Subj : Re: Linux RDP To : Gerrit Kuehn From : Dan Clough Date : Sat Jun 07 2025 07:26 pm -=> Gerrit Kuehn wrote to Dan Clough <=- GK> Hello Dan! GK> 07 Jun 25 08:50, Dan Clough wrote to Gerrit Kuehn: GK>> Do you want persistent logins? Do you want access to the physical X GK>> display (:0), virtual ones, or both? Looking for the client or the GK>> server end (or both)? DC> Don't even know enough about it to answer the first two questions... GK> There is a difference if you want to share your physical display, i.e., GK> the session that is displayed on the monitor connected to the server, GK> or if you want a "virtual" session that is running on the server with GK> no monitor hardware attached. Some software can do one, some the other, GK> some both. GK> Which software you want depends on what you want to achieve: using the GK> physical display remotely is more or less required if you want to give GK> users in front of the machine remote help, i.e., see their screens, GK> move their mouse, type for them. OTOH, running virtual session enables GK> you to hook up several remote users to a server, everyone running their GK> own session. This way, you could, for example, use a more powerful GK> server to run several (virtual) desktop environment sessions, each of GK> these being displayed by a less powerful thin client. Excellent, sounds like I would just need a virtual session. GK> Having "persistent" logins means that your virtual session (with all GK> software running) is not automatically terminated when your client GK> disconnects. Instead, it is waiting on the server until your client GK> reconnects (which could be days later). If you are familiar with tools GK> like "screen" or "tmux" on the commandline (or in xterm): persistent GK> virtual X sessions are pretty much the same concept, just using X GK> sessions (including your full desktop if you like) instead of a GK> textmode terminal. Perfect - I'm very familiar with screen/tmux and use them all the time, so the "detach" functionality is known. Not something I'd need in this use-case though. GK>> If VNC and RDP above are not a requirement (but merely examples): I GK>> am using x2go for a couple of years now (and try to avoid the other GK>> two, if possible). DC> I'm assuming you avoid VNC/RDP for security reasons... GK> Well, depends on the actual setup and software you use, I guess. I GK> probably would not recommend the original VNC ("realvnc") to anyone GK> these days. TightVNC or TigerVNC usually perform better, provide more GK> features and better security. RDP, on the other hand, was invented by GK> MS. At least for me, especially the server part always felt tedious to GK> set up and clumsy to operate. This is probably caused by its "alien" GK> (from *ix-perspective) origin. Admittedly, I have not used it for quite GK> some time, maybe it improved meanwhile. I am using it on *ix systems as GK> a client (remmina being my default client there) when I have to talk to GK> MS servers. However, I would avoid the server on *ix systems if I have GK> other choices. OK, that all makes sense and I'm thinking I'll just be using VNC then, as there is no MS/Windows around here. ;-) DC> I've added x2go to my list of candidates, and it looks pretty good. GK> I have used x2go in various scenarios over the last years, usually GK> running the server on Linux machines to be able to operate their GK> software from Windows, MacOS, *BSD oder other Linux boxes. It is GK> reasonably fast, tunnels over ssh by default, supports using SSH key GK> authentication and SSH jump hosts (so you do not have to mess with GK> firewall rules and port forwarding if you already have an ssh port GK> open), offers session management, persistance, access to the physical X GK> display. On top of that, it is OpenSource and easy to set up, so for me GK> there is not much more to ask for. You have to take care a bit when GK> using "fancy" desktop environments that come with compositors, GK> transparency and stuff like that. My default desktop is xfce, x2go GK> usually works fine with it. This is great info, and should be fairly straight forward by the sound of it. I also use XFCE and nothing fancy. I'm now side-tracked on another project and may not get to this again for a few days, but will try to remember to come back and update. GK> Regards, GK> Gerrit Thank you for your VERY informative post - I found it extremely helpful indeed. Appreciate you taking the time to explain all of that. Cheers, Dan .... Gone crazy, be back later, please leave message. === MultiMail/Linux v0.52 --- SBBSecho 3.27-Linux * Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (1:135/115) .