Lightweight OS to boot straight into RDP?

[Battermand]

Hello!

I've been trying to find some software which will allow me to boot a laptop straight into a remote desktop running Windows. (I want to use RDP!). Now I have a laptop with Windows 7 Starter and a script which runs a RDP connection thingie.. But I feel like the entire windows system is redundant. I did try 200 Linux distros, but the problem is that they all have a GUI with icons like "Remote Connection". It should just do what an OS does and connect to the same IP all the time, no questions asked and NO GUI's!

I've tried ThinStation, X2, OpenThinClient, Puffy, Multicore and some others. They all require me to use their shitty GUI instead of just connecting to the damn server.

I had an idea with Ubuntu Server and RDesktop, but unfortunately that requires GNOME(IIRC).

It can ask for username/password each time.

POST -> BOOT(from HDD!) -> important and necessary stuff -> enter username & password -> Show the remote Windows Desktop!

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
Thanks!

 

[heymrdj]

Hello!

I've been trying to find some software which will allow me to boot a laptop straight into a remote desktop running Windows. (I want to use RDP!). Now I have a laptop with Windows 7 Starter and a script which runs a RDP connection thingie.. But I feel like the entire windows system is redundant. I did try 200 Linux distros, but the problem is that they all have a GUI with icons like "Remote Connection". It should just do what an OS does and connect to the same IP all the time, no questions asked and NO GUI's!

I've tried ThinStation, X2, OpenThinClient, Puffy, Multicore and some others. They all require me to use their shitty GUI instead of just connecting to the damn server.

I had an idea with Ubuntu Server and RDesktop, but unfortunately that requires GNOME(IIRC).

It can ask for username/password each time.

POST -> BOOT(from HDD!) -> important and necessary stuff -> enter username & password -> Show the remote Windows Desktop!

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction.
Thanks!

RDP requires a graphics engine on the receiving side, you can't get around that. That's why all the Linuxes you've tried require an x-server (GUI). It's simply the implementation of RDP.

 

[Battermand]

RDP requires a graphics engine on the receiving side, you can't get around that. That's why all the Linuxes you've tried require an x-server (GUI). It's simply the implementation of RDP.

The best solution so far is to do is install obligatory xorg and then run this script at start up:

startx
(...open terminal with mouse) I need a better solution here, something that's automatic.
rdesktop 10.0.1.213 -f

Still on Ubuntu Server. With absolutely the least amount of GUIs I can get. Still have to get around this:

Login screen after boot(type root and pwd)
# Type startx
startx
# Wait for "desktop" and right click and choose terminal emulator, then type:
rdesktop 10.0.1.213 -f

Now login into the Windows machine with username & password(which is fine), but everything above is annoying and too complicated for anyone else besides me at home.

 

[jolancer]

could your task not be solved by simply creating a Bash script to boot from grub? if the application in question doesn't already have a syntax for the bootloader or gurb?

i have not needed to look into that aspect of linux yet so IDK but justa thought

 

[Netopia]

Years ago (maybe six or so) I created a Thin Station build that would connect straight to a particular remote server using RDP. I included all the connection credentials. If the connection got disconnected, the only thing that would appear was a black screen with a single button labelled "Reconnect".

But in your case, unless you are going to be connecting to the exact same machine every time, you'll need a GUI so that you can put in the remote machine and your credentials.

 

[mv2devnull]

Perhaps http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Guide_to_X11/Starting_Sessions

 

[ViRGE]

I'm sure this is outside your price range, but MS does make just such a version of Windows. It's called Windows Thin PC.

 

[smakme7757]

There are open source packages/servers which will allow thin clients to boot to an OS from PXE boot. I don't remember the name though. But it was pretty cool having the server do all the work and the thin client just displaying a remote session.