Administer Windows from Linux with rdesktop

Thomas Nooning CCNA, CCDA Tech Republic

Published: 26 Nov 2002 11:38 GMT

Using rdesktop
Rdesktop is easy to use. Let's say you want to log in to the local Exchange server as administrator from your Linux workstation. You would simply type something similar to:

rdesktop -u administrator -g 1024x768+0+0 ex-mail-01.example.com

As you can see, we call the rdesktop command and pass it the username administrator. Then, we specify the desktop geometry to be 1024x768, starting at 0 x and y offsets. You can change this to meet your needs. Next is the hostname of the server we want to connect to, in this case ex-mail-01.example.com. For easier access, you can create a little script or an alias for each remote Windows machine you need to access.

Here are some of the other options you can include:

-u: username
-d: domain
-s: shell
-c: working directory
-p: password (auto logon)
-n: client hostname
-k: keyboard layout (hex)
-g: desktop geometry (WxH)
-f: full-screen mode
-b: force bitmap updates
-e: disable encryption (French TS)
-m: do not send motion events
-l: do not request license

It's also important to remember that rdesktop requires Terminal Services to be running on any machine you need to connect to. Make sure Remote Desktop is enabled on your Windows host if you experience any problems connecting. Again, you may need to check on licensing to ensure that your server will allow the necessary number of connections. Remember that more than one connection can be made to a Terminal Services server. Determine your needs and make sure that your Windows licenses match up.

Rdesktop is capable of operating in full screen or windowed mode. Full screen mode is certainly nice, but you may find better performance operating in a window. In addition, the window approach lets you open multiple connections to remote desktops at the same time. This enables you to connect to a number of different systems simultaneously and is great for troubleshooting cross-platform issues. Whether you're dealing with network connectivity or software development, this type of access can be a tremendous advantage.

Summary
Rdesktop lets a Linux system participate in the remote Windows administration that is available with Terminal Services, allowing for the use of both operating systems simultaneously. This can streamline your administration and development chores, making your job a whole lot easier.

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