Access your Puppy PC from anywhere on your LAN

[goingnuts]

This package - pup_xrdp_starter.pet - contains a cut down build of xrdp-0.7 (present git source).
It is configured to only give a shared desktop via x11vnc.
This PET contains the XRDP package and its package dependencies for remote desktop servicing.
Thus, x11vnc and rdesktop dependencies is included in the packaging, as well. The versions of rdesktop & x11vnc are old - upgrade to newer versions if you like.

Steps

1. Download the "pup_xrdp_starter.pet" from ===> here or here
2. Install the "pup_xrdp_starter" pet by clicking on it..
* If rebooted immediately after installation, then - xrdp & x11vnc should start automatic for you.
* Else, without rebooting, go to /etc/init.d and run "./xrdp_pup start". And, you must go to /root/Startup and run "./x11vnc_start".
3. Your Puppy is now ready to accept logins from another PC on your LAN (or even from this PC as a test).

You will be able to log into this running desktop from another PC. From that other PC, you can either use rdesktop (Linux) or the windows desktop sharing tools (Windows/MACs).

To run a local test from this computer, merely do the following

Code: Select all

# rdesktop localhost

You should get the xrdp logon window then which verify that xrdp is running.
If you log in at this point you will get a lot of windows showing your desktop. Close the windows to disconnect.

You need to write down the IP address of this PC...BEFORE going to another LAN PC. You can find it by opening a terminal on this PC and typing

Code: Select all

# ifconfig

Output would be like

Code: Select all

eth0      Link encap:Ethernet  HWaddr 00:11:D8:98:A0:D0  
          inet addr:192.168.0.112  Bcast:192.168.0.255  Mask:255.255.255.0
          UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST  MTU:1500  Metric:1
          RX packets:42183 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:24321 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000 
          RX bytes:61394954 (58.5 MiB)  TX bytes:1903776 (1.8 MiB)
          Interrupt:17 

lo        Link encap:Local Loopback  
          inet addr:127.0.0.1  Mask:255.0.0.0
          UP LOOPBACK RUNNING  MTU:16436  Metric:1
          RX packets:2111 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
          TX packets:2111 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
          collisions:0 txqueuelen:0 
          RX bytes:6205179 (5.9 MiB)  TX bytes:6205179 (5.9 MiB)

The IP address in this case is "192.168.0.112".

You are NOW ready to use any other PC on your LAN to get a desktop on this PC.

At any other PC on your LAN
To try this from one of your LAN's Windows/MACS/Linux - remember, Windows and some MACs already have this built-in. With Linux, you need rdesktop installed; if not, open the package manager and add to that Linux.

RDesktop for Linux is what RDP is for Windows and MACs. And some/many distros have it built-in.

From any other LAN PC start the remote desktop software (Rdesktop/RDP) to the desktop. Enter the IP address that you recorded from your PUP. You will get a Login screen coming from Puppy Linux - view attached image. On the screen enter the username (root) and the password (woofwoof). This assumes you are using the defaults on the PUP.

Another way to do the same, is to open a terminal and type

Code: Select all

# rdesktop -u root -p woofwoof "the_eth0_or_wlan_IP_address"

For example
# rdesktop -u root -p woofwoof 192.168.0.112

******************************
Compiled in P412, tested to work in P412, P431 & Wary - xrdp will NOT work in 64 bit Puppy versions (included x11vnc & rdesktop should work in most versions including 64 bit).
******************************
20151213: tsclient-0.150 has a bug - segfaults when profile are saved -

GLib-GObject-WARNING **: invalid cast from `GtkComboBox' to `GtkOptionMenu'
Segmentation fault

This patch fix it:

