Document

MobaXterm
MobaXterm documentation
1. General
1.1. Presentation
1.2. Sessions
1.3. Multitab environment
1.4. X11 server
1.5. Unix-like terminal
1.6. Built-in graphical tools
2. MobaXterm interface
2.1. Different integration modes
Tab interface
Split modes
Detach tab feature
Services
SSH tunnels (port forwarding)
Global settings
Demo Version - ExpertPDF Software Components
Sessions manager
2.2. Local terminal features
open command
cygpath command
/drives mount path
/registry virtual folder
// mount point
Executing native Windows programs
Other useful commands
2.3. Network utilities
Remote computing
DISPLAY settings
File transfer
Network monitoring
2.4. Other utilities
Editors
Miscellaneous
Plugins
MobApt package manager
Sample footer: http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html. You can change color, font and other options
3. Global settings
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3. Global settings
3.1. "General" tab settings
Persistent home directory
Default text editor program
Right-click menu on Windows folders
MobaXterm passwords management
MobaXterm keyboard shortcuts
Persistent root (/) directory
3.2. "Terminal" tab settings
Font
Charset
Display separation line
Use Windows PATH environment
Paste using right-click
Backspace sends ^H
Show confirmation on terminal exit
Display scrollbar
Log terminal output to the following directory
Show bold as colour
3.3. "X11" tab settings
Demo
Engine
Version - ExpertPDF Software Components
Keyboard
Unix-compatible keyboard
Automatically start X server at MobaXterm start up
Access control
Run on monitor
Display offset
Clipboard
Xorg version
OpenGL acceleration
3.4. "SSH" tab settings
Forward SSH Agent
Use Pageant SSH agent for SSH authentication
Use 2-factor authentication for SSH gateways
Workaround for "connection reset by peer" issue (stripped-down encryption algorithms list)
4. Sessions settings
4.1. SSH settings
Remote host
Specify username
Port
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Specify username
Port
Display SFTP browser
Do not exit after command ends
Execute command
X11-Forwarding
Compression
Remote environment
Use private key
Follow SSH path (experimental)
Send local language settings to the remote host
4.2. Telnet settings
Remote host
Username
Port
Prevent MobaXterm from closing when this session is active
4.3. Xdmcp settings
Connect to any server
Specify server to connect to
Start XDMCP on screen number
Set Numlock off
ClipboardDemo
4.4. Rdp settings

Remote host
Port
Username
Connect to console (/admin)
Redirect ports
Redirect drives
Redirect audio
Use smartcard for login
Redirect printers
Enhanced graphics
Redirect clipboard
Forward keyboard shortcuts
4.5. Vnc settings
Remote hostname or IP address
4.6. Ftp settings
Remote host
Passive mode
FTPS mode
Encrypt data channel
ASCII mode
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ASCII mode
4.7. Sftp settings
Remote host
ASCII mode
Use private key
4.8. Mosh settings
Remote host
Use SSH private key
SSH port
4.9. Terminal settings
Backspace sends ^H
Use Windows PATH
Keep rows/columns on resize
4.10. Network settings
Connect through SSH gateway (jump host)
4.11. Bookmark settings
Lock terminal title
Display reconnection message at session end

5. How to
5.1. Set up a passwordless ssh connection
On client side
On server side
5.2. Set up a passwordless rsh connection
Using /etc/hosts.equiv
Using ~/.rhosts
5.3. Use keyboard shortcuts in MobaXterm
Navigate through tabs
Inside MobaXterm terminal
Inside MobaXterm local bash shell
Configurable shortcuts
5.4. Execute a shell script at MobaXterm startup
Using commandline parameters
Using bookmarks
6. Frequently Asked Questions

6.1. General
What is the purpose of MobaXterm?
What are the main advantages of using MobaXterm over other SSH/SFTP/FTP/RDP/VNC/X11 solutions in Windows?
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6.1. General
Does MobaXterm perform unwanted internet connections?
6.2. X11 server
What is X11? Why would I need an X server?
What does X11-Forwarding means?
How does X11-Forwarding work?
Why is my remote DISPLAY variable configured to "localhost:10.0"?
I want to change MobaXterm X server DISPLAY address to my second network adapter (or my VPN adapter). How can I do this?
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
How do the X11 tabs with DWM work? Why does MobaXterm include this "tiling" window manager?
How can I simply launch the X11 server without starting the full MobaXterm environment?
Does MobaXterm X server support OpenGL? How can I use hardware acceleration?
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, ...)?
6.3. SSH client
What is SSH?
How can I use public SSH keys with MobaXterm?
Can I perform a SSH connection through my SOCKS proxy?
6.4. RDP client
Demo
What is RDP?
How can I send Ctrl+Alt+Del through RDP (terminal service)?

