Ask Slashdot: Options For FOSS Remote Support Software? 247
Albanach writes "I'm sure I'm not alone in being asked to help friends and family with computer issues. These folk typically run Windows (everything from XP onward) or OS X (typically 10.4 onward). Naturally, desktop sharing is often much easier than trying to talk the other end through various steps. I've found free sites like join.me but they don't work with OS X 10.4, neither does the Chrome plugin. I'd also prefer not to compromise security by using a third party in the middle of the connection. Is there a good, free solution I can run on my linux box that supports old and new clients that run Windows, OS X and possibly linux? I'd love it if the users could simply bring their systems up to date, but that doesn't solve the third party issue and it's not easy when it requires a non-trivial RAM upgrade on a Mac Mini."
You've really never heard of VNC? (Score:5, Informative)
Because that's what you want.
VNC? (Score:5, Informative)
VNC is probably the most prolific remote access client / server software in existence. It is open source, although some companies have created enhanced functionality on top of VNC which is available as commercial products. OSX supports VNC type remote access natively.
teamviewer (Score:4, Informative)
its free for non-commercial use. my mom lives almost 2000 miles away and that's what i use to help her.
Reverse VNC (Score:5, Informative)
Other posts have already mentioned VNC, naturally. But more specifically, what you want is reverse VNC. You set up a VNC listener, and firewall port forwarding etc. on you end. Then ask the user to download a simple server executable (e.g. tvnserver.exe in the case of Windows/TightVNC) and connect to your IP address.
TeamViewer (Score:4, Informative)
Its not FOSS, and there is a middle man to negotiate things to get you connected.
It is however free for non-commercial use.
You can remote control -from- Windows, OSX, Linux, iphone, and android.
You can remote control -to- windows, OSX, Linux, and recently samsung androids.
It just works. The person you are trying to support can get connected to you by clicking the "Join Remote Support Session" URL, and running the quick support app. They don't have to install the software, or configure their firewall, or fiddle with various modes etc.
You can connect to pretty much anyone anywhere from pretty much anything anywhere.
How does it compare to the various VNCs? Its much easier to get a connection going, and you don't waste more time trying to get a remote session going than it takes to actually perform the remote support.
Now, VNC is great, and if you set up your own public VNC repeater, and bundle your own VNC client to use that repeater you can get most of the way towards what you get with teamviewer without any effort at all.
Re:teamviewer (Score:5, Informative)
I have to agree. It may not be OSS, but it is free for non-commercial use and it works on Windows, Linux, and OSX. You can even use it from an Android device to control someones machine. I've used it on Windows and Linux to control other Windows and Linux machines, on Linux to control a machine running OSX, and on Android to control my Linux machine when I wasnt at home.
If you can walk someone through downloading, installing and running something, TeamViewer is perfect. Once its running, all you need to have them do is tell you their ID number and passcode, which is prominently displayed when TV is running.
I use it a lot to help my friend whos a complete computer newb to fix and/or learn things.
Re:teamviewer (Score:2, Informative)
Took me half an hour to talk my dad through downloading and running the single exe for Teamviewer remote support.
Would not want to try talking him through downloading, installng AND running VNC!
PuTTY with VNC (Score:5, Informative)
I've been helping my now 83-year-old dad since the Win2K days using this solution:
- On dad's machine, install VNC server and PuTTY SSH client
- Set the VNC server NOT to run in service mode.
- Set the VNC server to accept connections from localhost (That used to be a registry setting, but it might be the default now)
- Set up a user called "sonarman" on my Linux machine. sonarman's shell is a script that loops forever, printing the date and hostname, then sleep 60.
- Set up a public/private keypair so sonarman can log into my linux machine without a password
- Set up a PuTTY session for sonarman that uses the private key to connect, and that forwards some port on my linux machine to the VNC server port on my dad's computer (5901)
- If necessary, tell Windows to allow PuTTY.exe to go OUT through the Windows firewall.
- Created a folder on dad's desktop called "Get help from Mike" - inside are two windows shortcuts, one to start sonarman's ssh connection to form the encrypted tunnel, and one to start the VNC server.
So when dad has a problem, he calls me, he opens the "Get help from Mike" folder, and double-clicks the PuTTY shortcut. When he says "OK, it's showing me today's date", I tell him to double click the other shortcut, and he tells me when the VNC icon shows up in the notifications area.
Once that's done, I connect a vncviewer to localhost:<whatever port I set up>, and I have a view of and control of Dad's desktop.
He can't do any harm to my system, because sonarman's shell doesn't accept any input.
Because his computer is initiating the connection, he doesn't need a fixed IP, nor any holes through the firewall besides the *outgoing* ssh connection.
My linux machine has an entry in DynDNS, and dad's PuTTY connects to my machine by hostname, so as long as my dyndnsd keeps the name up-to-date with Comcast's periodic re-assignments of my IP address, dad's computer can always find mine.
My firewall must be configured to allow incoming ssh connections (but I want that anyway).
