Remoting to Linux from WinXP

[Tread42]

I've setup a Linux desktop(RH9, desktop install) and it has an i.p. I can ping the desktop but I can't for the life of me connect to this thing remotely. Is there a remote client you can use? Or do most people simply telnet into the box? I read the FAQ on here but am no positive it's for the desktop install, maybe only the server install.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. As if you can't tell I'm a Linux newbie at this point.



Regards,
Tread42

 

[venkman]

First of all whatever method you decide to remotely connect to your linux box with, make sure it's respective port is open. If you want a windows remote desktop looking thing, your best bet is to install a vnc client on your windows box (do a google search for vnc). Then, using kde on your redhat 9 box, set up a desktop sharing session (not sure what menu it's under, but it's in there somewhere). Alternatively you can use an old fashioned vnc server, but with this you will not be able to share a desktop you are using locally on your linux box.

If all you need is a text prompt, do not use telnet... it sucks and it's insecure. use ssh. Putty (google search for its download site) is a windows version of the ssh client. Your linux box almost certainly comes with an ssh server (daemon), but you can always install it via an rpm if it does not. make sure your firewall has opened up the port for ssh (22 I believe).

As another option you can use ssh to tunnell a vnc connection into your machine. This allows you both to not have to open any firewall ports (beyond the ssh port) and it makes sure all information being communicated by vnc is encrypted. Info on how to do this is found on the vnc web site.

-Venkman

 

[Tread42]

Thanks Venkman

Unfortunately I can't find the remote desktop setup menu in RH9 in KDE. If possible could you point it out 2 me? For what it's worth I can VNC out to a Windows box but not in from a windows box to this machine.



Regards,
Tread42

 

[venkman]

hmmm.... yeah, you're running into one of the problems in the Redhat "unified desktop". Due to this unification it's hard to find a lot of features that are speciffic to KDE or Gnome. If I had redhat in front of me I might be able to tell you, but alas I'm trapped in Windows hell at work. Here's where I would try checking:

1.there should be a submenu named "extra" within the "internet" menu, that might have it.

Also, if you right click the KDE menu, you can selec the menu editory. I believe this shows menus that Redhat hides. It might be easier to find it there. 7

Anyways, it's around there somewhere, assuming you've installed the right kde packages (though I think it's installed by defualt if you select KDE). Btw, you are definitely in KDE right? not Gnome? I don't think Redhat installs KDE by default if you do the default desktop install.

-Venkman

 

[xutopia]

I installed tightvnc on my redhat machine.

From windows I login to it with an SSH client (putty).

I then type vncserver to start a vnc session and then login with tightvnc client to access my gnome desktop.

Work wonders!

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
==========================

 

[venkman]

Gary,

I think the problem with that approach is that you are not actually sharing your local desktop. Instead you are starting up an X Server for remote use only. You can access it on your local desktop by launching the vnc client and connecting via loopback, but it's not the same.

-Venkman

 

[AntiProxy]

install and run rfb, krfb or x0rfb on your linux box..
that's a VNC server that's capable of exporting your current display.

i've been using x0rfbserver for well over 6 months now.. and i have no complaints about it..
i personally think it's a little bit slower than other vnc servers.. but that's all about it.

as for remote administration, you have two other options, one is webmin, which is a web based administration software, which you can use from any machine on the network,

or simply enable sshd, and use an ssh client for windows to access that, putty has been suggested before, and i think it's your only good option for a stable ssh client.

 

[xutopia]

Venkman,

thanks for correcting me!

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
==========================

 

[venkman]

to add to that, I would recommend webmin over ssh-ing. ssh is good from linux to linux because you can launch x-based programs and have them be displayed locally. But installing an X-server in windows is difficult and if you're a newbie doing everything from the command line is probably also not an option.

Webmin on the other hand has everything nicely organized and is completely web based (hence the name). The only problem with Webmin is getting it to work with SSL and Redhat. Redhat has a bugh which makes this very difficult. If you're not accessing webmin from outside of your LAN though, than I wouldn't worry about this. If this is a big deal with you, I suggest installing Suse instead. It sets up webmin over ssl automatically.

-Venkman

 

[Tread42]

When I try to setup ssh on the windows box I am using the syntax in MS-Dos of

ssh -C -L 5900:XXXXXX:5900 -l username gatewayip

where XXXXX is the i.p. of my windows box and gatewayip is the i.p. of the linux box.

I authenticate to the linux box but when it prompts for my username's password it always returns.

"No value for $TERM and no -T specified"

Does that error signal something is not running properly on the linux box?



Regards,
Tread42

 

[venkman]

I've only used putty before. I didn't even know a DOS ssh existed. I'd recommend using putty. Also, is there a reason you are forwarding the vnc port? Are you still planning to use VNC? Also, what's the "-C"? I'm unfamiliar with that argument.

-Venkman

 

[Tread42]

I believe the -C stands for compress.

When I use putty and select SSh it looks just like a telnet session 2 me. Do I connect via Putty then start the VNC session? Sorry if you mentioned that earlier and I missed it.

Regards,
Tread42

 

[AntiProxy]

Tread42: you are totally confused and you have misunderstood the whole thing

i just understood why you were mixing SSH and VNC!
that's not really the way to do it..

ssh is nothing but a secure encrypted remote shell client that looks almost 100% like telnet..
use Putty to connect to your Linux Box over SSH, if you want a remote shell command line prompt (text only).

VNC Viewer is the what you use, if you want connect to, see and control your Linux desktop (or another Windows box)
Linux's most known VncServer has a limitation, as it's not capable of exporting the current display from your Linux box..
which is why i suggested you use krfb, rfb or x0rfbserver on your Linux Box, so you can export your current display and see it from the windows box..

i hope this clears a bit of the confusion..
make up your mind, and select the option that's right for you.

 

[venkman]

SSH is just a secure (encrypted) version of telnet. It allows you to forward ports used one one machine to another.

Below I've tried to give a crash course on what port forwarding is... if you already know what port forwarding is, ignore the next paragraph:

While every node (ie. computer) on an IP based network, like your LAN and the internet has an IP Address. Within that IP address are thousands of ports. Different programs use different ports to communicate. For instance, web servers use port 80. This means that if I want to get the web page on the computer with an IP address of 192.168.0.2 I direct my request to port 80 of that IP address (usually written as 192.168.0.2:80). A firewall works by barring certain ports from accepting incoming requests (or outgoing for that matter). This allows for more security by giving crackers/hackers/worms less ways to connect to your machine. Most likely your default firewall prevents connections on the VNC ports (5900 through 5905 I believe). That's fine because ssh allows you to get around this. Using port forwarding, ssh can direct all connections your computer attempts to make on port 5900 of itself (ie. the windows pc) to be automatically forwarded to port 5900 of your linux box. the linux box accepts this forwarding because ssh makes the connection appear to have been initiated internally, ie. from the linux box itself. In addition, because you are using ssh, all communication, including your vnc session, that goes through it is encrypted.

Back to the speciffics of your issue. The -L option is enabling you to forward your port 5900 to the linux box. So what you want to do is this:

1.start a vnc session (through kde or through vncserver) on your linux box.

2. ssh using putty to your linux box, but make sure to enable port forwarding of local port 5900 to the linux box's 5900 port.

3. start your vnc client on the windows machine (the one you ran putty from). Make sure to connect to the localhost rather than the linux box. You do this because the vnc connection will be forwarded to your linux box via putty/ssh.

-Venkman

 

[venkman]

btw, just checked.... the remote desktop application in Redhat KDE is found under the main menu, inside the internet submenu, in the "more internet applications" submenu.

-Venkman