VcXsrv

VcXsrv is a free, open-source X Window System server for Microsoft Windows. It provides the X11 display server that allows graphical Linux and Unix applications to run on a Windows desktop by serving as the display host for remote X clients. It is commonly used with Windows Subsystem for Linux and SSH-based X11 forwarding to display Linux GUI programs locally.

VcXsrv implements the standard X.Org X server and includes Windows-specific input and window management. It offers modes such as multi-window, single-window, and fullscreen, and supports multiple monitors. It can be launched with command-line options to set the display number, screen size, and color depth, and provides clipboard integration and optional access control for connections.

The project is distributed via SourceForge as open-source software. It is often cited as a lightweight alternative to other Windows X servers and is maintained by a community of volunteers with updates to improve compatibility with modern Windows environments.

In practice, users start VcXsrv, then configure their Linux environment to export the DISPLAY variable or enable SSH X11 forwarding. The setup is common in development and administrative workflows that require running Linux GUI applications on Windows machines.