NoMachine

NoMachine NX handles remote X Window System connections, and attempts to greatly improve on the performance of the native X display protocol to the point that it can be usable over a slow link such as a dial-up modem. It wraps remote connections in SSH sessions for encryption.

Install

NoMachine NX requires installation both on the server and client side. Detailed installation instructions for both can be found here.

NX Server

Get it from here.

On Ubuntu, download the 3 packages client, node and server, then install them:

sudo dpkg -i nxclient_3.4.0-7_i386.deb 
sudo dpkg -i nxnode_3.4.0-14_i386.deb 
sudo dpkg -i nxserver_3.4.0-14_i386.deb

Control the service with

/usr/NX/bin/nxserver --status|--start|--stop|--restart
/usr/NX/bin/nxserver --help                               # help instruction

Don't forget the server administration manual.

To enable printing with CUPS:

sudo chmod 755 /usr/lib/cups/backend/ipp

NX Client

Get the free NX Enterprise client from here. Online manual is here.

Usage

• Top right corner: show the menu
• Ctrl-Alt-0: show the menu

Troubleshoot

Wrong keyboard layout

Simplest workaround, in a terminal:

setxkbmap be

More tips:

• https://forums.nomachine.com/topic/wrong-keyboard-layout-between-windows-client-and-linux-server
• https://forums.nomachine.com/topic/nomachine-keyboard-switch#post-21692
• https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xorg/Keyboard_configuration

Cannot connect to local desktop

Add to /etc/NX/server/localhost/server.cfg [1]:

AvailableSessionTypes unix-remote,unix-console,unix-default,unix-application,shadow,unix-xsession-default,unix-gnome,unix-xdm,windows,physical-desktop

Restart the server /etc/NX/nxserver --restart.

Waiting for remote desktop user to authorize the connection

Edit /usr/NX/etc/server.cfg [2]:

-#PhysicalDesktopAuthorization 1
+PhysicalDesktopAuthorization 0

Possibly restart the server:

sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --restart