My Own ESXi Server Part 12 Running vSphere Client from Mac OS

VMware provides a vSphere Client for Windows only.  I showed in my last post that you can access a vSphere Client running on Windows from Ubuntu and make it appear to run as just another application.  So what about Mac OS X?  It turns out that since Remote Desktop Connection for Mac is available, we can do exactly the same as Ubuntu.  See my previous post My Own ESXi Server Part 11 Running vSphere Client from Ubuntu.

As with the Linux setup, remote desktop must be set up on the Windows system.  See my post  Remote Desktop Part 2 - Getting Back to Windows on how to configure.  I ran into one big problem in that even though I can remote desktop back into Windows XP, I could not get it to run just one application.  After all my futile efforts, I switched to using Windows 2003 Server and this worked like a charm.

How to Run vSphere Client from Mac OS

1) Start the Remote Desktop Connection for Mac app.

2) Enter the ip address or the name of the server.  Do NOT click Connect yet!

3) Go to the top menu and select RDC > Preferences

4) On the Login tab, fill in User name and domain fields.

5) On the Applications tab, check Start only the following Windows-based application.

Add the Application path and file name for vSphere Client on the Windows 2003 server. I added C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\VpxClient.exe

For Working directory,

C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\

6) Close the Preferences window.

7) Using the top menu , select File > Save As...

8) Enter name and click Save.

9) From now on, when you start you select File > Open a Saved Connection.. or File > Open a Recent Connection. Select the appropriate RDP connection.

10) Enter Password and click OK.

11) Click Connect.

12) Enter User name and Password for the ESXi Server, and click Login.

13) You have now successfully gained access to vSphere Client! When you are done, exit by closing the vSphere Client window.

Related Posts:
Part 1  The Time Has Come
Part 2  Running ESXi on VMware Fusion
Part 3  Building My ESXi Server
Part 4  Installing ESXi 4 on a USB Stick
Part 5  Installing vSphere Client on Windows
Part 6  Updating ESXi using vSphere Host Update Utility
Part 7  Browsing the VMware ESXi Datastore
Part 8  WinSCP to the Rescue
Part 9  Creating a VM
Part 10  Downloading a Virtual Machine
Part 11  Running vSphere Client from Ubuntu
Part 12  Running vSphere Client from Mac OS
Part 13  Adding/Removing a VM to ESXi
Part 14  Export in ESXi
Part 15  Deploying OVF Templates
Part 16  Adding a License Key

My Own ESXi Server Part 11 Running vSphere Client from Ubuntu

VMware provides vSphere Client for Windows only.  So what do you do if you run a Linux desktop?  The answer is to remote desktop into a Windows box that has a vSphere Client on it.  To make it as seamless as possible I will configure Terminal Server Client to run a single application.

In order for this setup to work, remote desktop must be set up on the Windows system.  See my post  Remote Desktop Part 2 - Getting Back to Windows on how to configure.  I ran into one big problem in that even though I can remote desktop back into Windows XP, I could not get it to run just one application.  After all my futile efforts, I switched to using Windows 2003 Server and this worked like a charm.

How to Run vSphere Client From Ubuntu

1) Start the Terminal Server Client by going to Applications > Internet > Terminal Server Client.

2) Enter the ip address or the name of the server.  Set the Protocol to RDP.  Enter a User Name and Password that has access to remote desktop into the Windows 2003 server.  Switch to the Programs tab.

3)  Check Start only the following on connection.

In the Program path and filename, add the Application path and file name for vSphere Client on the Windows 2003 server.  I added C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\VpxClient.exe

In the Start in the following folder, add the working directory.  I added 

C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\

Click Save As.

4)  Enter the name and click OK.

5)  Now that you have saved the connection information which can be used in the future.  Click Connect.

6) Enter User name and Password for the ESXi Server, and press Enter.

7) You have now successfully gained access to vSphere Client! When you are done, exit by closing the vSphere Client window.

Related Posts:
Part 1  The Time Has Come
Part 2  Running ESXi on VMware Fusion
Part 3  Building My ESXi Server
Part 4  Installing ESXi 4 on a USB Stick
Part 5  Installing vSphere Client on Windows
Part 6  Updating ESXi using vSphere Host Update Utility
Part 7  Browsing the VMware ESXi Datastore
Part 8  WinSCP to the Rescue
Part 9  Creating a VM
Part 10  Downloading a Virtual Machine
Part 11  Running vSphere Client from Ubuntu
Part 12  Running vSphere Client from Mac OS
Part 13  Adding/Removing a VM to ESXi
Part 14  Export in ESXi
Part 15  Deploying OVF Templates
Part 16  Adding a License Key

Accessing a FTP Server from Ubuntu 9.04

In a couple of recent posts, I showed how to quickly set up a FTP on both a Mac (How To Set Up A FTP Server on a Mac) and a Ubuntu 9.04 desktop (How To Set Up A FTP Server on Ubuntu).  This post will show you how to access these or any other FTP servers using native Ubuntu 9.04 software.  If you are going to use ftp on a frequent basis, it is worth investigating what added capability and ease of use third-party software might provide.

