export DISPLAY :0.0 ssh -Y remote.system.com # in my case a Linux box And any X-Window app I start on the remote system is displayed on my Mac. The -Y tells the other side that this is a Trusted system and can improve performance, which is why I use it instead of -X The ssh -Y (and -X) tunnel the X11 ports to the remote system and establish a DISPLAY environment variable that will redirect any X11 output into the tunnel back to your Mac. And while you are at it, I strongly suggest you read the Mac OS X X11.app preferences with respect to mouse button behavior on the Mac. It will make your life easier if you get to know this information. And it can be even nicer if you have something like USBOverdriveX and customize your mouse buttons for when X11 is the "Focus" app. - Chad Woolley