Code: Select all

--- ./src/connect.c.01	2015-12-13 08:36:46.000000000 +0000
+++ ./src/connect.c	2015-12-13 08:36:55.000000000 +0000
@@ -1372,10 +1372,11 @@
 	  if (lastdelim) {
         GtkWidget *opt = lookup_widget (main_window, "optProfileLauncher");
  	    lastdelim += strlen (home) + 1;
-  	    mi = gtk_menu_item_new_with_label (lastdelim);
+  	 /*   mi = gtk_menu_item_new_with_label (lastdelim);
         g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT(mi), "activate", G_CALLBACK(tsc_quick_pick_activate), g_strdup (lastdelim));
         gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER(GTK_OPTION_MENU(opt)->menu), mi);
-        gtk_widget_show (mi);
+        gtk_widget_show (mi);*/
+        gtk_combo_box_append_text (GTK_COMBO_BOX(opt), lastdelim);
 	  }
 	  // Try to avoid *some* memory leaks
       g_free (filename);

[goingnuts]

Reserved

[gcmartin]

This is an excellent tool. Adding this to my PUP, I don't have to walk downstairs to access my running PUP PC anymore, with this tool

And, I DONT HAVE TO INSTALL ANYTHING ON ANY OF MY OTHER COMPUTERS to get to my PUPpies! ("Well, there are a couple of PUP PCs which required a client to be gotten from PPM. All other OSes work right OOTB.)

Thanks

[KentC]

Thank you, I tested this on 4.3.1 and it works very well!

Very nice tool for sure.


Kent C.

[gcmartin]

You can access your Puppy Linux using another PC, smartTablet, smartTV, and smartPhone with the PET shown in this thread's opening post. Just start in on your PUP and from any one of your home devices, get to the PUppy machine.

Hope this is helpful

[Moose On The Loose]

[quote="goingnuts"]This package - pup_xrdp_starter.pet - contains a cut down build of xrdp-0.7
[quote]

I found that the machine sharing its desktop would sometimes hang. It was rare but annoying.

I moved the starting of the sharing into a script in the /root/startup this helped with the lockup at startup but not the "random" ones.

I am running puppy 528

[sketchman]

Won't work in Tahr 6.0.2 for me. DL the latest xrdp and x11vnc from the package manager, and it starts up and tries to work until you actually try to connect to it. Then you get a buffer overflow related to ipv6.

Found http://mispdev.blogspot.com/2014/04/x11 ... -when.html to fix the issue. Trying it now. Will update when I DL the devx.sfs and build and install it. And I'll link a tgz too if it works.

EDIT: As usual I can't compile. Something isn't working, and I have no idea what it is. There is so much stuff flying by while the compiling is happening I have no idea even what to check.

Anybody have any ideas, I'm ready to listen. Getting ticked off.

EDIT: Disregard. Had tried a manual config of both packages before, and some things got messed up causing all the issues.

Backtracking through the deps and deleting everything package by package fixed it.

Working now. Thanks for the UP.

[rufwoof]

You can access your Puppy Linux using another PC, smartTablet, smartTV, and smartPhone with the PET shown in this thread's opening post. Just start in on your PUP and from any one of your home devices, get to the PUppy machine.

Hope this is helpful

gcmartin, how do you access using a smartTV? My TV has a browser etc is it just a matter of using that to access the puppy PC's IP address as the URL? Or do you need to plug in a USB with some app installed on that USB?

TIA

[gcmartin]

In SmartTV, I have 2 LG's. One is a LG SmartTV while the other is a LG Google TV. Their differences is that the GoogleTV allows one to add apps to it via the Android PlayStore. One of those apps I had added was the RDP app. Since the initial testing, my GoogleTV has upgraded (from LG via the web) from its original version of Android to either 4.3 or 4.4 (dont remember which) and I need to look to see it the RDP app is still there.

If so, just as we do with a Window PC or Linux PC, open the RDP client, direct it the RDP server (this PET for example running on a PC on your LAN), and sign in for a desktop.

This is the same thing you would do using a smartPhone/smartTablet,too.

The idea is that if you have this PET running, any LAN PC which has their RDP client will get a desktop after logon thru their client. Just your IP connection on the same LAN as the RDP server (this PET) is all that is needed. No USB/HDMI wires involved.

