Ubuntu – GUI based remote sessions for end users

graphical-user-interfacesshUbuntu

I am setting up a ubuntu 12.04 LTS server that several non-technical users will need remote access on to run GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software, and other software.

I need users to be able to log on to this machine (remotely) to do their work. Also, multiple users will need to acces the machine simultaneously.

Because I have non-technical users working on this machine, I would like to allow each user to have their own unique remote GUI desktop session for whoever is logged in. Obviously just using some kind of screen-sharing or screen-control software wont work because the users will need individual sessions.

How can I accomplish this? Does software exists that can accomplish this task?

I though maybe I could just use "ssh -X -Y user@host", but it seems like that only brings up a window for each individual program that you run, rather than a full GUI desktop environment.

Any ideas will be appreciated, thanks!

Best Answer

I would suggest using NoMachine (NX) for this purpose. I believe the protocol is compressed X11 over SSH. The Free Edition has clients for Mac, Linux and Windows and won't require you to do much other than create a Linux user account for each user who needs to access the system.

Related Solutions

Ssh – Loading GUI on host machine through SSH with X11 forwarding

[This is really a superuser.com question, since there's no programming involved.]

The -X flag to ssh is specifically for sending the display back to the machine you ssh'ed from. To display on the machine you're ssh'ed to, instead you'd set the DISPLAY environment variable to that machines display (probably ":0" but may vary depending on configuration, virtual terminals, etc.), and make sure you have the right authentication set up to talk to that display (see the Xsecurity man page for details).

Ssh – Multiple Users use Script to Access Remote Server via Passwordless SSH

What is needed:

Shared keys by users
Create common script on server
In your ssh config limit user to particular commands:

command="/bin/myscript.sh",no-port-forwarding,no-X11-forwarding,no-agent-forwarding,no-pty ssh-dss AAAAB3....o9M9qz4xqGCqGXoJw= user
Create script on local box or in their home folders that executes an ssh command to the remote server, executes the script on server and then outputs
If you need input into the remote session, you could run your local script

./local.sh 01234

Which executes:

ssh user@remote '/bin/myscript.sh $1'

It is interpreted as

ssh user@remote '/bin/myscript.sh 01234

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Ssh – Loading GUI on host machine through SSH with X11 forwarding

Ssh – Multiple Users use Script to Access Remote Server via Passwordless SSH

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