Google Cloud GCP Free Remote Desktop with X2GO Demonstrated More Secure than both RDP and VNC.

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This video will demonstrate how too install 2 different desktops on your google cloud linux instances, and then access them with the free X2go remote control software. It explains x2 go’s security and features, and why you should use it over xRDP or VNC especially as your cloud-based machine can be accessed from the internet. This is based on experience having used all 3. I will also be demonstrating some of the extra capabilities X2go will give you, beyond the basic remote-control capabilities which all solutions offer.

Gameplan.
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2. Install putty on Freds Windows pc
1b. using Putty, logon via ssh, then run commands :

# update all repository indexes then upgrade any packages where there is a newer version available
# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

# install xfce
# ------------
sudo apt-get install xfce4

# install lxde (not needed normally, the xfce4 desktop will do)
# -------------------------------------------------------------
sudo apt-get install lxde

# latest x2go stable repository
# -----------------------------
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:x2go/stable

# update all repository indexes again
# -----------------------------------
sudo apt-get update

# install core x2go packages
# --------------------------
sudo apt-get install x2goserver x2goserver-xsession

# install x2go extra bindings (only needed if the lxde desktop was installed)
# ---------------------------
sudo apt-get install x2golxdebindings

# install x2go desktop sharing module (only needded if desktop sharing is needed)
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sudo apt-get install x2goserver-desktopsharing

# Finished. The following commands are only required for the presentation
# =======================================================================

# fred userid setup on server (using sshkeys)
#-------------------------------------------
useradd -m -d /home/fred fred
# demo password is = y1o2r3k4
passwd fred
usermod -aG sudo fred
sudo usermod -aG x2godesktopsharing fred

# can stop login to ssh with password should be done by amending /etc/ssh/sshd_config but im not bothering as part of this demo (google it if needed)

# jane userid setup on server
# ---------------------------
sudo useradd -m -d /home/jane jane
# demo password is = y1o2r3k4
sudo passwd jane
sudo usermod -aG sudo jane
sudo usermod -aG x2godesktopsharing jane

# reboot the server
# -----------------
sudo reboot

{vultr snapshot}

client prep
-----------
install x2go on freds windows 10 pc
install x2go on janes ubuntu 20.04 pc use sudo apt-get install x2goclient on janes ubuntu 20.04 PC

5. Explain why X2GO is better than xRDP or VNC
a - uses same as SSH port 22 so no additional firewall or portfording changes required. so encypted (some versions of RDP has been cracked)
b - can use ssh keys rarther than uid+password
c - xRDP difficult to get working sometimes e.g. on AWS if using 18.04 then its fine but if using 20.04 lts , i challenge u to get it working
d - support for both sound ,client side printing and shared folders
e - want 1 soulution across all servers, cloud providers, on premise machines, all linux distros
f - install then use no extra config needed
g - can share screens (pandemic, working from home, collegues in another contry/continent)
h - multiple symultanious users & different screen resolutions
i - different desktops , decided on client side

Demonstration
=============

A. as fred on windows
---------------------
1. show round freds client
2. Connect from Windows using fred,1024x768, no printing, no sound, 1 shared folder, xfce
3. Leave session running and close
4. connect - reconnects to XFCE 1024x768
5. start terminal & file manager ,show shared folder

B.as jane on linux
------------------
6. Connect from linux using jane,800x600, lxde new session, start and use firefox & task manager
7. dont logoff, close window
8. show client screen sharing option.
9. connect to freds session via screen sharing and type in a command "cat /etc/group" and press ENTER to his terminal window, leave the shared screen
A. reconect to her first session & properly logoff

C . published apps -as fred back on his windows PC
--------------------------------------------------
B. show what fred is seeing still in his XFCE session, get him to properly logout
C. changed to "published applications", run and select "system, task manager"
D. Look round then close