Add windows remote desktop?

[Bazon]

Hello!

I just noticed that the section "Remote Desktop" (http://ubuntuguide.org/#remotedesktop) is missing one option:
connect into remote Windows desktop via Ubuntu machine.

This is possible by installing a VNC Server/Client like Tight VNC (http://www.tightvnc.com/) or Real VNC (http://www.realvnc.com/products/free/4.1/winvnc.html) on the windows machine and using the rdesktop command on the Ubuntu machine.

As I haven't found that direction in the guide I thought it wasn't possible, so maybe this could be add to the guide?

greetings,
Bazon

[jturnbul]

perhaps you could start off if you dont mind. I am interested in doing this. I installed TightVNC on my windows box, and rdesktop on my kubuntu box. Read the man pages for rdesktop, and its all french to me. I have tried a few parameters, but it just fails. Im just guessing.

[wislon]

I was looking at this last night actually, and discovered that the 'tsclient' application (Terminal Services Client) talks to VNC servers as well. You just select the VNC protocol from the protocol list (I think it defaults to something like 'RDP', which I guess is 'remote desktop protocol'?) and fill in your username and remote address and away you go.

Note that this was done using breezy 5.1 after a system update, so your mileage may vary.

Hope that helps :)

[Bazon]

OK, here is how I have done it:

1. I installed Tight VNC on the windows machine and started running it as a service (proposed by default by the installer). I kept the default setting and have not changed a thing.

2. I started Remote desktop on Ubuntu via:
rdesktop -f -a 16 -p x 192.168.1.7 *

where:
-f is for Fullscreen. You don't need this parameter. Quit Fullscreen modus and switch to window mode by Ctrl + Alt + Return
-a 16 is for 16 bit colordepth. You may use 24 or 8 as well. 8 is default if you don't use this parameter (looks crapy, so you better use 16 or 24...)
-p x is for my password where x stands for the password. I use the same username on the windowsmachine and on Ubuntu, but if you don't you might have to add it with the -u parameter: -u username
192.168.1.7 is the IP-adress of the windows machine. Yours will be most likely anotherone.

rdesktop 192.168.1.7
would be sufficent, too.
I acces a computer in a LAN, be sure firewall is open for this service if you need to get through one.

See rdesktop -h for full list of parameters...

And in fact it's good to have the possibilty to acces a windows remote desktop, it's better than wine... :wine:

greetings,
Bazon

*PS:
Tip for beginners:
Of course you don't have to type this every time, e.g. you can add a user defined starter with this command to your panel.

[Nomad64]

I should also add that there is the package gnome-rdp avaliable for Dapper which is a GUI front end for rdesktop, TightVNC, and SSH. I am not sure if this package is avaliable for Breezy, but you should be able to download the source and compile it.

Homepage: http://gnome-rdp.linuxforge.hu/

[Ozitraveller]

Is there any advantage of VNC over FreeNX?

[Maelgwyn]

I should also add that there is the package gnome-rdp avaliable for Dapper which is a GUI front end for rdesktop, TightVNC, and SSH. I am not sure if this package is avaliable for Breezy, but you should be able to download the source and compile it.

Homepage: http://gnome-rdp.linuxforge.hu/

I've download the .tar.gz, and attempted to ./configure, but I get the following error:

nik@relativity:~/Desktop/gnome-rdp-0.2.1$ ./configure
checking build system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking target system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu
checking for a BSD-compatible install... /usr/bin/install -c
checking whether build environment is sane... yes
checking for gawk... gawk
checking whether make sets $(MAKE)... yes
checking whether to enable maintainer-specific portions of Makefiles... no
checking for intltool >= 0.21... 0.34.2 found
checking for perl... /usr/bin/perl
checking for XML::Parser... configure: error: XML::Parser perl module is require d for intltool
nik@relativity:~/Desktop/gnome-rdp-0.2.1$

[fickit]

Thanks Bazon,

Your instructions worked like a charm.
"rdesktop IPAddressofWindowsMachine"
I used rdesktop on ubuntu with RealVNC on windows.

[Vaelor]

I just went into terminal and typed

vncviewer my.domain.name

and it prompted for my password. Isn't it this simple?

(TightVNC on Windows machine)

[rzlatic]

what about connecting to vista machine?
tight vnc's faq (link (http://www.tightvnc.com/faq.html)) claims that it doesn't run on vista :confused:

[Loan_Refi]

use rdesktop to connect to windows machines XP, Vista & Win Server 2003. Use snaptic to install or terminal

sudo apt-get install rdesktop

if you want to connect from windows to Ubuntu than install vnc viewer

[stefe]

I m trying to connect to Vista machine 32 bit, but still cannot succeed.

I used vinagre, and rdesktop and pointed towards the Vista machine, but still i am getting a timeout error.

I think it is a setting from Vista - I eneabled the Remote Desktop acces from the My compter > Properties > Remote - but still no success

Am i missing something?