Accessing a FTP Server from Ubuntu 9.04

1)  Go to Places > Connect to Server.

2)  Change the Service type from Public FTP to FTP (with login).  Fill in the field for Server.  Click Connect.

3)  Select the checkbox Connect as user.  Fill in the fields for Username and Password.  Click Connect.

4)  You have now successfully connected to the FTP Server!  You can now drag and drop files to the FTP Server.  As we did not specify a folder in the previous step, we are dropped into the root folder.

This solution works well enough for me that I do not yet plan on installing a third-party product.

How To Set Up A FTP Server On Ubuntu

In a previous post, I covered how to set up a FTP Server on a Mac.  What can you do if you are running an Ubuntu desktop?  In this example I am running Ubuntu 9.04.

How to set up a FTP Server on Ubuntu 9.04
1)  Open a Terminal session. by selecting Application > Accessories > Terminal.
2)  Type sudo apt-get install vsftpd.  As you are using the sudo command, you will be prompted for a password.  Next, you will receive another prompt Do you want to continue [Y/n]?.  Type Y or you can just enter.

3)   You will now see a successful install.

4)  It is now time to configure the ftp server configuration file vsftpd.conf using gedit.  Type sudo gedit /etc/vsftpd.conf.  Make the following changes, save, and exit the editor

anonymous=NO
local_enable=YES
write_enable=YES

Be sure that there is no # sign in front of these statements.  The # sign will indicate that this is a comment.

5)  To reflect the changes made above, run the following command in Terminal:
sudo /etc/init.d/vsftpd start


6)  Done!  You can now start using your ftp server.

Remote Desktop - Part 5 Are We Done Yet?

This has been a very pleasant surprise for me!  My original intent was to help get rid of the clutter under my desk, and what I ended  up with is being able to remote into any computer.  The fact that I only intend to use remote desktop strictly inside my home network made this exercise easy.

The table below summarizes what software is used to remote desktop from one operating system to another.

Windows systems include Windows XP Pro and Windows 7
Mac systems include Leopard and Snow Leopard
Linux systems include Ubuntu 9.04

	To Windows	To Mac	To Linux
From Windows	Windows Remote Desktop	VNC Viewer	VNC Viewer
From Mac	Microsoft Remote Desktop Client for Mac 2	Mac OS X Screen Sharing	Screen Sharing App, Safari or Finder
From Linux	Linux Terminal Server Client	Linux Remote Desktop Viewer	Linux Remote Desktop Viewer

That's it for now!  I expect there will be a few more things I may give a try like expanding this table to include servers, other Linux distros, secured access, screen sharing on a Mac using ichat, and remote desktop across the internet.

Part 1 - Remote Desktop - Say Bye-Bye to My KVM Switch

Part 2 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Windows Systems

Part 3 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Mac Systems

Part 4 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Linux Systems

Part 5 - Remote Desktop - Windows, Mac, Linux Summary

Updated Feb 18th 2010
Part 6 - Remote Desktop Web Connection for Windows

Remote Desktop - Part 4 Getting Back to Linux

This post will document how to remote desktop back to my Linux systems from Windows, Mac and Linux system.

The first step is to configure the remote Linux system to allow remote access from another computer.

To Enable Remote Desktop to a Ubuntu 9.04 system,
1) Click System> Preferences > Remote Desktop.  This will present you with the Remote Desktop Preferences screen.

2) Select all the checkboxes under Sharing and Security.

The second step is to test the remote access from another computer to the configured Linux system.

Remote Access From Windows (XP Pro, 7) to Linux (Ubuntu 9.04)
1) Dowload TightVNC Viewer executable software for Windows that does not require installation.
2) Unzip and extract the vncviewer.exe file.
3) Double-click vncviewer.exe

4) In the VNC server box, type in the name of the server or the IP address of the remote computer. Click Connect. Type in password prompted.

Remote Access From Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard) to Linux (Ubuntu 9.0)
An easy solution is to install a Mac-friendly VNC Viewer like JollyFastVNC and this would surely work.  But, why install a VNC Viewer when Screen Sharing already is.  Here are 3 ways:

Screen Sharing app
1)  In Finder, navigate to the  hard drive > System > Library > Core Services > Screen Sharing.app.  Double-click it..
2)  Type in your Mac username and password

Safari
1)  Type vnc://  in the address bar.
2)  Type in your Mac username and password.

