Hi all,

I have a quite complex windows software (bookkeeping stuff) and want to run it on several linux boxes in a terminal server style.
I don't want start emulating to keep the software support calm ;-)
The last big "I want" is: No "Windows Server" license...

So my question: Does anyone know a terminal server program for windows, that let me access the terminal by linux boxes?

Or - much, much better, does any one know, how to run only one program on a remote windows box?
I can forward X over ssh and open a graphical program on a remote machine. Something like this, if the remote machine is running windows.

Thanks a lot,
Clemente

RDesktop is a linux app that will allow your boxes to connect to a NT/W2K/W2K3 terminal server.

http://www.rdesktop.org/

Hi okmyx, thank you for your reply.

If I understand proper, I have to run Microsoft terminal server for rdesktop.

In the 2k series, only "Windows 2000 Server" and above have terminal server support. Moreover this, I need CAL's for every rdesktop client. I never get all this stuff for only one program. And - imoo - I don't want to go shoping in the M$ shop.

Do you know any alternative windows terminal server to the M$ Terminal Server?

I know exactly what you mean.

One possible work around (never tried it its just a theory) would be to create a Linux terminal server ( http://www.ltsp.org/ ) and run a virtual machine running windows (might be able to get away with win98) and the booking keeping software for each user that logs in.

It is very messy with loads of layers and might be a bit of a resource hog and also might not work if the software is multi-user but it would get around buying W2K and all the CALs.


Edit: did some searching and found this http://www.netraverse.com/products/wts/ which sounds close to what your looking for but i'm not sure if its free or not but it is a linux app.

This workaround would match excellent into the actual virtualization hype ;-)
At first reading, I was at "nice theoretical construct" - but the more I think, the more do I like the idea.

But before I start this project, I take a look at the Win4Lin Terminal sever. Thank you for the link. Never heard about a Terminal Server solution based on Win4Lin - and I never tries Win4Lin. It is wine based, iirc. Just made some, err, busy experiences with wine.

Anyways, I am tensed about the terminal server edition. And if it works well - it is ways more cheap than M$ I could have luck with my employer

Clemente

Also don't overlook VNC: Virtual Network Computing. (See WikiPedia.)

Furthermore, the XWindows/XOrg system that your Linux box uses for all of its GUI work is actually a "client-server" design. That is, the application talks to a server, which talks to a client (in your case, both on the same machine) which draws the display. {N.B: In XWindows manuals the terms "client" and "server" are typically reversed, but-who-cares.}

So, this means that you can be running interactive sessions against a computer in some other room that doesn't even have a graphics-card installed.

The protocol is somewhat sluggish but it works.