Remote Controll Software?

[Guest TDonaghe]

Is there any such piece of software which will allow me to remotely control a Mandrake 9 box from Windows XP or 2000?

 

That would be pretty cool....

 

 

Thanks!

 

Terry

tdonagheATmyway.com

[mtweidmann]

Yep, try a program called VNC. It used to be included with Mandrake, not sure if it still is. Take a look in the software manager, or check out the homepage:

 

http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/

 

You will need to install and run the server program on your Mandrake system. You will have to give your machine a name and a password. THen run the client on your windows machine, and log in. Your Mandrake desktop will appear in a window in windows! (it also works the other way round)

 

There are alternatives of course. You can of course use Telnet, but make sure your firewall isn't bloking it. Or if you only want to admin it you can use Webmin.

[theYinYeti]

Or cygwin.

 

There are two options to graphically login on a Linux computer with a Windows computer:

- XDMCP using the Cygwin package

- VNC (cross-platform remote display)

 

The easiest one to use is the first one, IMO, but in truth, I never tried VNC on Linux.

For XDMCP, you'll have to parameter your Linux box' display manager to allow remote connections (look here: http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/xwin/xnet.html, see also my note at the end of this post)

Next, you should download Cygwin (here: http://www.cygwin.com/, follow the Install now! link) and install it with at least the XFree server, when choosing the packages to be installed (if you're a newbie, I suggest you keep all defaults, except for making sure that XFree-related packages are selected).

Finally, you have to execute this newly-installed XFree server, and tell it to connect to your machine. For that I would not recommand using the -broadcast option, as MUO documentation says. Instead, I would recommand that you creates a linux.bat file containing this:

@echo off

SET CYGWIN_ROOT=c:cygwin

SET PATH=.;%CYGWIN_ROOT%bin;%CYGWIN_ROOT%usrX11R6bin;%PATH%



start Xwin -query 10.0.0.10 -once

Only, you'll have to replace 10.0.0.10 with the IP address your Linux machine is known as to the Windows machine.

 

That's all. If you execute linux.bat, a fullscreen window will open and display your login manager (by default: KDM). Then you'll just have to login, and do as you want.

 

NOTES:

* GDM, as well as KDM or XDM, does offer the choice of window manager: KDE, Gnome, fluxbox, IceWM... So it is safe to use GDM instead of KDM.

I prefer GDM because the only thing to do is to allow remote connections in the nice GUI configuration tool. Besides, all its configuration is done with this easy to use GUI, and there's a menu option in Mandrake's menu to easily open a new independant display for another user on the same computer, without you having to logout first; that's cool :).

* As you understand by my above note, Linux is able to control multiple displays. So does Cygwin, I guess (another display for Cygwin is simply another window. If you need this feature, you should create a seconddisplay.bat file, with this content:

@echo off

SET CYGWIN_ROOT=c:cygwin

SET PATH=.;%CYGWIN_ROOT%bin;%CYGWIN_ROOT%usrX11R6bin;%PATH%



start Xwin -query 10.0.0.10 -once :1

(a :1 appended) It may work, or not...

 

Yves.

[Vdubjunkie]

There are alternatives of course.  You can of course use Telnet

 

In case you haven't already heard it elsewhere, DON"T use telnet. Perhaps not as big a deal if you are blocking external ports from the intenet, but why not be safe. Use ssh instead.

http://www.openssh.com

..and while you are at it.. buy one of their t-shirts ans support em. They are great!

 

not to mention that then you can securely port vnc through ssh which KICKS ASS!!

• secure transfer of passwords

only need for one open port despite how many different vnc servers you access

seems like more reliable connection to me

.........on and on and on