5 ms·

Do you know any cross platform (Linux,windows) similar tool that is as easy and traverse firewall well? I can host a server if needed. I often use vnc myself b

by kuon 3y ago

Do you know any cross platform (Linux,windows) similar tool that is as easy and traverse firewall well? I can host a server if needed. I often use vnc myself but for end user it is way too hard to install.

CamperBob2 3y ago
TeamViewer is slow and expensive, but it does work well. IIRC they have Linux support now, but not 100% sure.
- tczMUFlmoNk 3y ago
  I was using TeamViewer on Linux fairly extensively over a decade ago, and I don't really recall having issues with it. I haven't used it much recently.
jeroenhd 3y ago
RustDesk is often mentioned as an open source alternative. It has a bunch of weird code smells that make me a bit hesitant to use it for supporting family members, but it seems to work well from what I read from others? I use Teamviewer quite regularly, but that has some issues with Wayland. Free for personal use, but closed source with no self-hosting capabilities.
- timbit42 3y ago
  I've used TeamViewer, then AnyDesk and now RustDesk. TeamViewer and AnyDesk are both German companies. RustDesk works really well and is fast. I switched from TeamViewer because they wanted money. I switched from AnyDesk because it gave me more problems with disconnecting, has the worst UI of the three and sometimes my screen would be a minute or more behind what the host was seeing.
  - bloqs 3y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 please exercise caution
    - Sakos 3y ago
      Wow, I wouldn’t touch that with a 100 foot pole.
  - 15457345234 3y ago
    > TeamViewer and AnyDesk are both German companies. Can I ask why you mentioned this? It stands out.
    - timbit42 3y ago
      Because I happened to know it. They often make great stuff.
- bloqs 3y ago
  Weird code smell alright https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493
  - jeroenhd 3y ago
    There's a lot of "just make it work" code in there. A "customer said software didn't work in China because of a missing cert, now importing cert on startup and it works" kind of deal. For a while it used `sed` to disable Wayland on Linux in a way that only applies to Gnome (specifically on Ubuntu and a few other distros). The code also has a bunch of other exec()s with several commands piped into each other to parse the output. None of it seems ill-intended, but it's code I would straight reject if I would be tasked to review it.
    - GoblinSlayer 3y ago
      It's not the first quality Chinese software.
polonbike 3y ago
Teamviewer is a no brainer, cross platform, to handle my retired dad's computer on the other side of the country and/or customer's screens on the other side of the world.
- efdee 3y ago
  Teamviewer hasn't worked for me in years. At some point it started to claim I was using it for commercial purposes, and even after convincing support that this wasn't the case, I've never been able to maintain a connection for longer than a minute since.
  - ravetcofx 3y ago
    Pretty much will refuse to work if you have a static IP Is they claim that's commercial.
  - Libcat99 3y ago
    I gave up on it for the same reason. Kept getting flagged for commercial use when all I used it for was ham radio stuff and helping my parents. Sounds like a shakedown to me.
- HeatrayEnjoyer 3y ago
  TeamViewer has horrible security history though.
jabroni_salad 3y ago
If you like selfhosted, then MeshCentral is what you should be looking at. If you want a cloud thingy and it's just for personal, chrome remote desktop is decent enough. If you need this to be highly performant (like accessing a crunchy 3d modeling rig from your ipad, or remote gaming) then Parsec is the best.
- nullwarp 3y ago
  MeshCentral is great, just migrated all my rustdesk setup to it. I mostly use it for family remote support and things tho, performance isn't amazing but it's plenty good. Also supports things like relaying over an agent, hardware key authentication, file browsing. It's a little wonky in spots but overall it's such a great piece of software.
edoceo 3y ago
I use SimpleHelp; it's a self-hosted Java server and clients have to install an app; works on Windows and Mac and Linux. It's over port 80+443. Not FOSS.
inversetelecine 3y ago
Somewhat cross-platform (I mostly use Windows)... I use Tailscale (or just wireguard) and RDP. RDP works great on Windows and is gaining more support in Linux. VNC works as a fallback, but is slow compared to RDP. Not free, but I was using Remotix until they got bought out by Acronis who haven't really done much but increase the price and rebrand it (really long name "Acronis Cyber Protect Connect"). It does work on Linux and MacOS but I always found the performance to be lacking and the UI is workable but not great.
skazazes 3y ago
Apache Guacamole may be what you are looking for "Apache Guacamole is a free and open-source, cross-platform, clientless remote desktop gateway maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It allows users to control remote computers or virtual machines via a web browser, and allows administrators to dictate how and whether users can connect using an extensible authentication and authorization system." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Guacamole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Guacamole
dblohm7 3y ago
Tailscale.
gbba 3y ago
Steam Link is tailored for gaming, but it works great for remote access. Performance is excellent and it has clients for all major platforms.
2Gkashmiri 3y ago
Look up aspia

by kuon 3y ago

CamperBob2 3y ago

TeamViewer is slow and expensive, but it does work well. IIRC they have Linux support now, but not 100% sure.