6.5. SSH tunnelling (a.k.a. "Port forwarding")
What is the purpose of the "tunneling" tool?
6.6. MobaXterm terminal
MobaXterm does not display correctly some special characters? I encounter problems with my country charset/encoding?
I can not run a Windows application inside MobaXterm. My Windows PATH is not taken into account in MobaXterm.
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?
How can I specify the characters delimiters used for selection when I double-click in the terminal
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?
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.
I would like to create a new plugin for MobaXterm. How can I do that?
What is the best way to secure my MobaXterm installation?
How can I backup/export my sessions?
Is it possible to share a MobaXterm configuration between multiple users?
Where does MobaXterm store its configuration or sessions?
How can I select where to put the configuration (MobaXterm.ini) file?
MobaXterm fonts are too small / too big. How
I change
MobaXterm
Sample footer: http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html.
You can
can change
color,
font and otherinterface
options font size?
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I have a group policy which prevents MobaXterm from running tools from the TEMP folder / MobaXterm does not run because the

MobaXterm fonts are too small / too big. How can I change MobaXterm interface font size?
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
How to disable the penguins screensaver? How to remove the "Games" menu and games entries from MobaXterm?
I love the penguins screensaver! Can I subscribe to MobaXterm Professional Edition and keep it?
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.
6.8. Miscellaneous troubleshooting
MobaXterm does not run on Windows 2000: it says that the "gdiplus.dll" is missing...
Why does the SFTP tab not pop up when I launch a SSH session? / Why does MobaXterm prompt me for a password each time
the SFTP browser is started?
After connecting using SSH, I immediately get "Connection reset by peer" or "Software caused connection abort" error.
My SSH connection freezes or drops out after N seconds of inactivity.
When connecting using a SSH key, I get the following error message: "WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE!"
When connecting to a SSH server, I get the following error message: "WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS
CHANGED!"
When I hit the "backspace" key, it does not work (or it outputs ^H or ^?).
I want to ask for some support. Can you help me?
I sent an email but you never answered
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, ...).
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MobaXterm main window
1.2. Sessions
MobaXterm allows you to launch remote sessions. You just have to click on the "Sessions" button to start a new session.
The Session button
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.
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The sessions manager window
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.
Right-clicking on a session folder allows you to launch many sessions at once. It can be really useful when you often work using the
same environment and the same opened sessions.
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.
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The "Split mode" 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.
The "MultiExec mode" 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.
You can tune your X server settings in MobaXterm global settings --> X11 tab. Be sure to select the right settings for your configuration.
If you have a very old application which does not behave correctly with default settings, be sure to try one of the "Windowed" modes.
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You can tune your X server settings in MobaXterm global settings --> X11 tab. Be sure to select the right settings for your configuration.
If you have a very old application which does not behave correctly with default settings, be sure to try one of the "Windowed" modes.
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...
If you need an Unix command that is not included into MobaXterm, you can ask us to develop a plugin containing the required
program(s)
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.
The settings button

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MobaXterm comes with useful Unix command-line utilities, but also built-in graphical tools such as a fast picture viewer, a developers text
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 SFTP browser: when you log to a remote server using SSH, a
graphical SFTP browser pops up on in the left sidebar allowing you to drag and drop files directly from or to the remote server using a secure
SFTP connection.
In the SFTP side browser, you can double-click on a remote file in order to edit it directly using your favorite program. Your changes will
be saved to the remote server automatically!
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
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The "Split mode" button
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.
The "Services" button
SSH tunnels (port forwarding)
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Sample
footer: http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html.
You can
change
color, font and
other
options
MobaXterm
allows you to create some SSH tunnels (a.k.a.
"port
forwarding")
with
a nice
and intuitive interface: you can manage thesePage
SSH
tunnels by clicking on the appropriate button from the top toolbar.
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.
The "Tunneling" button