Finder
1)  Click Go > Connect to Server
2)  For the server address, type vnc://; and click Connect.
3)  Type in your Mac username and password.

Remote Access From Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) to Linux (Ubuntu 9.04)
1) Click Applications > Internet > Remote Desktop Viewer.
2) If your remote computer is in list under Hosts nearby, you can click it and type in the password..  If not, click Connect.  In the new windows, type in the name of the computer or the IP address and click Connect.

Part 1 - Remote Desktop - Say Bye-Bye to My KVM Switch

Part 2 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Windows Systems

Part 3 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Mac Systems

Part 4 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Linux Systems

Part 5 - Remote Desktop - Windows, Mac, Linux Summary

Remote Desktop - Part 3 Getting Back to Mac

This post will document how to remote desktop back to my Mac systems from Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

The first step is to configure the remote Mac system to allow remote access from another computer.

To Enable Screen Sharing to a Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard)
1)  Select  > System Preferences.  Click Sharing.
2)  Select the Screen Sharing checkbox.

3)  Specify who can share your screen.  You have the option of All users or Only certain users.
4)  If you will be sharing your screen via VNC, then click Computer Settings.
5)  Select the checkbox VNC viewers may control screen with password and add a password of maximum length 8 characters.

The second step is to test the remote access from another computer to the configured Mac system..

Remote Access From Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard) to Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard)

Remote access between Macs is done using Screen Sharing.  Screen Sharing can be initiated in several ways.

I.....Screen Sharing

1)  Using Finder, other computers on your network should be listed under the Shared section in the left pane.
2)  Click on the Mac you want to connect to.
3)  Click the Share Screen button.

4)  Type in your Mac username and password, and click Connect.

II....Screen Sharing app

1)  In Finder, navigate to the hard drive > Library > Core Services > Screen Sharing.app.  Double-click it.
2)  Type in the name or the IP address of the computer.  You will be prompted for your Mac username and password.

III...Safari
1)  Type vnc:// in the address bar.
2)  Type in your Mac username and password.

IV....Finder
1)  Click Go > Connect to Server.
2)  For the server address, type vnc://<ip address> and click Connect
3)  Type in your Mac username and password.

Remote Access From Windows (XP Pro, 7) to Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard)
1)  Dowload TightVNC Viewer executable software for Windows that does not require installation.
2)  Unzip and extract the vncviewer.exe file.
3)  Double-click vncviewer.exe

4)  In the VNC server box, type in the name of the server or the IP address of the remote computer.  Click Connect.  Type in password prompted.

Remote Access From Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) to Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard)

1)  Click Applications > Internet > Remote Desktop Viewer.
2)  If your remote computer is in list under Hosts nearby, you can click it and type in the password..  If not, click Connect.  In the new windows, type in the name of the computer or the IP address and click Connect

Part 1 - Remote Desktop - Say Bye-Bye to My KVM Switch

Part 2 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Windows Systems

Part 3 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Mac Systems

Part 4 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Linux Systems

Part 5 - Remote Desktop - Windows, Mac, Linux Summary

Remote Desktop - Part 2 Getting Back to Windows

This post will document how to remote desktop back to my Windows systems from Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

The first step is to configure the remote Windows system to allow remote access from another computer.

To Enable Remote Desktop to a Windows XP Professional system,
1)  Click Start.
2)  Right-click My Computer, choose Properties.
3)  Select Remote tab.
4)  Select the checkbox Allow users to connect remotely to this computer.
5)  Click on Select Remote Users.  Confirm that the user you want to remote login with.
6)  If the Windows Firewall is ON, it will be automatically configured to allow Remote Desktop connection.

To Enable Remote Desktop to a Windows 7 system,

1)  Click Start.

2)  Right-click My Computer, choose Properties.

3)  Select Remote Settings in the left menu.
4)  Select the checkbox Allow connections from computers running any version of Remote Desktop (less secure).

5)  Click on Select Users.  Confirm that the user you want to remote login with.

6)  If the Windows Firewall is ON, it will be automatically configured to allow Remote Desktop connection.

The second step is to test the remote access from another computer to the configured Windows system..

Remote Access From Windows (XP Pro, 7) to Windows (XP Pro, 7)
1)  Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > Remote Desktop Connection.
2)  Type in the name or ip address of the remote computer.  Click Connect.

Remote Access From Mac (Leopard, Snow Leopard) to Windows (XP Pro, 7)
1)  Download and install the Remote Desktop Client for Mac 2 from Microsoft on your Mac.
2)  Click Applications > Remote Desktop Connection.
3)  Type in the name or ip address of the remote computer.  Click Connect.

