NoMachine

NoMachine is a client-server remote desktop application that can run on both Windows and Linux. The application is free for personal use between a pair of computers.

• Installation: Install NoMachine on each computer you want to connect to and connect from. There are installers available for both Windows and Linux and the installation is straightforward.

• Connecting: If the computers are on the same LAN, the computers will show up automatically when the NoMachine app is opened. Just double-click on the computer to connect to it. In NoMachine lingo, the computer you are connecting from is the client and the remote computer you are connecting to is the server.

• Authentication: Though NoMachine uses its own remote desktop protocol, it goes over SSH and uses the login and password you already have on that remote computer.

• Display: The remote display can be set to the size of the connecting window. The display quality also can be set to highest.

• Audio: NoMachine’s protocol can stream audio from the remote to the connecting computer. Neither VNC or RDP can do this (between Windows and Linux) and this is the reason I went looking for an alternative and found NoMachine.

• File transfer: Files can be transferred between client and server when the connection is open. On the server, choose Transfer a file and choose 1 of 2 options: Upload file from the client (to send to server) or Download file from the server (to get file from server).

• Restart remote server: To restart the NoMachine service on the server:

$ sudo /etc/NX/nxserver --restart

• Lock remote desktop on disconnect: I find this feature to be useful for security, but it is not enabled by default. On the server NoMachine go to Show server status -> Security and enable the Lock the physical screen on disconnect option. You will need to restart the server for this to take effect.

Tried with: NoMachine 7.10.2 on Windows and NoMachine 7.10.1 on Ubuntu