Hope this is helpful

[rufwoof]

Great help thanks gcmartin. My Smart TV has a apps store access as well so I'll hunt down a RDP app for the TV.

I've already tried out the server side of things locally (PET) and all seemed OK from that aspect.

Thanks again.

[gcmartin]

Just checked by GoogleTV. The old app is no longer there. I just downloaded Microsoft's Remote Desktop App. Click the "+" button (upper right) to add which PC on your LAN/WAN to target. Works to the PUP! Also, tested and it works to other RDP servers on the home LAN.

I use a wireless keyboard-mouse with my TVs.

This subsystem that is provided us by @GoingNuts is useful to reach the PUP PC from inside or out of the home from anything which has its RDP client. Most PCs, Windows/Linux/Apple have it built in. Apple-smartPhones/Androids need to add the app from the store to allow those to login to your PUP.

I know you know this. Others may not be aware that they can run a PUP desktop from across the LAN using this protocol.

[rufwoof]

Just checked by GoogleTV. The old app is no longer there. I just downloaded Microsoft's Remote Desktop App. Click the "+" button (upper right) to add which PC on your LAN/WAN to target. Works to the PUP! Also, tested and it works to other RDP servers on the home LAN.

I use a wireless keyboard-mouse with my TVs.

This subsystem that is provided us by @GoingNuts is useful to reach the PUP PC from inside or out of the home from anything which has its RDP client. Most PCs, Windows/Linux/Apple have it built in. Apple-smartPhones/Androids need to add the app from the store to allow those to login to your PUP.

I know you know this. Others may not be aware that they can run a PUP desktop from across the LAN using this protocol.

Thanks gcmartin.

Hunted around but to no avail for the TV apps. Looks like not even Skype is available. It is a very inexpensive smart TV however. Has a VGA input option so plugging in a puppy PC is the easier choice. I keep meaning to try out a Raspberry Pi type choice but never actually get around to doing so. I also use a wireless keyboard with integral roller mouse ball with TV's. The low power, quiet nature of a Raspberry Pi would be a good choice to also act as a always on/accessible web server IMO. Maybe even as a gateway into other PC's on the LAN via a wake-on-LAN trigger via the Pi.

[gcmartin]

+1, @Rufwoof

The work of @ETP for home assisting and entertainment matches your logic precisely. He has developed an armchair living-room based framework to manage aspects of TV's ability to display anything the armchair user desires.

It is one of the first PUPs to explore providing use of a home system for personal selection of information and entertainment in this way. One of its mission, in my view, is a personalized assistant to its user. Further, I can see how his system could be used to remote into a PUP running this server and be seen on the TV. I haven't tested this LAN arrangement, but, I can see this working without any installation on his system to make this happen.

Might be worth investigating.

Another option is one that I am looking at; the Intel Stick. That turns a TV into a full CPU such that you can easily switch between the TV's channel entertainments or to run as a full PC.

I am choosing the stick instead of the Pi because of the support and todays distro provisions on x86's 4 decades of applications available for my use. Further, it bypasses the TV manufacturers who do not make an Android Play Store or MAC store available to the TV owners like one gets from a Google TV allowing me to load/side-load apps into the TV experience; like the "Remote Desktop".

This PET from the PUP author is important for LAN PUPs in the home reachable without having to get up and walk over to make something happen.

Questions

• Does your TV have Miracast ability built in?
  Do you have any Chromecast device?

[gcmartin]

Many a user in the world has used their PC to access another PC on their LAN, both at work and at home.

The screen to do so, has traditionally been different for Linux users versus the utilty that MAC and Windows users enjoy (since their screen is the same no matter which PC is used).

Using TahrPUP64, yesterday, I discovered a REPO utility that looks IDENTICAL to that utility understood and enjoyed by MAC/Windows users. It is "Grdesktop". It installs in Menu>Network>RemoteDesktop Client and uses the same protocol needed to remotely access Windows/MACs and @GoingNUTs implementaion for Linux. Thus using any remote Linux PC that client can be used to access the subsystem that @GoingNUTs gives us for our Puppy provide to a login user.

Here what the screen looks like: Notice its similarity to what anyone uses on the other PCs, mentioned. Notice too, the IP address is my PUP with @GoingNUTs subsystem shown in this thread's opening post.


Here to help

[rufwoof]

pdesktop pet is another choice if (like me) you can't locate a 32 bit grdesktop. Not as feature rich as grdesktop by the looks of it, but gets the job done.

[rufwoof]

I like the option of running a frugal (burnt) CD read only booted puppy inserted into a old PC perhaps with no HDD's connected (nor keyboard or mouse) - such as Wary XVesa http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 518#871518 that boots to desktop and net connected and might have its VGA output plugged into the TV's VGA socket.

Being read only, with all servers VNC/RDP etc activated at bootup, if that PC is set as the DMZ PC in the cable modem/routers setup, then its accessible from anywhere (globally), but where there's limited scope to 'hack' things, as a reboot resets things back to as-intended. Whilst that opens up the opportunity to include a web server ... or whatever. Remote login from your smartphone/office PC and perhaps kick off a download of a film or whatever, and upon returning home the downloads finished and ready to watch. Or login from your laptop/phone whilst at home and the TV's your monitor/screen. Web cam or two and you can check out your home/local area remotely. Or maybe even PC controlled power sockets so you can turn lights on/off remotely or perhaps kick off the cooker to have a hot meal ready for you when you arrive home.

I guess there's the issue however that a hacker could perhaps remotely break-into that PC and do something with firmware though ??? So you'd have to be mindful to keep it outside of the LAN and treat it as a insecure system. More suited to a old PC that was picked up as a thrown-away (for nothing). But then there's the issue of leaving a old PC 'always on' (fire risk).

For me a old wireless keyboard (paired to the PC) with integral rollerball mouse is looking the more attractive choice. Pick up the TV remote control and switch to VGA display, keyboard next to armchair to access the DMZ'd Puppy PC - and maybe update your web pages for the day.

[gcmartin]

4 client methods to access remotely to this thread's service on the PC. Via:

• rdesktop (command line)
• pdesktop (use to exist in all PUPs)
• grdesktop
• Remote Desktop (built into Windows/MAC PCs)

Hope this is helpful

[rufwoof]

Another option is one that I am looking at; the Intel Stick. That turns a TV into a full CPU such that you can easily switch between the TV's channel entertainments or to run as a full PC.

I am choosing the stick instead of the Pi because of the support and todays distro provisions on x86's 4 decades of applications available for my use. Further, it bypasses the TV manufacturers who do not make an Android Play Store or MAC store available to the TV owners like one gets from a Google TV allowing me to load/side-load apps into the TV experience; like the "Remote Desktop".

Interesting little device, just been reading this review http://www.cnet.com/uk/products/intel-compute-stick/. In particular There's also a model that runs Ubuntu Linux, which is slightly cheaper, so presumable also maybe Puppy instead. 4 core atom 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, USB port and WiFi for net connect. The wi-fi connect is a bit restrictive and a hard wired option would be better, especially as most routers are near the TV (where the device would be) such that hardwiring to higher speed connection would be available, but that could perhaps be achieved ?? via a USB/ethernet adaptor.

[rufwoof]

Around our way the neighbours are pretty good at taking in delivered packages when you're not at home to receive such yourself. However a thought comes to mind that with a DMZ'd puppy you could have a webcam/mic/speaker and doorbell monitor, and be alerted remotely on your smartphone whenever the bell was rung ... then use your phone to see/talk with the person remotely. With a pin number secured parcel storage box outside you might then ask them to open that and leave the parcel inside that box before closing (to lock) it again. Signature required deliveries would be a problem .. at least until the idea perhaps caught on more and email acknowlegements became commonly accepted.