My initial use of the Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client for Mac 2 was not problem-free.  After I installed the software on my Mac Mini, the RDP client looked familiar.  I was very surprised when my connection to a Windows XP desktop failed.  The message on the client side was not useful.  When I checked on the Windows XP side, I did notice in the event viewer that there was an application popup message indicating that \System\Root\System32\RDPDD.dll failed to load.  After doing some research it turned out that the culprit was the device driver for my NVIDIA GeForce 7100 GS video card. Nvidia published a few release of this device driver that broke remote desktop functionality.  Easy enough, I upgraded the drive to the most current and it WORKED!

Remote Access From Linux (Ubuntu 9.04) to Windows (XP Pro, 7)

1)  Click Applications > Internet > Terminal Server Client.

2)  Type in the name of the computer or the IP address, the username and the password.  Click Connect.

For other distros of linux, it is almost certain that Terminal Server Client will not be installed by default.    I will  explore how do so in a future post.

Part 1 - Remote Desktop - Say Bye-Bye to My KVM Switch
Part 2 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Windows Systems

Part 3 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Mac Systems

Part 4 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Linux Systems

Part 5 - Remote Desktop - Windows, Mac, Linux Summary

Remote Desktop - Part 1 Say Bye-Bye To My KVM Switch

It's time to say by-bye to my KVM switch!!  As much as I find using a KVM (ie. Keyboard-Video-Mouse) switch useful, I am often frustrated by the clutter of thick cables behind and under my desk.  I decided it was time to get rid of it and all the attached cables!  That's was easy!!

So what am I going to do now?  I have a mixture of Windows, Mac and Linux systems in my network.  As I build up and tear down systems on a regular basis, ideally I want to avoid having to install any third-party software.  My preference is to take advantage of what is built into each operating system.  Based on my previous experience, I fully expect that installing a VNC Viewer on Windows systems will be in order.  Hopefully that will be it!

I plan on documenting the procedure on how to remote in from any Windows, Mac or Linux system to any other.  My intention is to focus strictly on desktop systems.  So for Windows, it will be Windows XP Professional and Windows 7; for Mac, it will be Leopard and Snow Leopard; and for Linux, it will be Ubuntu 9.04 only.

I will present my findings as follows:
Part 2 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Windows Systems
Part 3 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Mac Systems
Part 4 - Remote Desktop - Connecting Back to Linux Systems
Part 5 - Remote Desktop - Windows, Mac, Linux Summary

Add Ubuntu Netbook Remix to an Existing Ubuntu Installation

I have been using Ubuntu on my MSI Wind U100 for over 6 months.  I cannot believe     it has taken me this long to take a closer look at the Netbook Remix.  For some reason, I thought it was yet another linux distribution that I did not want to install and wipe any of my existing partitions.  It was not until this week that I stumbled on an article on Maximum PC called "How To: Become a Linux Netbook Power User".  Next thing you know, I am installing the Netbook remix packages.

Here are the steps I took to update my Ubuntu installation:
1)  Add package repositories to Ubuntu
a) Click System > Administration > Software Sources.
b) Check the box next to "Community-maintained Open Source software (universe).
c) Go to the "Third-Party Software" and click the "Add" button and enter these 2 entries
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/netbook-remix-team/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/netbook-remix-team/ubuntu jaunty main
d) Close the window, and when prompted, choose to allow Ubuntu to refresh its list of packages.

2)  Install Ubuntu Netbook Remix packages
a) Open a terminal window (by clicking Applications > Accessories > Terminal.
b) type sudo apt-get install go-home-applet human-netbook-theme maximus netbook-launcher window-picker-applet and enter.  You will need to enter your password.

3)  Now that the packages are installed on the system, add 2 programs to startup.
a)  Click System > Preferences > Startup Applications.
b)  Click Add.
c)  Add /usr/bin/netbook-launcher in the program field and Netbook-Launcher for the name.
d)  Add another with usr/bin/maximums in the program field and Netbook-Launcher2 for the name.

4)  Log out or reboot to see your new desktop.

5)  To maximize the real estate on your screen,
a)  Right-click the bottom bar, and select Delete This Panel.
b)  Right-click the top bar, and select Add to Panel...
c)  Add Window Picker, Go Home and Window Selector.

It's already a success!  My kids already like the new desktop as they can easily find the games!

How To Capture Screenshots in Ubuntu

Here are 2 ways to capture screenshots in Ubuntu 9.04:

1)  Gnome-Screenshot.  This is the default screen capture tool.  It allows the grab the whole desktop, current window, or a selected area.  To access, go to Application > Accessories > Take Screenshots.

2)  GIMP.  I believe this was installed by default.  Once the application is open, go to File > Create > Screenshot.