Remote access freeware

[walkerf]

I will remote access a linux server from a Windows PC, I download PUTTY, it's a command line window, who would please recommend some free GUI remote access software to access linux from Windows? Thanks!

[matonb]

There are a few around, personally I use cygwin / cygwinX

[bigtomrodney]

You're probably looking for VNC. Most distros include it and allow you to set it up easily and there are plenty of Windows clients available. However that said I find it more useful to run an X server like xming on Windows and use ssh, that way you can run command line apps and graphical apps as needed without the need to stream a whole desktop all of the time. In fact, if you really want to you can run a full desktop as if it was on your Windows machine

[walkerf]

There are a few around, personally I use cygwin / cygwinX

From Cygwin Information and Installation, I downloaded setup.exe, ran it, selected download and install, using all default setting, I just clicked the "Next" button, after the installation finished, there was a cygwin icon on the desktop.

I clicked the cygwin icon, a terminal window appeared, with
"admin@admin-PC~
$_"

then I don't know how to connect to remote linux server, and how to get the linux desktop X window. Would you please tell me what to do next? Thank you!

[walkerf]

You're probably looking for VNC. Most distros include it and allow you to set it up easily and there are plenty of Windows clients available.

Installing tightvnc-1.3.10-setup.exe for Windows is just clicking buttons, it's easy.
And Installing tightvnc-1.3.10_unixsrc.tar.gz is difficult.

To use tightvnc, here are 2 questions.

1. Should both the windows PC and linux server install tightvnc?
2. How do I know if the remote Linux has installed tightvnc ? and does it accept tightvnce connection from Windows pc?

You're probably looking for VNC. Most distros include it and allow you to set it up easily and there are plenty of Windows clients available. However that said I find it more useful to run an X server like xming on Windows and use ssh, that way you can run command line apps and graphical apps as needed without the need to stream a whole desktop all of the time. In fact, if you really want to you can run a full desktop as if it was on your Windows machine

I can logon to the remote linux using putty, then I installed xming, but I don't know how to use it, who could tell me how to use xming? Thank you!

[matonb]

From Cygwin Information and Installation, I downloaded setup.exe, ran it, selected download and install, using all default setting, I just clicked the "Next" button, after the installation finished, there was a cygwin icon on the desktop.

I clicked the cygwin icon, a terminal window appeared, with
"admin@admin-PC~
$_"

then I don't know how to connect to remote linux server, and how to get the linux desktop X window. Would you please tell me what to do next? Thank you!

To start a local xServer use

startx.bat

You need to allow access to the X Server to the remote host:

xhost + <remote ip address or hostname (if it will resolve in DNS) >

Open a remote session (ssh with -X to tunnel X, mentioned before)

ssh -X <remote ip address or hostname (if it will resolve in DNS) >

Start the application and it should display on your local machine.

Just read the last line of your post (Linux Desktop), if your after something like windows "mstsc" then VNC is what you want, in which case I hand the baton back to BigTom

[walkerf]

When I install cygwin, I just clicked "next" button and made no custom changes.
After installation finished, I clicked cygwin icon on the desktop to run it. In the terminal window, I ran following commands and got errors as below:

$ startx
bash: startx: command not found

$ startx.bat
bash: startx.bat: command not found

It maybe because something like X windows hasn't been installed, but should I install everything under the X winows? or should I just install part of the packages under X windows and what are the package names?

Thanks!

[Rubberman]

I use cygwin and the x-server that it provides, and have for years. Works great! You do need to install the x-server, but which additional components you put up, such as optional desktop (it can use the Windows desktop if you want - which I did. After all, when in Windows, use Windows!) like Gnome or KDE. The basic X installation provides xterm, and such. I usually installed nedit (x-windows text editor) as well (download from sourceforge.net). You don't run startx with that. When the X-server is installed, it will install a menu entry and/or start menu button to click, though you probably can use startx if you want.