On 13-10-2014 16:18, Les Mikesell wrote:
On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 2:03 PM, Valeri Galtsev galtsev@kicp.uchicago.edu wrote:
Being able to grab your existing desktop remotely with all open windows and long-running programs intact is a big plus, though - and you get that for free with NX or x2go. Can you connect remotely to your VM host some other way if you aren't at the special desktop?
How much different is that from VNC? Just curious.
VNC just does a basic bit-copy of the screen for the remote side so it is not particularly efficient, although it might be better if you are mirroring a real console instead of running a virtual session set up by vncserver. NX/x2go have a full proxy/stub X server and client at both ends with tunable caching/compressiion on the remote side.so things like font rendering and block moves for scrolling are much faster. X2go also can map audio/drives/printers if you want.
Both are packaged and fairly easy to try on CentOS 6. On 7, only x2go is available and it has a problem with the 3d requirement of Gnome3 so you have to use KDE or install MATE from EPEL.
Ah, just remembered one thing. If memory serves, FreeNX dates back to the same time that multiseat project was started. They were developed targeting a very similar use case, but different in the end, while multiseat had a faster time-to-market, I think.
Places like some public libraries, like we have here in Brazil, uses multiseat. Keeping these running is much easier than having someone with the knowledge to fix a virtualization host when it goes rogue. These places here have 0 tech people working in there..
Note that multiseat doesn't even require a network at all. You can always open up a text editor and do some writing, or some spreadsheet calcs...
It's been a while since I last used FreeNX. I didn't recall it being able to map drivers back then but good to know that x2go can do it, thanks. Back then it already was indeed much faster than VNC and/or remote X.
Marcelo