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...
The "Settings" button

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The settings dialog

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.
The "sessions" button

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The "sessions" button
Demo Version - ExpertPDF

Software Components
The "sessions" window
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.
open http://www.google.com
open MyDocuments/MyWork.pdf
You can open files, directories or URL directly from the terminal by simply Ctrl+clicking on them.
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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.
echo "/bin PATH = $(cygpath -w /bin)"
echo "System PATH = $(cygpath -u -S)"
/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/
cat /drives/c/Windows/win.ini
PicView /drives/d/MyPhotos/Photo36.jpg
/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.
cat /registry/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/DevicePath
cat "/registry/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/Shell Folders/CommonPictures"
// mount point
You can also browse computers from your network neighborhood by typing //<remote_computer>
PicView //server1/share1/Photo36.jpg
edit //server2/Documents/program.c
Executing native Windows programs
You can execute native Windows programs from MobaXterm as you would in a "cmd" console.
ipconfig /all
netsh -c interface dump
regedit
net user
calc
notepad
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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.
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With this icon, you can monitor the X-server state
telnet remoteserver1
export DISPLAY=localcomputer1:0.0
nedit
exit
ssh -l root remoteserver1
nedit
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)
scp /drives/c/Photo36.jpg root@server1:/tmp/

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
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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
http://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.
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.
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The global settings window
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
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.
This is especially useful if you use the "MobApt" tool.
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3.2. "Terminal" tab settings
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
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.
If you hide the scrollbar, you will still be able to scroll
the terminal using Shift+PgUp or Shift + PgDown.
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If you hide the scrollbar, you will still be able to scroll

the terminal using Shift+PgUp or Shift + PgDown.

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

Check this setting if you want to show bold text as brighter in the terminal
If you want to display bold text using bold font, uncheck this setting.
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.
Access control
Activates the X11 access controls. You will have to use the "xhost +<hostname>" command in order to export your display.
Run on monitor
Run X11 server on the selected monitor
Warning:
mode only work on first screen. You can change color, font and other options
Sample
footer:fullscreen
http://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html.
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Run X11 server on the selected monitor

Warning: fullscreen mode only work 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
3.4. "SSH" tab settings
Forward SSH Agent

This feature allows SSH-agent or Pageant keys to be available
on your remote hosts in order to connect to other hosts.
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Use PuTTY SSH key manager "Pageant" in order to
connect to your remote servers.
If you check this option, then for each SSH session,
MobaXterm will try to authenticate using Pageant keys,
then it will fallback to "normal" password or key authentication.
Use 2-factor authentication for SSH gateways

If this setting is enabled, the SSH gateways in your sessions will use 2-factor authentication.
If you do not understand what this setting does, you should not activate it.
Workaround for "connection reset by peer" issue (stripped-down encryption algorithms list)
This setting prevents the "Connection reset by peer" issue encountered with some older SSH servers or encryption libraries.
Leave this setting unchecked if you want SSH to use the full list of available encryption algorithms
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.
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The session manager window
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
Display SFTP browser

Automatically show a SFTP browser which allows you to browse your remote server content
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
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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
Automatically redirect X11 display through the secure SSH channel.
Check this option if you want to redirect your remote graphical applications
to your local Windows desktop.
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
Follow SSH path (experimental)

Automatically place SFTP browser in the same directory than the current directory of the SSH terminal.
This feature is experimental and it will not work on old Unix systems.
Send local language settings to the remote host

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.
The remote server should support these language settings.
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Remote host
Telnet Remote Hostname
Username
Type telnet username or leave this field empty if you want to use the "Login:" prompt instead.
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 willVersion
not be able to-close
MobaXterm asSoftware
long as this session
is running.
Demo
ExpertPDF
Components
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
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Set Numlock off

Some old Unix systems (AIX, Solaris, HP-UX) need this in order to properly work
Clipboard
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
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Redirect drives
Show local drives on remote server
Redirect audio
Play remote server sounds on local computer
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
Demo
Redirect clipboard
Allow copy/paste from/to RDP tab
Forward keyboard shortcuts

Use Enhanced settings for remote desktop
4.5. Vnc settings
Remote hostname or IP address

VNC Remote Hostname
4.6. Ftp settings
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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.

