6 ms·

Chrome Remote Desktop extension by Google

240 points by patrickaljord 15y ago

dochtman 15y ago
Why in the world does this page require me to login?
- sathyabhat 15y ago
  It doesn't require a login to see the page.
  - GvS 15y ago
    It asked me to login too.
  - jmettes 15y ago
    You do have to log-in to share/connect to a remote desktop session. It seems to be utilising Google talk gadget (https://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/blank https://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/blank), this is probably why it requires a Google account.
  - obeattie 15y ago
    It did for me. It required me to verify my Google password just to get to the Chrome Store. It does often.
- gojomo 15y ago
  This page has the 'Google Groups disease' that's rapidly spreading across Google's services. If you are completely logged-out of Google, you can access it. But let's say you have a login elsewhere with Google - perhaps even one still good enough to retain your search prefs, and offer instant access to other services requiring login. Still, visiting certain other pages, like this one and before it Google Groups 'public' archives, triggers a request to login. Annoying and kind of creepy/bossy: "either reconfirm who you are on demand, even when visiting 'public' pages, or you have to log out of all our services".
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
- revorad 15y ago
  At least read the title!
vasco 15y ago
The teamviewer guys must be a bit worried
- darklajid 15y ago
  Really? - TeamViewer works as a service, if requested - TeamViewer works on different platforms, without requireing a specific browser I don't see the threat yet. It's a different thing.
jschmitz28 15y ago
Easy to use; took only a minute to set up a connection. Just played Battlefield in my browser that was viewing my roommate's shared desktop (very low frame rate, obviously). It would be cool if there was at least an option for the shared computer to resume sharing once one session has ended.
- ditojim 15y ago
  i believe this this the first of many small steps implementing a robust remote desktop experience for chromebooks.
  - watty 15y ago
    I've been using LogMeIn from my chromebook (and Droid X) and it works great.
zyfo 15y ago
I get "Package is invalid. Details: 'could not unzip extension'." after a few seconds of downloading. Using Google Chrome 15.0.874.12 dev.
- OmarIsmail 15y ago
  I assume you're on Mac? Right now the Dev build of Chrome on OSX doesn't allow you to install new extensions.
  - zyfo 15y ago
    Nope, Linux (Arch). I use other extensions like Instapaper, historious and disconnect.me.
    - patrickaljord 15y ago
      But can you install any new extension? I'm on Ubuntu with dev and installing any new extension is broken too.
      - zyfo 15y ago
        Yes. Tested by installing the first extension on the chrome web store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ognampngfcbddbfemdapefohjiobgbdl?hl=sv&hc=ext-pr&hcp=pr1-1 https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ognampngfcbddbfemd... and it worked without problems. EDIT: I tried to install the OP app again, and now it works. My Chrome version is exactly the same. I don't understand this. Oh well.
pepijndevos 15y ago
What is the technology behind it? Does it all go via Google servers? Does it have some port forwarding magic?
diamondhead 15y ago
"This service is not available Chrome Web Store is not available for .com. Learn more about Google products you can use with @*.com." I can't even view a Chrome extension since I'm a user of Google Apps.
- obsessive1 15y ago
  I can access the Web Store fine with my apps account. The apps account administrator needs to enable it in the Apps control panel. IIRC it's in "Organisation and Users" --> "Services". The only thing not in there (that I've found) is Google+/Profiles.
  - diamondhead 15y ago
    thanks, I enabled all services and it now works.
kodisha 15y ago
I think it doesn't detect LAN. It's much slower comparing to VNC.
spydum 15y ago
So, while this is interesting (using it right now to post this message).. I find it painfully slow, and inefficient. The network utilization seems much higher than typical RDP or VNC sessions. What exactly is the point? Or is it just another gotomeeting / webex / livemeeting clone to add to their collaborative suite they have been working at?
- chrisgppall 15y ago
  I think yes, and I wouldn't be surprised if they rushed this out a little too early because of high demand. Free webinars/conferencing will be disruptive.
- patrickaljord 15y ago
  > I find it painfully slow, and inefficient There's a reason why it's still beta.
- sp332 15y ago
  The video encoding is VP8, a general-purpose video codec. It's not specifically made for remote desktops, so it uses a lot more bandwidth than RDP or VNC.
zobzu 15y ago
uhm so its some vnc inside the browser, using the browser at the other end too. Sounds a little bit like bloat to me :-( I'm guessing it uses websockets then.
- antimatter15 15y ago
  I would think it's more of a demo for features that they're adding in anyway, PeerConnection, Native Client, etc.
- patrickaljord 15y ago
  Bloat? It's an extension.
chaz 15y ago
Big step forward to making Chromebooks standard issue within IT organizations. The goal is for any tech to pickup any Chromebook from anywhere and connect to any resource.
shimi 15y ago
Sharing isn't supported on a chromebook. Typing this while I control the other laptop. Looks solid but I fear that this attitude (let's add features) is bloating chrome which will destroy my favorite browser
- Karunamon 15y ago
  "add features"? It's an extension. If you don't want it to run, you just don't install it.
mkup 15y ago
So now Google will be targeting advertisements using information about keywords you read from the screen all day long? Great.
js2 15y ago
The protocol is something we designed and based on several google technologies: 1. Bottom layer is p2p connection established by libjingle, this can be udp, tcp or relay through google. 2. We use PseudoTcp implementation in libjingle to provide reliable connection. 3. On top of that is SSL connection. 4. protobuf is used for structured data and framing. 5. Graphics is encoded using VP8. https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-dev/msg/79b318d86d2e460f https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-dev/... (copied here since groups.google sometimes requires login)
- mechnik 15y ago
  Many thanks. This makes my Cr-48 even better.
nl 15y ago
So does this mean the Chrome P2P protocols are now available to extension authors (and documented?)

