Tag: remote

NoMachineNX – SSH Remote Desktop for Linux/Unix

I’ve used a variety of means to connect to remote machines. Long ago, PCAnywhere was common place, later replaced by VNC and Windows Remote Desktop (RDP). As I’ve migrated nearly all of my work to Ubuntu, I’ve found that VNC is generally too slow, and SSH alone only gives access to my command line environment. NX over SSH allows for efficiently visual access to my entire desktop and all accessories remotely, regardless of my client system.

Setup on the server/host system only takes a few minutes, but is only available on Linux and Solaris. Installation of SSH on the host is required first.

Setup of the client is even easier, and is available for Linux, OS/X and Windows.

NOTE: A “NX Free Edition” is available for use.

REFERENCES:

Online backups

We all occasionally suffer lost of vital documents, or entire hard-drives full of them. Backups are an essential tool in preventing most loss…. but performing them is often a tedious task. Copying files and/or burning them to disk is time consuming and easily overlooked when you are overwhelmed. A few months ago I found Mozy, it provides a free, and simple interface that schedules and backs up your files online…. as such all you need to do it schedule it and forget it (of course your computer also needs to be online).

Restoring files is done through their web interface, and while it sometimes takes a few hours, you get an email notification that it’s available for download as a ZIP file.

You get 2GB for free and can purchase more… referrals get you (me in this case) an additional 256MB… please check it out at: https://mozy.com/?ref=3UEYUK

Windows Remote Desktop (aka Terminal Services) Port Change

There often becomes a need to remotely access/administer a Windows machine.   While I’d normally recommend using a different method such as an VNC connection over a VPN or a SSH Tunnel, you MAY get away with using the built in services.   Even so, using the default port 3389 may prove troublesome with some security mechanisms such as firewalls and proxy servers.   Here’s a simple way around it all…To change the default port for all new connections created on the Terminal Server:

  1. Run Regedt32 and go to this key:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp
  2. Find the “PortNumber” subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, hex for (3389). Modify the port number in Hex and save the new value.
    • NOTE: Ports 80 and 443 are recommended because they route well across various networks.

Good luck… now go out and find a “safer” method!