Windows remote desktop

From Helpful

Contents 1 Remote logins 2 Enabling 3 Access control 4 Linux client

Remote logins

Remote logins, in the form of seeing another computer in a window and interacing with it, is possible when you have Windows XP or a recent server variant: both a server and the client, called either Terminal Services or Remote Desktop - it was renamed at one point.

On non-server versions of windows such as XP, there is a built-in limit that means you can only have one login at all, local or remote; logging in in one way will take over the same session, disconnecting the other. I forget whether this is fixable, but chances are microsoft doesn't really want you to do so. It's not a technological limit. In fact, they briefly promised it for SP2. I suspect it's rooted in the lessened motivation you would get to buy a server OS from them.

Interesting to note is that there is a linux client that works quite well.

Enabling

To enable it or verify it is enabled, right-click on 'My Computer', click 'Properties', and find the 'Remote' tab. Check the checkmark named 'Allow users to connect remotely to this computer'.

Remote assistance is, I believe, the same thing but established through invitations (for helpdesks and the like) and likely allows the connected to computer to look too (regular remote desktop throws the computer itself back to the login screen once there is a remote login). I never used it, so I usually disable remote assistance. (And given windows' track record in security, I feel a little safer disabling things I never use anyway)

Access control

The only things you have to set up is access control, under 'Select Remote Users'. Administrators are always allowed, and if you want to have regular users log in, you have to add them here. If, incidentally, you have a passwordless login, which people do to make their computer start up to their desktop without having to log in - you cannot use that particular account for Remote Desktop. Either you accept that and use another account (and accept that that won't give you the My Documents of your regular user) or you have to add a password to the account.

(The last is done via 'Control Panel', 'User accounts', <click the user>, 'Change my password'. You should do this as the user itself, and not as an admin, when possible.)

Linux client

rdesktop is a good option. Try to get the latest version. With a little option fiddling it should be able to fit most needs, including even thin client pseudo-windows machines.

You usually want:

• color depth to be high-color:
  -a 24
• to specify fullscreen -f, or a resolution, e.g.
  -g 1024x768

Also useful:

• -u loginname
  fills that in in the login. Probably most useful if you create a shell script with your options.

For speed, you can fiddle with:

• -x m
  disables the background, most fancy animations, etc.
• -m
  only sends mouse clicks, not motion. Less back-and-forth, but not everything acts like it should.
• -z
  compression - I've not noticed a big difference, though