Seamless rdesktop
From FBSD_tips
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[edit] Rationale
There are those times when for one reason or another, a windows session is required. Whether there is no *nix functional equivalent (e.g. Quickbooks) or a specific feature of a Windows only software is needed I present here one very convenient way to stay on your X desktop and still avail your self of the universe of windows software.
I came across this method while reading the rdesktop man page (who knew that reading man pages could be so beneficial!). A windows OS with terminal server in it is required. MS offers a 120 day trial period for it's windows terminal server before you have to install a terminal services license server, if you would like to try it.
[edit] Setup
[edit] under FreeBSD
On your FreeBSD X11 desktop, install rdesktop (via ports ot packkages), e.g.
pkg_add -r rdesktop
[edit] under Windows
To set up terminal services, you want to go to
- Control panel ->
- Add or remove programs,
- Windows components,
- Select 1) Terminal Server and 2) Terminal Server Licensing
- Click 'Next' through all the subsequent screens
- Reboot
Go to http://www.cendio.com/seamlessrdp/ and follow the download and and setup instructions.
Add a new user, add them to the "Remote Desktop Users" group.
[edit] Usage
At the FreeBSD commandline, in an X11 session type :
rdesktop \ -s "c:\seamlessrdp\seamlessrdpshell.exe [Name of windows program you want to run]" \ -A \ -u [Name of your remote desktop use] \ -p [Password of your remote desktop use] \ -a 16 \ [Hostname or IP of the Windows terminal server host]
The end product should look something like this :
[edit] Discussion
When the seamless RDP application starts up, logging in breifly opens a fullscreen window. Once login is complete, it shrinks to the size of the appliaction window(s).
Opaque window movement can look a little weird, you may want to use window frame movement.
Desktop shortcuts can easily be made for the seamless DRP client commands.
Different MS Windows OS versions have different Terminal Services set up procedures, this one works for 2000 Advanced server and 2003 server.
Other client software capable of seamless RDP
Clients that may or may not be capable of seamless RDP
- http://cord.sourceforge.net/
- http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=remotedesktopclient
Gongo 05:37, 10 December 2007 (UTC)