Re:Reverse VNC (Score:5, Informative)
I completely agree... I've been doing this for many years. The main advantages are:
- Nobody has an internet-exposed vnc server
- The people you're supporting don't need to make holes in their firewall
- As the OP requested: no 3rd party for the connection to go through (a boon to both latency and security)
- FOSS
For ease of use, make a .bat file on their desktop that gives them icon to click that:
- starts the vnc server service (i.e. net start vncserver)
- tells the vnc server to add a new client (the name you've registered with dyndns).
When they want to share their screen with you, you'll need to be running the vnc listening viewer first, and have an open port on your firewall.
Re:TeamViewer (Score:4, Informative)
Re:teamviewer (Score:5, Informative)
And my mom has no idea how to configure the firewall on her router or enable port forwarding. And neither do I since I have never seen her router
Vnc is useless if mom can't get it to work
UltraVNC [uvnc.com] has a "single click server" [uvnc.com]. You configure (via UVNC's website) a custom server that is a single 166K executable file that requires no installation and is hardwired to connect to your computer, and (when the time comes) you run your VNC viewer in "listen" mode and have them doubleclick the icon. Since they're the ones initiating the connection, firewall shouldn't be a problem. Works great, you can email the file to them, so long as you can explain how to save an email attachment to their desktop. There are some restrictions (Win only, you need either a fixed IP or something like dyndns to specify your address, and they need to be able to receive an executable attachment), but it works really well. Dunno what to do about the OSX, though.
Re:You've really never heard of VNC? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm the submitter. I presume your friends and relatives are stunningly more technically adept than mine.
I have personally been using VNC for over a decade. Judging by your /. uid, that's probably a good bit longer than you.
How about you take a moment to read the question. I'm looking for remote support software similar to join.me or the chrome plugin. That means the other end uses their browser, goes to the URL I give them and with as little other input as possible, I can share their desktop.
That does not describe VNC. I already have a vnc/ssh based solution. It's convoluted and yes, they find it difficult. Perhaps you've never assisted folk in their 70s with IT, but yes, for many, something that simple is difficult. It's difficult because it's unfamiliar. They use their web browser and they use email. That's what they know about their computer.
Now VNC may be part of the solution - indeed I would fully expect that. But not plain old vnc or a combination with SSH. The end user shouldn' t need to locate software, open firewall ports, execute shell scripts or type convoluted SSH commands.
Finally folk do, frequently ask me for advice. They do so for the simple reason that I try and give them a solution that meets their needs. That solution is not VNC or I wouldn't have posted the question. I think if you'd read the question rather than trying to get the first moral superiority post you might have realized that.
Re:Or, ssh? (Score:5, Informative)
A few years ago, I was sitting in front of two PCs, using just one, but after a minutes, I noticed the start menu opened on the other, and some commands started typing themselves in. I immediately noticed the VNC icon notifying me someone was connected.
My guess: there's thousands of bots looking for open VNC connections. You don't have to be targeted specifically. Lesson: don't leave VNC to an open internet connection, even with a strong password.
Re:You've really never heard of VNC? (Score:3, Informative)
Before we start a dick measuring contest based on Slashdot UIDs:
First off, if you've got your users grabbing random (to them) software and slogging through a shell, you're doing it wrong. Whatever it is that you've got them doing is something that you've already failed to automate on their behalf.
Secondly, don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. It seems to me that if there were software in existence that worked just like VNC but in reverse, it would fit your important* requirements just fine.
Now, suppose this concept already existed, and had been in use for some years. How would you find such a thing? Nobody would be stupid enough to call it reverse VNC, would they?
But just to make sure, I googled reverse VNC [bit.ly] and HOLY FUCK THERE IT IS!
*: Your requirement of running in a web browser is as ridiculous as your unstated requirement that it not be VNC.
Re:Or, ssh? (Score:5, Informative)
You do realize that there are automated port scanners running on botnets all over the internet all the time, right?
I get hit with thousands of SSH requests a day on the machines I administer, all with random username/password attempts (none of which will work because I only ever allow public key auth). When one of those port scanners notices 5900 open on your granny's computer, and the password is brute-forced in a few seconds, I think you'll rethink your perspective on the issue.
Interception isn't necessary to hack a connection. There's a reason we firewall people are so difficult.
PS you could just add your own netblock to your relatives' firewall software on port 5900 and limit exposure.
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
UltraVNC Single Click. (Score:4, Informative)
You all are trying to go at this the wrong way.
You should run a 'listening server' on your end, and send them a VNC single click binary.
http://www.uvnc.com/products/uvnc-sc.html
Single click binary does need to be setup by the admin (Ultra VNC has a webpage that generates the executable, the admin can do anything from having a single entry that just connects to your IP (on the listening server) upto having pretty graphics and customized greeter screens.). Having a dns entry that always points to your domain (johnsupport.dyndns.com in the worst case for example) also makes those single click instances working for quite some time.
I'm quite surprised so little people know about SC, even though VNC is quite well known here.
And again, TeamViewer is nice (albeit closed source) one always has to wonder, why would a company give you such a service, for free. Yes, they also have commercial offerings where there bread and butter comes from I'm sure. So does google/facebook, yet we all know what they really sell.