I'm trying to run an application in X from an SSH session -- I don't need to see the application, but I need it to run in a graphical context (because it does stuff and saves screenshots of its graphical state). I can get the app to work by running an XFCE desktop and telling the app to use DISPLAY=:1

However, for memory reasons, I'd love to avoid a desktop at all -- I don't need a desktop (I'm just using a remote SSH session). Is there a way I can run a program in X without a desktop?

@StephenKitt Thank you! I'll give this a shot now. (I'd read a lot about xinit/startx but I'd not yet come across xvfb)

This works! But I was also using xdotoolto issue commands which (for reasons my X-newbie mind doesn't understand) I can only get working when I have a VNC server running

I couldn't figure out how to integrate Xvfb into my VNC startup, so ended up using x-window-manager instead -- which is still a great memory/CPU advantage over XFCE

I've been using xz utility for more than 4 years now and...I only just noticed that it had a --long-help option with more advanced/detailed options listing. Feels weird. The version if anyone's curious:

Thanks @StephenKitt, I was indeed addressing the other user!