how to use NoMachine

The School of Computer Science runs NoMachine Terminal Server.

The client connects a server named delta.cs.uwindsor.ca. There is also a CNAME record called nx.cs.uwindsor.ca, which should resolve to delta.cs.uwindsor.ca.

Remote desktop via a Web Browser

http://delta.cs.uwindsor.ca

This method should be used as a last resort. There is a bug using the web client and SSH which fails to add your userid to the proper Linux groups (required by some applications).

Since the School of Computer Science has a NoMachine Enterprise license, the delta.cs.uwindsor.ca remote desktop can be accessed directly from the browser through the link provided!

This method of remote access requires neither the NoMachine client nor the VPN client.

NX (using the NoMachine Enterprise Client)

Using the NX protocol (not SSH)

Edit a connection to use the NX protocol

You should use the NX protocol, but only if you are connected to the VPN!

Edit and save the connection to modify the protocol it uses.

X11

NoMachine has an embedded X server. If a local X server cannot be found, NoMachine will use its own display service.

Display Resolution

Resize the remote desktop to match the client's resolution

You can change connection settings by pressing Ctrl-Alt-0 (Ctrl-Alt-ZERO) any time you are connected to a session.

Select the Resize remote display icon (circled at the bottom of the window), then press the "<" icon to return to the desktop.

This allows the remote screen resolution to dynamically adjust as you resize the window, matching the quality of your computer display.

Troubleshooting

NoMachine Client is hanging

NoMachine Hangs

It should take less than 10 seconds to reconnect to a running virtual desktop, but it may take up to a minute while Creating a new virtual desktop is displayed.

If NoMachine just spins for minutes but never connects, the problem may be related to the FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) interface with GVfs (GNOME Virtual file system) on the server you are trying to connect to which causes your login to fail. This interface is created by Systemd for you in the /run/user/`id -u` directory, where `id -u` is your numeric uid.

The end-user solution is Under Construction! We need to reproduce the error to provide the fix.

A detailed discussion of FUSE, GVfs and Systemd is beyond the scope of this section. I have to thank Sanjay for recently reminding me about this issue.

Run this command from a terminal window (right-click the background and choose Open in terminal):

mate-panel --replace &

The ampersand is required to run the command in the background, independently of the terminal process from which you ran it.