remote administration

[Clive Menzies]

Thanks Craig

I've been trying to set up vncserver on Ubuntu for quite a while and
never realised it's there by default ... d'oh

Another little victory on the road to absolute knowledge :)

It was really, annoying being able to support windows users remotely but
not Ubuntu.

Regards

Clive

On (13/04/06 15:32), Craig Hagerman wrote:
> On 4/13/06, Duncan Lithgow <dlithgow at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I've just about finished setting up a computer with Ubuntu Breezy for
> > some friends. This is the first computer they've had to use, so I'm
> > expecting it'll be hard going for them.
> >
> > I need something I can install so I can log into their machine from
> > mine and do any administrator tasks we can't work out over the phone.
> > Could someone tell me what to use? I'm new to this part of Ubuntu.
> >
> > Duncan
> >
> 
> I do this all the time with a machine at my parent's house. I use ssh
> to log in via the command line for most stuff (updating/ upgrading,
> checking log files etc). You just have to make sure that the ssh
> daemon (sshd) is running on the server and any router/ firewall is set
> to allow / forward the relevant port (default 22).
> 
> If you want to actually see the desktop and manipulate things as if
> you were there turn on the VPN server built into Ubuntu. (I think you
> find it under System > Preferences  > Remote Desktop. Click on "allow
> others to view desktop" and "allow others to control desktop". Also
> click "require  the user to enter this password" and chose a good
> password for yourself. DON'T click the one about requiring
> confirmation. (This means your friends will have to be sitting at the
> computer and OK your VNC session.)
> 
> System > Administration > Login Window
> 
> I use VNCviewer as a client on my mac, and tightVNC as a client on a
> Linux or Windows machine. There WILL BE a lag. You move the mouse and
> it jerks over to where you want it after a short lag. I find it
> acceptable for what I need to do though.
> 
> You can also do something called X11 forwarding, but I think either
> ssh command line or VNC would be easier. With X11forwarding you have
> to edit the ssh config file (mine is at /etc/ssh/sshd_config). Do a
> google search for "X11 Forwarding using ssh" for more information.
> 
> Finally, I would recommend that you install webmin on the computer in
> question. As long as it is running apache this will work very well as 
> way to remotely administer the machine. You don't have to use command
> line options as with ssh, and you don't have to deal with the lag (or
> freaking out your friends by taking over the desktop) as with VNC.
> Install and set up apache (or apache2), then install the latest
> version of webmin (www.webmin.com) and set that up with a good
> password. As another poster mentioend you can get a domain name from
> dyndns.com or another such organization so that you can use a domain
> name for a dynamic IP address.
> 
> Log in to webmin on your friend's machine at
> https://<servername>:10000 Note it is secure - https NOT http) and
> then add in some 3rd party modules relevant to what you want to
> control. Go to Webmin > Webmin Configuration > Webmin Modules. Select,
> then click on little elipse (...) beside "standard modules from
> www.webmin.com". This pops up a windows with a long list of modules.
> You can read about them at webmin.com if they aren't obvious. You can
> install TONS of modules that allow you to remotely administer almost
> anything via a simple, quick-loading web page.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> Craig

-- 
www.clivemenzies.co.uk ...
...strategies for business