RE: Possibility of RDP server for Linux?

[Bernd Christiansen <bernd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The protocol is not the key differentiator.  As a matter of fact, one could
even define each of RDP's primitives as new VNC encoding types.

While I'm all in favor of RFB, the ability to buy a server and 15 cheap
WinTerms talking RDP to furnish a lab or classroom is a big point.
Furthermore, WinTerms are typically designed such that they prevent users
from changing their configuration and are ergonomic (no fans, little heat
emission, no moving parts).  Interestingly, even big players like Wyse use
VNC for "terminal shadowing" (Marketing term for remote administration)!

On the upside, I can buy a stateless ICA terminal for $299!  While there are
WinTerms that can run custom applications like a VNC viewer, those are
typically substantially more expensive.

Even for Xvnc, many issues (e.g., load balancing) haven't been addressed
yet.  Just look at what Tarantella offers beyond basic remote access ;-)

----Original Message-----
From: Michael Ossmann [mailto:michael.ossmann@alttech.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 10:21 AM
To: Todd Meade
Cc: rdesktop@rdesktop.org
Subject: Re: Possibility of RDP server for Linux?


On Tue, Jan 15, 2002 at 09:22:48AM -0800, Todd Meade wrote:
>
> Doesn't VNC already fill this gap?  Why a RDP specific protocol server
> for Linux?  Are the RDP clients that much better than a RFB/VNC
> client, where a completely open source RFP alternative already exists;
> with a full range of clients (including browser/java) for just about
> any platform one would be using?

No, RDP isn't really any better than RFB, at least not until recently.
The fact that RDP is a proprietary protocol makes it undesirable for
many purposes.  I certainly wouldn't expect a Linux RDP server to be a
replacement for VNC.  There are many RDP clients out there, however,
which do not (and probably never will) support RFB.  Chief among these
are the wide variety of "Windows Based Terminals" such as the Wyse
Winterms.  Most of them run WinCE and have no JVM to run a VNC client,
although some run Embedded NT or Embedded XP and should be able to run
the Java VNC client.

-- 
Mike Ossmann, Tarantella/UNIX Engineer/Instructor
Alternative Technology, Inc.  http://www.alttech.com/