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Ask Slashdot: Options For FOSS Remote Support Software?
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."
Takes any of my computer illiterate aquaintances about 10 mins over the phone to install TightVNC. Then I start my client in listen mode, and get them to connect to me. Really not that complicated, no firewall to config, no whatismyip. The main step you need to remember to avoid most hassle with the most computer illiterate is to get them to use IE to download the installer by clicking on "Run", as Firefox doesn't allow you to do that. Then it's just a simple case of talking them through the installer, which is pretty basic...
Do you really think someone is going to intercept the screen drawing compressed bitmap traffic during some ad-hoc session?
While we're at it, let's forgo backups. Do you really think a hard drive is going to die? And insurance. What are the chances your house will burn down? And seat belts. And safety harnesses. Because if it's not likely, it's not worth the trouble of protecting against, right?