Alternative to... Remote Desktop

[BarriBurt]

Alternativeto.net is a handy resource.
I'm wondering what you guys use instead of the new(er) Microsoft Remote Desktop, to access Windows domain computers from a Linux box?

Limitation is doing so without deploying yet another client just for my personal convenience. We did have VNC, but as that's being phased out it's not quite so obvious. Our fleet of Windows desktop & servers run Msoft Edge, most have Google Chrome, all are managed by Microsoft Configuration Manager.

Obviously I'll spin up SOE compliant VMs and can just jump through there, but how might a linux box remote control Windows computers directly?



Edit: X2go, maybe...

 

[f33dm3bits]

Name            : remmina
Epoch           : 0
Version         : 1.4.31
Release         : 1.fc38
Architecture    : x86_64
Installed size  : 4.4 MiB
Source          : remmina-1.4.31-1.fc38.src.rpm
From repository : updates
Summary         : Remote Desktop Client
URL             : https://remmina.org

 

[KGIII]

without deploying yet another client just for my personal convenience.

That's going to be interesting.

I've grown fond of TeamViewer, but that's gonna need a client.

 

[BarriBurt]

Legend. Thanks again f33dm3bits!

 

[KGIII]

Wait... (I don't do Windows.) Does Remina not need a client on Windows?

 

[sphen]

Wait... (I don't do Windows.) Does Remina not need a client on Windows?

Microsoft has the well-known but proprietary Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The RDP "server" comes built-in to Microsoft Windows, but cannot be enabled for some consumer versions, like Windows Home. Simple hacks allow you to enable it there if you want to connect to your home computer.

@BarriBurt is looking for a Linux tool that connects to a Windows computer with remote RDP enabled. It would bring back the Windows desktop to be operated from their Linux screen. I use Microsoft's Mac client, so I have no experience there. Remmina and x2go both list RDP in their feature sets. Remmina uses plug-ins to offer protocols such as RDP and VNC.

Either should do what the OP wants, but they said that they do not want to install another client. I do not know how to fix that.

An alternate solution is to use those third-party remote control sites like TeamViewer. They offer browser-viewed control of remote computers. They work well, but I do not like involving trusted third-parties in the process. Sometimes the customer insists.

Related:
I started a project a few months ago, looking into how remote control is done where a Linux client controls a Linux desktop "server" over the network. What I wanted was something like Microsoft RDP or Apple's Mac equivalent. I learned that Linux solutions are different from one another and not as simple or elegant as the Microsoft and Apple proprietary equivalents. Each Linux desktop solution has drawbacks. The initial lesson learned was that I had a lot more to learn about Linux desktops, their display / window management, and how they work together. I saved my virtual machine "lab" with the servers and clients, to pick it up those comparison trials again later.

Another lesson learned is that the term "remote desktop" is overloaded. To some, it is a general term. To others, it is specific to Microsoft's protocol and the associated tools that work with it. Be aware of terminology context when you start looking into this area.

 

[MikeWalsh]

Myself, I use this:-

DWService

Works through your browser. The 'client' is very small, and is cross-platform in nature. Just wants installing on the machine to be controlled, and to be 'active' for the session. It downloads a couple of small items to a temporary location each time it's run; these are deleted at session's end.

Can be set for unattended access, and gives you a session number and password to be entered in the 'Login' box on their home page. Works very well for the home user, but I don't know how well it would work for the OP's use-case.

Doesn't have all the fancy chat-client stuff that TeamViewer has; it literally just controls the remote desktop, as though you were sitting in front of it. Also allows access to files on the remote machine.


Mike.

 

[dos2unix]

Remote desktop client with RDP, SSH, SPICE, VNC, and X2Go protocol support.

Remmina — X2Go, RDP, SSH, SPICE, VNC, and X2Go protocol remote desktop client.

remmina.org

 

[KGIII]

Either should do what the OP wants, but they said that they do not want to install another client. I do not know how to fix that.

That's kinda neat. I had no idea - as I've not used Windows in ages.

I am guessing that when they say 'another client', they mean an additional one other than the one that is already installed. It seems they won't need to do so.

 

[BarriBurt]

Either should do what the OP wants, but they said that they do not want to install another client. I do not know how to fix that.

...on the receiver end. They're all Windows Enterprise, RDP is enabled, so that's the most obvious one to leverage - I don't want to push a client to them. I'm perfectly happy to load whatever's appropriate on the techPC (the Client which is starting a remote session in this example, whereas my user's PCs are the "server" from an RDP point of view). Ubuntu at the moment, I may shift again later.

I found Remmina easily and installed that. Intend to have a play with it this week. Still mostly using Windows at the moment. Can try X2go some time too, for comparison, when I spend the time required to make this tech pc more useful in Linux.

Some great content in here for the first two proper questions. Thanks all.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Intend to have a play with it this week.

Keep us posted Barri, and yes, I use alternativeto.net often, to provide current and ex-Windows users with an opportunity to see what else is out there.

Wiz

 

[BarriBurt]

So this is alright. It's certainly better than built-in Windows RD. Is there a way to centrally manage passwords in this? I can anticipate having dozens of computers in here, and if I saved the password for each one, at password reset time it'd be a chore updating them all. Or just don't save passwords, and have to type them every time.

Or perhaps X2go or something else offers that feature. "Microsoft Remote Desktop" in the Windows Store does, it's one of the nicer features of it. Remmina has a few other features that MRD doesn't, but that was a nice one - MRD lets you create a list of user profiles, and just pick which one to default to with each VM, then update that username's password centrally when required.

 

[f33dm3bits]

So this is alright. It's certainly better than built-in Windows RD. Is there a way to centrally manage passwords in this? I can anticipate having dozens of computers in here, and if I saved the password for each one, at password reset time it'd be a chore updating them all. Or just don't save passwords, and have to type them every time.

In the menu under "Preferences" you have "Multi password changer".

Or perhaps X2go or something else offers that feature. "Microsoft Remote Desktop" in the Windows Store does, it's one of the nicer features of it.

X2go only supports ssh connections.