• Do a (one-time) install of Xquartz:
  1. First, download XQuartz from http://xquartz.macosforge.org.
     
  2. Launch the pkg installer and walk through the installation as usual.
     If you need help with the installation, follow the directions in this video: https://www.cs.mtsu.edu/~untch/share/Xquartz.mp4
     NOTE: Although the video doesn't mention it,
     it is highly recommended that you restart your computer after installing XQuartz and before going on to the next step.
  
  
• Each time you want to connect to ranger, do the following:
  1. Run Applications > Utilities > XQuartz.app

  2. Right click on the XQuartz icon in the dock and select Applications > Terminal. This should bring up a new xterm terminal window.^*

  3. In this xterm window, ssh into the Linux system of your choice using the -Y argument (X11 forwarding). For example, to log into ranger.cs.mtsu.edu you would run something like:
                 ssh -Y username@ranger.cs.mtsu.edu
     (where username is probably your C-number)
     
     
  4. Once you are logged into the Linux system, you can just run the GUI program of your choice (e.g., terminal, idle3, rur, codelite, etc.) and it will display on your Mac. While the terminal window you initially have is fine for light duty work, you may want a better terminal window (e.g., one where you can easily change the background color or resize the font) if you are doing something more intensive. To get a standard X11 terminal window, enter the command (don't enter the $ ):
                 $  terminal &
     (if that command doesn't work, try the command $  /usr/bin/sakura)
     You can create as many X11 terminal windows as you need this way. When done, exit all the X11 window(s) and then the Mac terminal window by entering $  exit in each window.

Why Xquartz and X?
See https://www.cs.mtsu.edu/~untch/share/WhyX.html