240 points by patrickaljord 15y ago

dochtman 15y ago

Why in the world does this page require me to login?

sathyabhat 15y ago
It doesn't require a login to see the page.
- GvS 15y ago
  It asked me to login too.
- jmettes 15y ago
  You do have to log-in to share/connect to a remote desktop session. It seems to be utilising Google talk gadget (https://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/blank https://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/blank), this is probably why it requires a Google account.
- obeattie 15y ago
  It did for me. It required me to verify my Google password just to get to the Chrome Store. It does often.
gojomo 15y ago
This page has the 'Google Groups disease' that's rapidly spreading across Google's services. If you are completely logged-out of Google, you can access it. But let's say you have a login elsewhere with Google - perhaps even one still good enough to retain your search prefs, and offer instant access to other services requiring login. Still, visiting certain other pages, like this one and before it Google Groups 'public' archives, triggers a request to login. Annoying and kind of creepy/bossy: "either reconfirm who you are on demand, even when visiting 'public' pages, or you have to log out of all our services".

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

revorad 15y ago
At least read the title!

vasco 15y ago

The teamviewer guys must be a bit worried

darklajid 15y ago
Really? - TeamViewer works as a service, if requested - TeamViewer works on different platforms, without requireing a specific browser I don't see the threat yet. It's a different thing.

jschmitz28 15y ago

Easy to use; took only a minute to set up a connection. Just played Battlefield in my browser that was viewing my roommate's shared desktop (very low frame rate, obviously). It would be cool if there was at least an option for the shared computer to resume sharing once one session has ended.

ditojim 15y ago
i believe this this the first of many small steps implementing a robust remote desktop experience for chromebooks.
- watty 15y ago
  I've been using LogMeIn from my chromebook (and Droid X) and it works great.

zyfo 15y ago

I get "Package is invalid. Details: 'could not unzip extension'." after a few seconds of downloading. Using Google Chrome 15.0.874.12 dev.

OmarIsmail 15y ago
I assume you're on Mac? Right now the Dev build of Chrome on OSX doesn't allow you to install new extensions.
- zyfo 15y ago
  Nope, Linux (Arch). I use other extensions like Instapaper, historious and disconnect.me.
  - patrickaljord 15y ago
    But can you install any new extension? I'm on Ubuntu with dev and installing any new extension is broken too.
    - zyfo 15y ago
      Yes. Tested by installing the first extension on the chrome web store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ognampngfcbddbfemdapefohjiobgbdl?hl=sv&hc=ext-pr&hcp=pr1-1 https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ognampngfcbddbfemd... and it worked without problems. EDIT: I tried to install the OP app again, and now it works. My Chrome version is exactly the same. I don't understand this. Oh well.

pepijndevos 15y ago

What is the technology behind it? Does it all go via Google servers? Does it have some port forwarding magic?

diamondhead 15y ago

"This service is not available Chrome Web Store is not available for .com. Learn more about Google products you can use with @*.com." I can't even view a Chrome extension since I'm a user of Google Apps.

obsessive1 15y ago
I can access the Web Store fine with my apps account. The apps account administrator needs to enable it in the Apps control panel. IIRC it's in "Organisation and Users" --> "Services". The only thing not in there (that I've found) is Google+/Profiles.
- diamondhead 15y ago
  thanks, I enabled all services and it now works.

kodisha 15y ago

I think it doesn't detect LAN. It's much slower comparing to VNC.

spydum 15y ago

So, while this is interesting (using it right now to post this message).. I find it painfully slow, and inefficient. The network utilization seems much higher than typical RDP or VNC sessions. What exactly is the point? Or is it just another gotomeeting / webex / livemeeting clone to add to their collaborative suite they have been working at?

chrisgppall 15y ago
I think yes, and I wouldn't be surprised if they rushed this out a little too early because of high demand. Free webinars/conferencing will be disruptive.
patrickaljord 15y ago
> I find it painfully slow, and inefficient There's a reason why it's still beta.
sp332 15y ago
The video encoding is VP8, a general-purpose video codec. It's not specifically made for remote desktops, so it uses a lot more bandwidth than RDP or VNC.

zobzu 15y ago

uhm so its some vnc inside the browser, using the browser at the other end too. Sounds a little bit like bloat to me :-( I'm guessing it uses websockets then.

antimatter15 15y ago
I would think it's more of a demo for features that they're adding in anyway, PeerConnection, Native Client, etc.
patrickaljord 15y ago
Bloat? It's an extension.

chaz 15y ago

Big step forward to making Chromebooks standard issue within IT organizations. The goal is for any tech to pickup any Chromebook from anywhere and connect to any resource.

shimi 15y ago

Sharing isn't supported on a chromebook. Typing this while I control the other laptop. Looks solid but I fear that this attitude (let's add features) is bloating chrome which will destroy my favorite browser

Karunamon 15y ago
"add features"? It's an extension. If you don't want it to run, you just don't install it.

mkup 15y ago

So now Google will be targeting advertisements using information about keywords you read from the screen all day long? Great.

js2 15y ago

The protocol is something we designed and based on several google technologies: 1. Bottom layer is p2p connection established by libjingle, this can be udp, tcp or relay through google. 2. We use PseudoTcp implementation in libjingle to provide reliable connection. 3. On top of that is SSL connection. 4. protobuf is used for structured data and framing. 5. Graphics is encoded using VP8. https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-dev/msg/79b318d86d2e460f https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/group/chromium-dev/... (copied here since groups.google sometimes requires login)

mechnik 15y ago
Many thanks. This makes my Cr-48 even better.

nl 15y ago

So does this mean the Chrome P2P protocols are now available to extension authors (and documented?)