Remote Desktop server/client for Linux??
 

This is a multiple question post about remote access to your
machine:

1. Does Linux have a Remote Desktop Server/Client available (of
course, I prefer free)? I use pcAnywhere on Windows, and
want to see if anything like it is available for Linux?

2. Alternately, can the KDE/GNOME connect to a remote machine?
If yes, how? If you are running KDE on one box, is it possible to
use KDE to access another remote desktop. This should be po-
-ssible since XWindows make heavy use of sockets and
networking.

3. rlogin is still shell prompt. Is there anything in LInux equivalent
of Win2k Terminal services?

4. Does any of Window managers / Desktop managers have a
client for Windows, so you can see your Linux box remotely
from a Win2k machine?

Thanks,
Ravi

1. VNC, SSH with X forfarding on can allow you to run GUI apps on remote machine with local machine to be a client.
2. See 1.
3.I am not familiar with Win2k terminal services, I guess see 1 -SSH
4. See 1 -VNC.

Wow,, that's a loaded question :)

First we start with the Obvious. X... X is a network transparent open standard client server architechture. (Remember, the Server is the computer you are sitting at, the client is a software program you are running, regardless of where it is. KDE and GNOME are, themesevles, X clients. Xfree86, is the X server of choice on Linux because it's free. There are also commercial X servers for both Linux, BSD's and Windows). So how does this work? Well, the first thing I have to do at my Linux workstation is issue the command:

xhost +

That will tell xfree to allow connections from over the network. (See man xhost for details on finetuning, it's possible to allow connections from a set of addresses rather than the entire world). Now I telnet to another computer where my applications are kept. Telnet should automatically have set my DISPLAY variable correctly.. If not, I would issue a command like

export DISPLAY="10.0.0.8:0"

Where the IP address is the computer I'm sitting at. :0 is the display number, this would only change if you are running multiple X virtual terminals.

At this point, any X client I launch from the remote computer will get displayed on my local X Server. Pretty cool huh? But this is all early 80's technology, so lets move on.

Yes, there is Linux Terminal Server Project that aims to make this all automatic and transparent. The goal of the project is to be able to use dumb X Server Terminals and Central Application Servers. Do a search for it for details.

And finannally, there is VNC. VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a protocol and a suite of applications (Client and Server available for both Windows and Linux.). VNC allows you to run an X Server on a remote mahcine and access it via a client. This is how you can see your Windows desktop from a Linux box or vice versa. VNC also has the benefit of retaining the X Server regardless of of connection state. That means, even if your network connection or the client computer fails, you can just start up the client again (even on a different computer), reconnect, and continue where you left off. Since the VNCViewer (the VNC Client) is itself an X client on Unix, you need to have a running X Server running on your client computer. (You dind't really have to know that, I just thought the above wasn't confusing enough yet without throwing that in.)... Don't be intimidated by all that, the documention is easy to follow step by step.

All of the above options can be tunneled through ssh, to protect your privacy and passwords from network sniffers, if desired.

There are some other commercial solutions as well. I forget what it's called now, but the company that used to provide terminal server like connectivity before MS decided to enbrace and extend the idea is still around, and their products are cross platform (if somewhat pricy.)

VNC is way too cool, wow!
 

Thanks neo and rash,
I was able to install VNC server on my box, and was able to
access it not just on the other linux box, but also on the 2k
machine. It's way too cool. I recommend it :)
I am not able to attach the screenshot to the post :(

vns isnt' really too hot an option as it just works by sending screenshots over a network, which is a pretty nasty concept IMHO. if you want to do it the proper way you should use a proper network X server and clinet, like Xwin32 for windows clients and a fair few others.I saw a serverless one that is being developed pretty fast but i can't remember what it was called. either way, that's the proper way

You are right, Acid.
I always thought that sending screenshots was the worst thing
to do. pcAnywhere, Citrix do it. However, Windows Terminal
Services do not do it.
But, for the problem that I have i.e being able to access my
home linux box from work, I have a solution (VNC)

Now, that I know that remote access can be done, I will be after how best it can be done. Thanks for info. Next job is to work on Xwin32 :)

Thx,
Ravi..

X Client for Windows???
 

Xwin32 seems to be nice client. However, it's not free.
Does anyone know of any other X Windows client for Win32?

finally remembered what it was called...

http://xwinx.sourceforge.net/

xwinx-0.01.tar.gz October 2, 2001

xwinx-0.02.tar.gz November 1, 2001

xwinx-0.03.tar.gz November 19, 2001
( From xwinx site )
Don't you think the project is almost dead?. I tried Xwin32 demo. Works fine. Will try this also.
--Sarin

i guess it is.. i didn't look. ahh well