Scope

This page contains how to articles which describe how to connect to the RDS remote desktop server farm.

Connecting via Web Client (HTML5)

• Go to https://rds.ethz.ch/web or https://rds.ethz.ch/RDWeb/webclient
• login with your ethz credentials, username and password.
  
  • no d\ needed
• Choose your Application or Desktop Shortcut and click on it to start
• Confirm Access local ressources, allow them or not.
  • Clipboard, Microphone, Printer or File transfer
  • Mark Don't ask me again for connections to this computer
• The Remote App or Desktop will be open in the Tab

Example

Full Desktop

Remote App 

Windows

Tested on Windows 11 23H2

• open control panel
• Select view: small icons
• open "RemoteApp and Desktop Connections"
• click "Access RemoteApp and desktops" on the left hand side of the window (this also works if another remoteapp resources is configured already)
   
• Enter the URL: "https://rds.ethz.ch/RDWeb/Feed/webfeed.aspx" and click "Next"
  
• click next again and enter your nethz credentials (example: d\username or username@ethz.ch)
  and click "next"
  
• If the remote resources have been added successfully you will see similar windows then this

• You will also see the RDS resources in your start menu
  

macOS

Tested on macOS 15 (Sequoia) using Microsoft Remote Desktop Client Version 11.4

• download the Microsoft Windows App from the Apple App Store (apple ID required)
• start the microsoft remote desktop client
• click on the "+" icon on the right corner and select "Add Workspace"

• enter the URL: "https://rdsnx.ethz.ch/RDWeb/Feed/webfeed.aspx", under User Account select "Add User Account..." and click "Add"

• enter your eth username and e-mail password → hit "add"

• you can now find the RDSNX Resources under the "Device" tab on the left side.

• Under the "Apps" tab you will find the remote applications

If you have trouble connecting please refer to the FAQ section

Linux

RemoteDesktop Ubuntu

This has been tested on Ubuntu 24, but should work on all recent versions.

How to install Remmina 1.4.25 on Ubuntu

Download the following deb files to a temp folder on your ubuntu desktop

sudo mkdir /tmp/debs

wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remmina/remmina-common_1.4.25+dfsg-1_all.deb
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remmina/remmina-plugin-rdp_1.4.25+dfsg-1_amd64.deb
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remmina/remmina-plugin-secret_1.4.25+dfsg-1_amd64.deb
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remmina/remmina-plugin-vnc_1.4.25+dfsg-1_amd64.deb
wget http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/r/remmina/remmina_1.4.25+dfsg-1_amd64.deb

cd /tmp/debs

apt install *.deb
apt-mark hold remina

This has been tested on Ubuntu 18.10, but should work on all recent versions.

Use apt to install FreeRDP and Remmina (a GUI-based application for Remote Desktop connections).

sudo apt install freerdp2-x11 remmina remmina-plugin-rdp

Launch Remmina and click on the large "+" button (upper-left corner) to create a new connection profile.

In the "Basic" tab, fill in the server name "rdsnx-cb.ethz.ch", your username and password, and the Domain name "d.ethz.ch".

On the "Advanced" tab, add the RD Getaway server "rdsnx-gw.ethz.ch", the Load Balance Info "tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.scientific_appli" and check the boxes "Ignore certificate" and "Server detection using RD Gateway".

All other settings should be left with their default values. You can, however, change the Resolution and Color depth to your liking.

Save your settings, and double click on the profile to launch the remote desktop session.

RemoteDesktop FreeRDP Linux & UNIX

For Ubuntu, please refer to the previous section.

Connection is possible through freeRDP.

Preferably use a version 2 release! Else the most current release you can get your hands on. Successful connections have been tested using 1.2.0-beta1. Older versions seem to be buggy an throw auth errors.

FreeRDP Compilation (General)

• Get the latest freeRDP distribution (if the package in your distro is too old): 
  • https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP 
  • git clone git://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP.git
• Get cmake (typically there's a package in your distro already): http://www.cmake.org/cmake/resources/software.html 
• Compile cmake: Run the bootstrap script from inside the cmake source directory, then make && make install
• Compile FreeRDP: https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/wiki/Compilation
• Remote.Apps should work too, but are reported to run shaky.

Installation Debian/Ubuntu etc.

For version that comes with Debian 8 is too old, so you will need to add this repository to sources.list first:

Nightly builds for other Linux distributions are available as well: https://github.com/FreeRDP/FreeRDP/wiki/PreBuilds

Connection & Commandline Options

The connection examples below do work, given the FreeRDP release is not too old:

Performance against RDS is still rather poor... Should there be some killer options to improve performance, feel free to add!

iOS

• download the Microsoft Windows App Mobile from the Apple App Store
• open it and click the "+" button in the top right corner

• Click on Workspace

enter "https://rdsnx.ethz.ch/RDWeb/Feed/webfeed.aspx"
and click "Next

Click on User Credentials, 
enter your USERNAME@ethz.ch under User Account
and the ETH password, hit "Save"

If the provided credentials are accepted,
available RDSNX resources will be displayed
under the Apps Tab you will see the
Remote Applications

under the "Device" tab you see the
Remote Desktops

Android

• download the remote desktop app from the Google Play store
• open it and click the "+" button in the top right corner
• select "Remote Resource Feed"
  
• enter: https://rdsnx.ethz.ch/rdweb/feed/webfeed.aspx
  
• if your user account is not saved yet click on "Add new User" and enter your nethz credentials (username@ethz.ch) -> hit "Save"
• The connection to RDSnx has now been established and you can find remote desktop connections under the "Desktops" tab and remote apps under the "Apps" tab