Alternative to Citrix for linux

mickoneill30

I've a requirement to share an app from a linux server to a few Windows clients. The users are very basic and I want to give them a simple solution.

I'd like something like Citrix but that runs on linux. So I send an icon to the client and they just double click it.

Does anybody know of any programs that might achieve this?

Edit: I've used Xming and forwarding before which works nice but these are really basic users so running stuff in a terminal would wreck their heads.

rfrederick

My first thought is to set up a batch or command file that the users can click on that calls PLink (included with XMing) to SSH into the box with forwarding. Authentication could be done with RSA keys to alleviate the user from having to enter a password and would add the advantage of being able to control what a user logging in with the specific key could run.

However if full-blown on-demand application delivery is what you're after a quick Google search turns up Ulteo, created by one of the founders of Mandriva/MandrakeSoft. Their Open Virtual Desktop may be what you're looking for.

ressem

Which Citrix product were you looking at?
Citrix Application Essentials/ Xenapp fundamentals is windows server based.

Costs about €230 per Named User CAL though, with a limit of 75 users until you're supposed to buy presentation server instead.

Capt'n Midnight

linux box can share via VNC / rdesktop too

not sure how to generate separate x windows per session though


what is the app ?
perhaps there is a way to do web clients ?

vibe666

it sounds like you might be looking for something like 2X Application Server.

AFAIK, the basic 5 client licence is free and should offer you enough functionality to do what you want to do without costing you any money.

not sure if they do a Linux version so you might have to run it in a windows VM if you really want to run it on Linux but if your app isn't too beefy it should be up to the job.

Capt'n Midnight

Just watch out for possible license implications if you share from windows.

If the clients connect to a windows GUI, you need a windows license , if the clients already have windows you may need to make sure the versions match and all that

if they connect to some services on a server you need a client access license

shoegirl

mickoneill30 wrote: »

I've a requirement to share an app from a linux server to a few Windows clients. The users are very basic and I want to give them a simple solution.

I'd like something like Citrix but that runs on linux. So I send an icon to the client and they just double click it.

Does anybody know of any programs that might achieve this?

Edit: I've used Xming and forwarding before which works nice but these are really basic users so running stuff in a terminal would wreck their heads.

Product formerly known as Exceed on Demand by Hummingbird might fit your needs - very similar - see here for its current version http://connectivity.opentext.com/