Graphics enabled applications run on a text-based host server by allowing a client application running at a workstation to inform the server of this session (1) that it, the client application, is graphics capable and (2) the IP address and port(s) it is waiting on; and then by having the server set capability indicia, such as RAWT attributes, in the operating system for this session to indicate the (1) the client is graphics enabled, (2) the IP address and port(s) it is waiting on, (3) optionally, the path to an application to be automatically launched.