Remote Access to Microsoft Windows Applications from the Linux Desktop

The department has a Windows Terminal Server which you can connect to from the Linux desktop machine to run Windows applications (e.g. MS Word). To make a connection you can use remmina or grdesktop. With the default desktop setup there is an icon to launch remmina in the top panel. Both remmina (labelled Remmina Remote Desktop Client) and grdesktop (labelled Remotedesktop Client) are also available from the Applications -> Internet menu or can be run from the command line in a terminal window.

Quick Connect

Inside the department

If you are using a departmental desktop the quickest way to connect to the Windows Terminal Server is to either start

Applications -> Internet -> Maths Windows Terminal Server

or run

wts

from the command line.

From a personal or external Linux computer

If you want to use the terminal server from home and you are running a newer Linux distribution which has the application "remmina" installed, then you can download a configuration file for it here. You need to either put this file in the ~/.remmina directory or you can run

remmina -c <path_to_file>

Manual configuration

Remmina

The first time you use remmina you will need to configure and save some connection settings:

• select New from the connection menu and in the dialogue that appears and set
  • name - say WTS
  • server - wts
  • username - can leave blank or put in your username
  • resolution - may want to change this from client resolution to something that will fit within your workspace, e.g. 1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x960
  • colour depth - may want to change higher setting
• and in the advanced tab you may want to set quality to something higher than poor
• Now save those settings and then you will be able to double click that entry in remmina to start a remote connection

Grdesktop

When grdesktop starts for the first time you will need to enter a few settings:

• In the General section set
  • computer name to wts
  • put in your username
  • Make sure it shows Windows XP/2003 rather than Windows NT/2000
• In the Display section you may wish to raise the remote desktop size from 640x480 to say 1024x768 or more if appropriate.
• You may wish to look at the other settings as well and make any other changes relevant to your preferences.

It should now be showing wts in the computer box and if you press Execute it will bring up a remote windows session on the windows terminal server. You can now enter your password to log in and use the machine as normal.

Access to the Windows Terminal Server from main Login Screen on Departmental Linux desktop

You can access the WTS directly from the login screen of any departmental Linux desktop system, by following these steps:

1. Click on the Gnome foot icon in the login window to reveal the list of possible sessions. Click on the Windows Terminal Server session to select that.
2. Now enter your Maths username, and password as normal
3. You will be presented with the Windows Terminal Server login screen.
4. Log in using the same credentials as before.

Note it will save the windows terminal server login setting as your default so if next time you login you wish to have a normal Linux session you need to select the option Gnome Classic.

Adding printers via the windows terminal server

Click Start->Printers and Faxes. In the box entitled Printer Tasks click Add a printer and then Click Next.

Leave the Network printer or printer attached to another computer selected and then click Next.

Ensure Find a printer in the directory is checked and click Next.

Fill in the fields, e.g. just enter DH28 if you want to print to the DH28 printer and click Find Now.

The list of printers matching your search will be listed. Double click the one you wish to use.