RDP over SSH

Some Windows systems support Remote Desktop (RDP) connections. For security, all RDP connections must use ssh tunnels.

• In these instructions,
  • user is the account on kilauea,
  • target is the IP address or name of the Windows computer, and
  • winuser is the account on the target computer.

• The csordp.pl script is the recommended method of connecting to remote desktops. It works on Mac OSX and linux systems.

• For Mac OSX, download and install the Microsoft remote desktop client, either v2 or v8. See below.

• Download the csordp.pl script to a convenient location. Make it executable:
  mycomp> chmod 755 csordp.pl
• The script sets up the ssh tunnel and opens the RDP client:
  mycomp> csordp.pl -C -l user winuser@target

• It is also possible to run the viewer on kilauea with an X window display on your local computer. This is also appropriate if you are at the telescope.
  mycomp> ssh -C -X user@kilauea.caltech.edu
kilauea> csordp.pl winuser@target

• If the csordp.pl script fails for some reason, manual configuration may be necessary.

• Download and install the Microsoft remote desktop client, either v2 or v8. v2 is not officially supported on OSX 7 and later.
  Remote Desktop Connection 2.1.1 (MS release)
  Remote Desktop Connection 2.1.2 (bootleg, use at own risk)
  Microsoft Remote Desktop 8.0.9 (via App Store)
• Either download and use the tunnelrdp.pl script.
  mac> tunnelopen.pl -C -l user@kilauea.caltech.edu rdp://winuser@target
• Or
  1. Setup the tunnel manually,
     mac1> ssh -C -L 12345:localhost:3389 user@kilauea.caltech.edu
  2. Open the remote desktop client, which is in the Applications folder, and
  3. Connect to localhost:12345.

• Setup the tunnel and remote desktop client manually. You'll need two terminal windows:
  linux1> ssh -C -L 12345:localhost:3389 user@kilauea.caltech.edu
linux2> rdesktop -u winuser target

• It is also possible to run the remote desktop client on kilauea with an X window display on your local computer. This is also appropriate if you are at the telescope.
  mycomp> ssh -C -X user@kilauea.caltech.edu
kilauea> rdesktop -u winuser target

• windows_ssh_rdp does work but has not been extensively tested.