NoMachine NX: Control A Computer Remotely From Any OS

Eric — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 04:01:46 +0000

Recently I was setting up an old computer to be a file server and I wanted to place it in another room without a monitor or keyboard. To do this I needed to have remote access so I could control it from my desktop, or any computer for that matter. A friend of mine suggested that I give NoMachine NX a try. I had never heard of this program but I am glad he told me about it.

NoMachine NX is a remote access program that allows users to control a “server” from any computer with Internet access (the client). In other words, this program opens a window that allows you to see the desktop of your server computer. You can now control the computer as if you were sitting in front of it, as well as have access to its peripherals. I do this so that I can have my server computer do processor intensive tasks while I am working on my desktop.

One of the advantages to this software is security. Authorization credentials are encrypted once the connection is established to ensure a secure connection. NoMachine even allows you to share files and printers using Samba and CUPS.

NoMachine has several professional sever products for use by companies. To compare the features of these different NX products, look at the Features and Requirements. However, they do have a FREE sever edition that is available for Linux/Unix systems. The NX Free Edition comes with both the server and client and is available in 32 bit and 64 bit.

NX server can only be installed on Linux and Solaris systems but Windows users are not completely left out, since NX clients can control Windows “servers” via the Remote Desktop Protocol. NX server is designed to work with any Unix desktop environment, the Remote Desktop Protocol, as well as VNC. NX client is available for Windows, Linux, Mac, and Solaris.

If you download NX Free Edition you will need to install the NX server on the Linux/Unix computer you wish to control. This should take only take a few minutes since the install is fairly straightforward and NoMachine provides very useful documentation. In fact, there is a build compatible for most Linux systems systems.

Once the server software is installed, you need to install the NX client on the computer(s) you wish to control the “server” from. This again should not take long with the supplied builds for Linux, Windows, and Mac.

The final step is to setup a connection between the client and server. To do this, NoMachine provides a tool called NX Connection Wizard. This is where you enter the preferences for your connection such as the protocol, port number, size of the windows, and encryption.

If controlling a Linux system, a new X server session is started upon the initial connection. This way if someone is logged in to the “server” locally, they will not be kicked off by the remote user. In fact, with the Free Edition, two remote users can control the same “server” at the same time.

If you wish to control a “server” running Windows, you need to setup Remote Desktop for that computer. Then, in the NX Connection Manager choose “Windows” as the system and “RDP” as the protocol.

So if you are trying to control a “server” from different operating systems, or if you just aren’t having any luck with the other remote access software, be sure to give NX a try.

For more screenshots check out What NX looks like.

If you want to give NX a try before installing it for yourself, go to their test drive page.

To download NoMachine NX, visit their download page.

For a little more information on installing and setting up NoMachine, visit the following sites.

Linux.com – Get a remote display with NoMachine

Linux-Tip.net – How to install a free NX Server on Debian 4.0

Images were taken from the following websites respectively:

www.linspire.com/nomachineclient

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

Windows Linux Mac Tips » VNC

NoMachine NX: Control A Computer Remotely From Any OS

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