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Remote Control Of A Linux Desktop?

Posted by Cliff on from the who-needs-pc-Anywhere-anyways dept.

Brian L. asks: "I am developing a product for Linux that is, in essence, a source code editor for a high school audience. Is there a way that the teacher could watch the screens of the students, and even interact with them (by stealing mouse and keyboard control to demonstrate a concept, for example) I've seen (shudder) iMacs do this quite nicely, but I have seen no such similar application for Linux. How could it be done?"

5 of 22 comments (clear)

  1. Too much time spent coding skew reasoning by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3

    The teacher could stand behind the student maybe?

  2. Use VNC by bconway · · Score: 3

    While the link was already listed, it wasn't elaborated that you can connect to any machine, and as long as you don't move their mouse, they won't know you're there except for the icon in the Windows taskbar that turns from black to white. If you have a decent desktop to run this on, you can leave quite a few desktops open in a very slick fashion.

    --
    Interested in open source engine management for your Subaru?
  3. Controlling a Linux desktop by Whitemice · · Score: 3

    VNC is a cross platform remote control appplication, that provides servers to control Win32 desktops and run (but not control existing) Linux desktops. However, Hexonet, provides a free package to serve the running Linux desktop to a VNC client (either Linux or Windows). http://www.hexonet.de/software/rfb/ You want the x0rfbserver. Tridia (a company that repackages VNC) announce intentions to roll that into their package but I don't know if they have done it yet.

    --
    Using "Common Sense" is being either to arrogant or to ignorant to ask people who know more about something than you.
  4. Re:Read the question! by Rentar · · Score: 3

    Well, but there is x0rfbserver (wow, what a name) and it can be found at http://www.hexonet.de/software.en/

    It doesn exactly what he is looking for. Btw, you could also run a Xvnc for the student and a X-Server with a vnc-viewer connectiong to this (local) Xvnc. Then when the teacher wants to show something he connects to the same Xvnc.

    Wow, two solutions!

  5. I hate to say it by peccary · · Score: 4

    But google is your friend.

    Look for "X multiplex", for example.
    There are a couple of different ways to do this, that have been around for a long time. One of them is named xmx. Another might be called xmove, or xmond. I haven't used them recently, but I did some stuff like this with XFree86.3.*