Demo
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.
This feature is not suitable for binary files!!
4.7. Sftp settings
Remote host
SFTP Remote Hostname
ASCII
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ASCII mode
Text files will be converted to Unix/Dos format during transfer.
This feature is not suitable for binary files!!
Use private key

ssh-keygen -t rsa
or
ssh-keygen -t dsa
4.8. Mosh settings
Remote host
Remote hostname
(mosh-server must be installed on this server)
Use SSH private key

ssh-keygen -t rsa
or
ssh-keygen -t dsa
SSH port
SSH server listening port
4.9. Terminal settings
Backspace sends ^H
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Uncheck this if you want the backspace key to send ^?
Use Windows PATH


Check this option if you want to copy all terminal activity to a text file for further analyzis
Keep rows/columns on resize


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
--> if you use X11-forwarding, DISPLAY will be automatically redirected
--> 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.
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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
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
ssh-keygen -t rsa -N '' -q -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa
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".
scp .ssh/id_rsa.pub user1@server1:.ssh/authorized_keys
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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:
<computer_name> <user_name>
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:
<computer_name> <user_name>
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
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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
Toggle fullscreen mode: F11
Toggle fullscreen mode: F11
Start/stop X server: Ctrl + Alt + X
Save terminal output: Ctrl + Alt + S
Print terminal output: Ctrl + Alt + 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 + Alt + N
Show/hide sidebar: Ctrl + Alt + E
Start MobaTextEditor: Ctrl + Alt + M
Find in terminal: Ctrl + Alt + F
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Start MobaTextEditor: Ctrl + Alt + M

Find in terminal: Ctrl + Alt + F
Find next: Ctrl + F3
Quick connect: Ctrl + S
Detach/reattach tab: Ctrl + Alt + D
Duplicate current tab: Ctrl + Alt + U
Help and documentation: Ctrl + Alt + H
Exit MobaXterm: Alt + F4
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.exe <script_file>
MobaXterm also uses some internal commandline parameters that can be used by advanced users in order to integrate MobaXterm in their
own environment:
MobaXterm.exe -exec "<Command>"
This command can be used to start a new instance of MobaXterm and immediately execute a given MobaXterm command
MobaXterm.exe -newtab ["<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
MobaXterm.exe -bookmark "<Bookmark_name>"
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)
MobaXterm.exe -runmacro "<Macro_name>"
This command can be used to start a macro by specifying its name.
MobaXterm.exe -openfolder "<Folder_name>"
This command can be used to start MobaXterm in the specified folder
MobaXterm.exe -hideterm
This command can be used to start MobaXterm that is immediately minimized into the system tray
MobaXterm.exe -exitwhendone
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This command can be used to start MobaXterm that is immediately minimized into the system tray
MobaXterm.exe -exitwhendone
This command can be used to exit MobaXterm when the given action is finished. This parameter should be combined with -bookmark or exec
MobaXterm.exe -i "<Ini_file_path>"
This command can be used to specify a path for MobaXterm configuration file (MobaXterm.ini)
MobaXterm.exe -log
This command can be used to write down some debug information in a log file
MobaXterm.exe -installshellext
This command can be used to install the right-click context menu in Windows explorer
MobaXterm.exe -installprotohandler
This command can be used to install the URL protocol handler, in order for MobaXterm to be able to execute sessions from HTML pages
MobaXterm.exe -config
This command can be used to start MobaXterm configuration window
MobaXterm.exe -shortcuts
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MobaXterm.exe -doc
This command can be used to start MobaXterm documentation
MobaXterm.exe -picview
This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded picture viewer program
MobaXterm.exe -edit "<File1>"
This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded text editor (MobaTextEditor)
MobaXterm.exe -compfiles "<File1>" "<File2>"
This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded diff tool
MobaXterm.exe -compfolders
This command can be used to start MobaXterm embedded folders-diff tool
MobaXterm.exe -noX
This command can be used to disable X server for the given MobaXterm instance
MobaXterm.exe -dpi 120
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)
Page 37 / 50
or 192 (x2.00)
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.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
6.1. General
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
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 selfcontained 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
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- some
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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 SFTP 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:
DISPLAY=MY_WINDOWS_HOST_RUNNING_MOBAXTERM:0.0 xclock
...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
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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".
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Page 40 / 50
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:
C:\Some\Place\MobaXterm.exe -hideterm
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.

