Opening an X11 session over an established SSH connection is as easy as running an X program on a local machine. When an X program is run from the secure shell prompt, the SSH client and server create a new secure channel, and the X program data is sent over that channel to the client machine transparently.

X11 forwarding can be very useful. For example, X11 forwarding can be used to create a secure, interactive session with up2date. To do this, connect to the server using ssh and type:

         up2date & 
      

After supplying the root password for the server, the Red Hat Update Agent appears and allows the remote user to safely update the remote system.