8.1. Connecting Linux to Windows via rdesktop

Problem

You want to log into a Windows NT/2000/2003 server or Windows XP Pro workstation from your Linux workstation. You want to see your own Windows desktop, use your applications, or manage services. You don't want to install additional software on the Windows box to enable remote access, you just want your Linux box to be a Windows Terminal Services client.

Solution

Use rdesktop, the open source Remote Desktop Protocol client. Remote Desktop Protocol is the protocol behind Windows Terminal Services. rdesktop is a standard package that should come with your Linux distribution.

Follow these steps to get rdesktopt up and running:

This example shows how to log in to Windows using the IP address and specifying a window size:

	$ rdesktop -g 1024x768 192.168.1.22

You'll see your familiar Windows login box.

rdesktop supports full-screen mode. Hit Ctrl-Alt-Enter to toggle between full-screen and windowed mode. Figure 8-1 shows fine art being created over rdesktop.

Fine art via rdesktop

Figure 8-1. Fine art via rdesktop

And that's all there is to it. When you're finished, select Start → Logoff or Start → Disconnect to end your session. Logoff closes all applications; Disconnect leaves them running, so you can pick up where you left off the next time you connect.

Discussion

If you are already logged in to Windows, rdesktop will attach to your existing session and lock out local access.

You may log in from all manner of different locations, and pick up where you left off if you remember to Logoff rather than Disconnect. Keep in mind that leaving applications running uses more server resources.

If your Windows Terminal Server is configured to use a different port than 3389, specify a different port at login like this:

	$ rdesktop -g 1024x768 192.168.1.22:3000

And of course, make sure that the port is not blocked by a firewall.

There are some limitations to using Windows Terminal Services and rdesktop. It only works on Windows XP Professional, and Windows NT/2000/2003 servers. Terminal Server usually needs to be installed separately on Windows NT and 2000 servers. It is built-in to Windows 2003 and Windows XP Professional. On Windows servers, multiple clients may access the server simultaneously, provided the requisite number and type of licenses are purchased. On XP Professional, only one user may log in at a time, and the desktop is locked to prevent accidental mischief.

System administration is somewhat limited. Installing applications can run into permissions problems because Windows sees the remote administrator user as a different user than the local administrator, and remote configuration could mean you'll end up with two sets of configuration files and Registry entries.

TightVNC is good for running any version of Windows from Linux , and UltraVNC is a good choice for Windows-to-Windows remote administration that works on any version of Windows. Neither one cares about client access or terminal server licenses.

See Also