tczMUFlmoNk 3y ago
I was using TeamViewer on Linux fairly extensively over a decade ago, and I don't really recall having issues with it. I haven't used it much recently.

jeroenhd 3y ago

RustDesk is often mentioned as an open source alternative. It has a bunch of weird code smells that make me a bit hesitant to use it for supporting family members, but it seems to work well from what I read from others? I use Teamviewer quite regularly, but that has some issues with Wayland. Free for personal use, but closed source with no self-hosting capabilities.

timbit42 3y ago
I've used TeamViewer, then AnyDesk and now RustDesk. TeamViewer and AnyDesk are both German companies. RustDesk works really well and is fast. I switched from TeamViewer because they wanted money. I switched from AnyDesk because it gave me more problems with disconnecting, has the worst UI of the three and sometimes my screen would be a minute or more behind what the host was seeing.
- bloqs 3y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 please exercise caution
  - Sakos 3y ago
    Wow, I wouldn’t touch that with a 100 foot pole.
- 15457345234 3y ago
  > TeamViewer and AnyDesk are both German companies. Can I ask why you mentioned this? It stands out.
  - timbit42 3y ago
    Because I happened to know it. They often make great stuff.
bloqs 3y ago
Weird code smell alright https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39256493
- jeroenhd 3y ago
  There's a lot of "just make it work" code in there. A "customer said software didn't work in China because of a missing cert, now importing cert on startup and it works" kind of deal. For a while it used `sed` to disable Wayland on Linux in a way that only applies to Gnome (specifically on Ubuntu and a few other distros). The code also has a bunch of other exec()s with several commands piped into each other to parse the output. None of it seems ill-intended, but it's code I would straight reject if I would be tasked to review it.
  - GoblinSlayer 3y ago
    It's not the first quality Chinese software.

polonbike 3y ago

Teamviewer is a no brainer, cross platform, to handle my retired dad's computer on the other side of the country and/or customer's screens on the other side of the world.

efdee 3y ago
Teamviewer hasn't worked for me in years. At some point it started to claim I was using it for commercial purposes, and even after convincing support that this wasn't the case, I've never been able to maintain a connection for longer than a minute since.
- ravetcofx 3y ago
  Pretty much will refuse to work if you have a static IP Is they claim that's commercial.
- Libcat99 3y ago
  I gave up on it for the same reason. Kept getting flagged for commercial use when all I used it for was ham radio stuff and helping my parents. Sounds like a shakedown to me.
HeatrayEnjoyer 3y ago
TeamViewer has horrible security history though.

jabroni_salad 3y ago

If you like selfhosted, then MeshCentral is what you should be looking at. If you want a cloud thingy and it's just for personal, chrome remote desktop is decent enough. If you need this to be highly performant (like accessing a crunchy 3d modeling rig from your ipad, or remote gaming) then Parsec is the best.

nullwarp 3y ago
MeshCentral is great, just migrated all my rustdesk setup to it. I mostly use it for family remote support and things tho, performance isn't amazing but it's plenty good. Also supports things like relaying over an agent, hardware key authentication, file browsing. It's a little wonky in spots but overall it's such a great piece of software.

edoceo 3y ago

I use SimpleHelp; it's a self-hosted Java server and clients have to install an app; works on Windows and Mac and Linux. It's over port 80+443. Not FOSS.

inversetelecine 3y ago

Somewhat cross-platform (I mostly use Windows)... I use Tailscale (or just wireguard) and RDP. RDP works great on Windows and is gaining more support in Linux. VNC works as a fallback, but is slow compared to RDP. Not free, but I was using Remotix until they got bought out by Acronis who haven't really done much but increase the price and rebrand it (really long name "Acronis Cyber Protect Connect"). It does work on Linux and MacOS but I always found the performance to be lacking and the UI is workable but not great.

skazazes 3y ago

Apache Guacamole may be what you are looking for "Apache Guacamole is a free and open-source, cross-platform, clientless remote desktop gateway maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It allows users to control remote computers or virtual machines via a web browser, and allows administrators to dictate how and whether users can connect using an extensible authentication and authorization system." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Guacamole https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Guacamole

dblohm7 3y ago

Tailscale.

gbba 3y ago

Steam Link is tailored for gaming, but it works great for remote access. Performance is excellent and it has clients for all major platforms.

2Gkashmiri 3y ago

Look up aspia