin.darwin.x86_64/ mv gl_driver.so gl_driver.so.bak   cd /Applications/itt/idl71/bin/bin.darwin.i386/ mv gl_driver.so gl_driver.so.bak   Now, log in into that server from a Mac client and try to do the X forwarding of a direct graphic window in IDL. It should work now. Let me know. Cheers. Fernando

That's certainly possible!  Yes, those are the instructions I followed and which solved the problem.  Thanks for your help!