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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:
export LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=1
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.
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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:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -N '' -q -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa
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":
scp .ssh/id_rsa.pub user1@server1:.ssh/authorized_keys
If the ".ssh/authorized_keys" file already exists, just append your own public key to the file:
cat .ssh/id_rsa.pub user1@server1:/tmp/tmpkey && ssh user1@server1 "cat /tmp/tmpkey >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys && rm
/tmp/tmpkey"
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?
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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
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.
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You can tell MobaXterm to use the Windows PATH by going to the "Settings" menu --> "configuration" --> "Terminal" tab --> check the
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 doubleclicking 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?
AboutlaunchingMobaXtermfromabatchfile,youhavemanypossibilities.Forinstance,letssayyouneedtostartanSSHsessionfroma
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:
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -hideterm -exitwhendone -exec "waitforX; ssh MYREMOTESERVER 'xclock' "
A full list of command line arguments is available in the "Execute a shell script at MobaXterm startup" section.
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C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -hideterm -exitwhendone -exec "waitforX; ssh MYREMOTESERVER 'xclock' "
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 aDemo
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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).

Page 45 / 50
You can export your sessions by right-clicking on a sessions folder and choose "Export sessions from this folder". This will export your
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:
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -i "http://myintranet/MobaXterm.ini"
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -i "\\MySharedFolder\MobaXterm.ini"
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
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:
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -i "D:\Data\MobaXterm.ini"
or
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -i "\\MySharedFolder\MobaXterm.ini"
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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:
C:\Some\place\MobaXterm.exe -dpi 240
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
directoryVersion - ExpertPDF Software Components
Demo
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.
Sample
You can change color, font and other options
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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: http://www.dllfiles.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?gdiplus
Demo
- ExpertPDF
Software
Components
Why does the SFTP
tab notVersion
pop up when
I launch a SSH session?
/ Why does
MobaXterm prompt me for a password each
time the SFTP 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 SFTP 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:
PasswordAuthentication no
- Restart your SSH server using the following command:

/etc/init.d/sshd restart
- 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
http://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
Sample
You
can change color, font and other options
- Uncheck the "SFTP browser" box in your SSH session settings
Page 48 / 50
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 "SFTP 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:
chgrp UsersGrp *
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:
rm ~/.ssh/known_hosts
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.
Page 49 / 50
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.
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MobaXterm

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4.4. Rdp settings

Encrypt data channel

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6. Frequently Asked Questions

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

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

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MobaXterm main window

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The Session button

The sessions manager window

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1.3. Multitab environment

The "Split mode" button

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The "MultiExec mode" button

1.4. X11 server

1.5. Unix-like terminal

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The settings button

1.6. Built-in graphical tools

1.6. Built-in graphical tools

2.1. Different integration modes

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MobaXterm can start many independent sessions thanks to a tab-based interface.

The "Split mode" button

Detach tab feature

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The "Services" button

SSH tunnels (port forwarding)

tunnels by clicking on the appropriate button from the top toolbar.

The "Tunneling" button

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The "Settings" button

The settings dialog

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The "sessions" button

The "sessions" button

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2.2. Local terminal features

/drives mount path

/registry virtual folder

Executing native Windows programs

Other useful commands

2.3. Network utilities

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MobaXterm includes an X server so that it can display X11-based graphical programs.

With this icon, you can monitor the X-server state

MobaXterm includes some useful clients for transferring files

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MobaXterm includes 2 useful utilities for monitoring your network:

2.4. Other utilities

. MobaPictureViewer (Display pictures in fullscreen with zoom features)

MobApt package manager

Demo Version - ExpertPDF Software Components

The global settings window

3.1. "General" tab settings

Persistent home directory

Default text editor program