Primary usage scenarios

FreeNX has incredibly many uses, and since all the code is available alot more can be added. First of all, FreeNX is a thin client server enabling you to get a full X11 desktop (Gnome, KDE, or whatever windowmanager you prefer) over slow connections, with the ability to disconnect (leaving you applications running), and later resume from another location. This is much like what Microsoft Terminal Services, or more famiously, Citrix XenApp (previously named Presentation Server) does for Windows, but FreeNX can push more users into one server than their Windows quivalents. There are many names for this kind of technology and if you want to read more about this, try searching the internet for "Server Based Computing".

FreeNX supports clustering in different ways. This means that you can build a huge farm of servers, offering both desktops and applications to potentially thousands of users. This way you can concentrate your efforts on maintaining important applications on the FreeNX servers, independent of the state of the users' local computers. This means no more fixing peoples workstations and laptops which your colleagues has messed up.

In addition, you will have a speed and responsiveness that will make you forget that you're not sitting in front of the computer you control.

Console access

Another handy functionality is that if you need to access your console on your work/home computer, and previously have used VNC based solutions to achieve this, your in for something refreshing if you choose to test FreeNX for the same goal! FreeNX uses SSH/SSL to achieve a higher level of security (with the option to use your own SSH keys to increase the security) then other standard VNC solutions. The console (which has to be shared through VNC) will be encapsulated into the NX protocol, which optimizes and caches the connection, resulting in a much better experience than pure VNC. It's not the same speed and responsiveness as running a pure FreeNX session, but much better then what you will be accustomed to.

Linux applications on Windows

Imagine running a virus-free email application, either in your business environment, or on your home computer. Sounds like science fiction? Not anymore. With FreeNX you can run your email reader on a server and publish it to Windows (and Linux) users so it looks like it's running locally on their computers. That way, all the potential incoming Windows viruses will be run on a Linux server which is immune for such code. We can't really promise you a virus free email server, but it will be a lot more safer since all mail is trapped/contained in the FreeNX server which can be easily secured so potential Linux viruses can't do harm.

Mobility

When you, or your workforce, are on travel, you can now have the possibility to run all the important applications remotely just by having an internet connection. This way, you don't have to manage the applications (installation, configuration, updating, etc) on the computer(s) anymore, you just maintain them on the FreeNX computer. Another nice thing about this is that if the laptop should be stolen/damaged, it will not contain any data since it's securely saved on the FreeNX computer (or on a fileserver on the internal network where the FreeNX computer is placed). Remote printing is also supported, so you will always have the ability to print your work on a local printer. If you should need to copy data from/to the local computer, you can mount local shares into the FreeNX session too.

Remote support and distance learning

With FreeNX it's possible to share your desktop so other people can help you fix problems at your computer without leaving their office. This can, potentially, also be used as a distance learning tool, either to teach others by accessing their desktop, or sharing out your own.

More usage scenarios

Of course there are more scenarios on how FreeNX can be utilized, this was just a run-through of some of the more basic ones. If you come up with a new and exciting way to use FreeNX, don't hesitate to tell us (freenx-knx@kde.org).

Here is how you install it on CentOS

Connect to server using ssh username@serverip

[root@server ~]# ssh dennis@16.1.1.120

Unix screen utility is very useful when you’re managing remote unix server by means of ssh. This utility allows to save session opened and come back to it after being disconnected

[root@server ~]# screen -RD

Install freenx

[root@server ~]# yum install nx freenx

Authentication

[root@server ~]# nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config


# To disable tunneled clear text passwords, change to no here!


PasswordAuthentication no


AllowUsers nx

Restart ssh services

[root@server ~]# service sshd restart

Edit node.conf to allow access

[root@server ~]# nano /etc/nxserver/node.conf


ENABLE_PASSDB_AUTHENTICATION="1"

Find what groups are on your system

[root@server ~]# cat /etc/group

Create a user for testing on your localsystem using useradd (ex. dennis)

[root@server ~]# useradd -g users -G adm -s /bin/shell -p secrets -d /home/dennis -m dennis

useradd -g primary_grp -G admin -s /bin/shell -p xxxx -d /home/user -m user

useradd LOGIN Some of its options are:

• -d home directory
• -s starting program (shell)
• -p password
• -g (primary group assigned to the users)
• -G (Other groups the user belongs to)
• -m (Create the user's home directory

Does the new user exist run these two commands to check

[root@server ~]# id dennis


[root@server ~]# finger dennis

Confirm your new user is in the correct groups by running

[root@server ~]# groups dennis

Add users to nx database for authentication

[root@server ~]# nxserver --adduser dennis

Assign a password for user

[root@server ~]# nxserver --passwd dennis

Add user to the line you added earlier (AllowUsers nx)

[root@server ~]# nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config


AllowUsers nx dennis

After following the same process for adding all users you must restart service for them to be active

[root@server ~]# service sshd reload

NEXT STEP is to Install the NoMachine Client



Download the NoMachine Client.

[root@server ~]#  wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxclient-3.5.0-7.x86_64.rpm

To support printing with the NX Client set the permissions on the IPP backend

[root@server ~]# chmod 755 /usr/lib/cups/backend/ipp

Install the NoMachine Client

[root@server ~]# sudo rpm -i nxclient-3.5.0-7.x86_64.rpm 

Next, install the client you'll be using (Windows, Mac, etc.)