Scope

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

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://rdsnx.ethz.ch/RDWeb/Feed/webfeed.aspx" and click "Next"
  • click next again and enter your nethz credentials (example: d\example_user) and click "next"
  • If the remote resources have been added successfully you can click finish and find the resources in your start menu

macOS

Temporary Workaround

With the new Windows App we have some trouble to connect the webfeed.
Just download the shortcuts from the Webaccess https://rdsnx.ethz.ch/ and import it or just open it with the Windows App.


Tested on macOS 15 (Sequoia) using Microsoft Remote Desktop Client Version 11.0.5 (20241015)

  • 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 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)

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:

# Add this line to /etc/apt/sources.list
#  deb http://pub.freerdp.com/repositories/deb/jessie/ freerdp-nightly main
# Retrieve/add the repository key & install
wget -O - http://pub.freerdp.com/repositories/ADD6BF6D97CE5D8D.asc | sudo apt-key add -
aptitude install freerdp-nightly
# Run it from this path:
/opt/freerdp-nightly/bin/xfreerdp <options>

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:

# Basic connection
xfreerdp -clipboard /g:rdsnx-gw.ethz.ch /v:rdsnx-cb.ethz.ch /d:d.ethz.ch /u:<username> /cert-ignore /load-balance-info:"tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.scientific_appli"
# Custom display size, clipboard on, audio off
xfreerdp /size:1280x800 /t:"Example Title" /audio-mode:2 +clipboard /g:rds-gw.d.ethz.ch /v:rdsnx.d.ethz.ch /d:d.ethz.ch /u:example_user /cert-ignore /load-balance-info:"tsv://MS Terminal Services Plugin.1.Sci"

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

Connecting via Web Access

Windows and macOS only

  • go to https://rdsnx.ethz.ch
  • login with your nethz credentials
  • click the resource you want to access
  • this downloads a file into your downloads folder or wherever location you've specified
  • double click the file and your connection will be established


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1 Comment

  1. Wettstein Gregor

    Nov 01, 2023

    That the nethz credentials start with d\ (at least in my case) should maybe be more emphasized in the sentence "click next again and enter your nethz credentials (example: d\example_user) and click "next"", as the image below doesn't use d\, which could lead to first-users (like me) to missing it.