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Running FreeNX using a Mandriva 2008 Server

Monday, 05 November 2007

NoMachine NX is a Terminal Server and remote access solution based on a comprising set of enterprise class open source technologies. NX makes it possible to run any graphical application on any operating system across any network connection at incredible speed.

FreeNX application/thin-client server is based on NoMachine’s NX technology. It can operate remote X11 sessions over 56k modem dialup links or anything better. FreeNX package contains a free (GPL) implementation of the nxserver component. The following workshop describes the FreeNX installation on a Mandriva 2008 Free server. Additionally it explains how to access it using a Windows XP and an OpenSuse 10.3 client.

The workshop setup could look like this:

Step 1: Install the “urpmi” sources and install freenx

URPMI is the command-line package management tool used by the Mandriva Linux distribution. This tool allows you to install, remove, update and to query software packages of local or remote media. It wraps around the package manager rpm with the aim that the user should not have to suffer the often-encountered dependency hell.

Use the following website to find a source near to your location:

http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/

If you need assistance, please follow step 1 in this previous article:

http://www.linux-tip.net/cms/content/view/325/26/

After installing the sources, please run the following command from your console and proceed with the installation of the 14 needed packages:

urpmi freenx

Run the uprmi command Run the uprmi command

Downloading the packages Downloading the packages

Final instructions Final instructions

Disable Mandrake’s personal firewall Disable Mandrake’s personal firewall

The freenx server should run automatically, but you need to start sshd with the following command:

/etc/init.d/sshd start

Make sure to configure the firewall correctly. You need to allow incoming SSH traffic. We will disable the personal firewall for test purposes.

Step 2: Downloading and installing NoMachine’s client software

NoMachine offers a free download for Linux, Solaris, MacOS and Windows clients. Please download the software here:

http://www.nomachine.com/download.php

Start with the Windows client and install the client software for the OpenSuse client accordingly. Download the rpm package from the website mentioned above and install it:

Using the Connection Wizard Using the Connection Wizard

Change the desktop settings Change the desktop settings

Create a shortcut on your desktop Create a shortcut on your desktop

Install the NX client rpm package Install the NX client rpm package

Step 3: Installing the client key

Like you have seen in the final instructions after installing the freenx packages (see step 1), we now have to download the client key from the FreeNX server and to install it on the Windows and OpenSuse clients.
The key you have to transfer to the clients, is lactated in the following directory on the FreeNX server:

/var/lib/nxserver/nxhome/.ssh/client.id_dsa.key

I recommend using WinSCP on the Windows client to copy it across. Let’s do this in two steps. First copy (as root) the client key to the user’s home directory by running the following commands on the FreeNX server:

cp /var/lib/nxserver/nxhome/.ssh/client.id_dsa.key /home/user
chown user:user /home/user/ client.id_dsa.key

Secondly, copy the key to a temp directory on your locale hard drive using WinSCP.
You can easily use the secure copy command “scp” on your OpenSuse client. Log in as a regular user on the OpenSuse client, open a console and use the following commands to copy the key across.

cd /home/user
scp This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it :/home/user/cliend.id_dsa.key .

Finally you need to import the key to your client software using the “Key Management”.