How to Use x2go to set Remote Desktop in Linux

How to Use x2go to set Remote Desktop in Linux

As everything is migrated to the cloud, as a way to improve staff productivity, virtual Remote Desktop is becoming increasingly popular in the industry. For those who need to roam constantly across multiple locations and devices, Remote Desktop can ensure seamless connection between them and the work environment. Remote Desktop is equally attractive to employers and can improve agility and flexibility in the work environment, reducing IT costs due to hardware consolidation, desktop security reinforcement, and other reasons.

In the Linux World, remote desktop settings have many options and support many protocols (such as RDP, RFB, and NX) and server/client implementation (such as TigerVNC, RealVNC, FreeNX, x2go, X11vnc, TeamViewer, and so on ).

This is an outstanding product named X2Go, which is based on NX (For details, refer to Wiki) open-source (GPLv2) Implementation of Remote Desktop servers and clients. In this tutorial, I will introduce how to set up a remote desktop environment for Linux VPS using X2Go.

What is X2Go?

The history of X2Go is traced back to the NX Technology of NoMachine. NX Remote Desktop Protocol is designed to solve low-bandwidth and high-latency network connection problems through active compression and caching. Later, NX was switched to a closed source, but the NX database still adopts the GPL protocol. This led to the emergence of a variety of open-source Implementation of Remote Desktop solutions based on NX, among which X2Go is one.

What are the advantages of X2Go compared with other solutions such as VNC? X2Go inherits all the advanced features of NX technology and naturally works well on slow network connections. In addition, because of its built-in SSH-based encryption technology, X2Go maintains a good performance record to ensure security. You do not need to manually set an SSH tunnel. By default, X2Go supports audio. This means that music playing on the Remote Desktop can be transmitted over the network and connected to the local speaker. In terms of ease of use, applications running on the Remote Desktop can be seamlessly presented in an independent window on your local desktop, which will give you the illusion that applications are actually running on your local desktop. As you can see, these are the powerful functions that are missing from VNC-based solutions.

Desktop Environment compatibility of X2GO

Like other remote desktop servers, X2Go servers also have known compatibility issues. Like KDE 3/4, Xfce, MATE, and LXDE are the most friendly desktop environments for X2Go servers. However, using other desktop managers may have different effects. For example, it is known that versions after GNOME 3, KDE 5, and Unity are not compatible with X2Go. If the Desktop Manager of your remote host is compatible with X2Go, you can continue the following tutorial.

Install the X2Go server on Linux

X2Go consists of Remote Desktop servers and client components. First install the X2Go server. If you already have a Desktop Manager compatible with X2Go and run it on a remote host, we will install the X2Go server to this remote host.

Note that the X2Go server component does not need to be started independently after the system is started. You only need to ensure that the SSH service is enabled and running properly.

Ubuntu or Linux Mint:

Configure the X2Go PPA library. For Ubuntu 14.04 and later, X2Go PPA is available.

1. $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:x2go/stable
2. $ sudo apt-get update
3. $ sudo apt-get install x2goserver x2goserver-xsession

Debian (Wheezy ):

1. $ sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keys.gnupg.net E1F958385BFE2B6E
2. $ sudo sh -c "echo deb http://packages.x2go.org/debian wheezy main > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/x2go.list"
3. $ sudo sh -c "echo deb-src http://packages.x2go.org/debian wheezy main >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/x2go.list"
4. $ sudo apt-get update
5. $ sudo apt-get install x2goserver x2goserver-xsession

Fedora:

1. $ sudo yum install x2goserver x2goserver-xsession

CentOS/RHEL:

First enable the EPEL library and then run:

1. $ sudo yum install x2goserver x2goserver-xsession

Install the X2Go client on Linux

On the local host that will connect to the Remote Desktop, install the following command to install the X2Go client.

Ubuntu or Linux Mint:

Configure the X2Go PPA library. For Ubuntu 14.04 and later, X2Go PPA is available.

1. $ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:x2go/stable
2. $ sudo apt-get update
3. $ sudo apt-get install x2goclient

Debian (Wheezy ):

1. $ sudo apt-key adv --recv-keys --keyserver keys.gnupg.net E1F958385BFE2B6E
2. $ sudo sh -c "echo deb http://packages.x2go.org/debian wheezy main > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/x2go.list"
3. $ sudo sh -c "echo deb-src http://packages.x2go.org/debian wheezy main >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/x2go.list"
4. $ sudo apt-get update
5. $ sudo apt-get install x2goclient

Fedora:

1. $ sudo yum install x2goclient

CentOS/RHEL:

First enable the EPEL library, and then run:

1. $ sudo yum install x2goclient

Use the X2Go client to connect to the Remote Desktop

Now you can connect to the Remote Desktop. On the local host, you only need to run the following command or start the X2Go client using the desktop initiator.

1. $ x2goclient

Enter the IP address and SSH user name of the remote host. Specify the session type (for example, Desktop Manager of a remote host ).

If needed, you can customize other things (by clicking other labels), such as connection speed, compression, screen resolution, and so on.

When you initialize a Remote Desktop Connection, you are asked to log on. Enter your SSH login name and password.

After successfully logging in, you will see the remote desktop screen.

If you want to test the seamless Window Function of X2Go, select the "Single application" session type and specify the path of executable files on the remote host. In this example, I select the Dolphin file manager on the remote KDE host.

After you connect, you will see a remote application window on the local desktop instead of a full remote desktop screen.

Summary

In this tutorial, I will introduce how to set the X2Go Remote Desktop on a Linux VPS instance. As you can see, the entire setup process is very simple (if you use a suitable desktop environment ). Despite issues with specific desktops, X2Go is a secure, feature-rich, fast, and free Remote Desktop solution.

What functions of X2Go attract you most? Welcome to share your ideas.

Via: http://xmodulo.com/x2go-remote-desktop-linux.html

Author: Dan Nanni Translator: ictlyh Proofreader: wxy

This article was originally translated by LCTT and launched with the Linux honor in China

This article permanently updates the link address: