If you have ever carried out distant help professionally or out of familial obligation, you then’ve been on a name the place fixing issues are solely secondary to the unimaginable activity of visualizing what’s truly in your person’s display screen. How many occasions have you ever described complicated desktop duties solely to later notice that your person hasn’t even turned their pc on but? Support is necessary, however the frustration is actual, and it is a shared expertise for each the individuals in want of help and the individuals who graciously attempt to present it. I imagine it is necessary for individuals to carry out duties themselves as a approach to be taught a brand new talent, however there’s additionally an argument for observing the best way it is meant to be carried out by an skilled. That’s what display screen sharing is for, and the KDE Plasma Desktop has it built-in.
Network security
The Plasma Desktop makes use of a point-to-point invitation mannequin for display screen sharing. The person launches an software, which begins a Virtual Network Connection (VNC) server, at which level the help individual is ready to view and even management the pc remotely. If it feels like that is probably unsafe, that is as a result of it may be, however for the intervention of firewalls. If you are the help individual for someone who’s not on the identical community as you, then you could arrange a secure pathway out of your community to your person’s community earlier than display screen sharing can work. Ideally, you’d do that earlier than emergency strikes:
- Configure the user’s router to route the VNC port (5900 by default, however you should use any port you want) to their pc.
- Open a service in the user’s local firewall to allow VNC visitors (on the port you laid out in step one).
Remote invitation
To begin a display screen sharing session, the person should begin the krfb (that stands for KDE distant body buffer) software. This begins a VNC server, and creates a brief password.
The default port krfb makes use of is 5900, however you’ll be able to change that if you should in krfb settings. This is one thing you most likely would need to do prematurely, nevertheless, so you’ll be able to keep away from attempting to clarify to your person how one can change a protocol’s port.
Viewing and controlling
While this window is open, you’ll be able to log in over VNC utilizing your favourite VNC shopper. KDE consists of the krdc (that stands for KDE distant desktop shopper) software. On the help pc, launch it and supply it with the vacation spot IP handle. When you are prompted for a password, enter the one displaying within the krfb session you are connecting to.
Once you have linked, you’ll be able to view your person’s display screen, and you may information them as they comply with your directions. If they’re having bother following your instructions, then you’ll be able to take management of their mouse and reveal how one thing is completed. By default, krfb (that is the applying they’re working) asks them for permission earlier than relinquishing management to you.
Help is on the best way
Having the flexibility to see what your person sees can velocity up troubleshooting and reduce frustration on either side of a help name. Provided that you simply arrange the community to your help prematurely, the mixture of krfb and krdc are beneficial instruments for the Linux skilled guiding new customers via their journey of Linux desktop discovery.
