Best Linux remote desktop clients: Top 5 RDC in 2017

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Introduction

This article was provided to TechRadar by Linux Format, the number one magazine to boost your knowledge on Linux, open source developments, distro releases and much more.

SSH has been the staple remote access tool for the sysadmins since its advent. The cryptographic network protocol is synonymous with remote network services over an unsecured network. Admins use SSH to mount remote directories, backup remote servers, spring-clean remote databases, and even forward X11 connections. The po[CENSORED]rity of single-board computers, such as the Raspberry Pi, has introduced SSH into the parlance of the everyday desktop users as well.

While SSH is useful for securely accessing one-off applications, it’s usually overkill especially if you aren’t concerned about the network’s security. Then there are times when you need to remotely access the complete desktop session rather than just a single application. Perhaps you want to handhold the person on the other end through installing software or want to tweak settings on a Windows machine from the comfort of your Linux desktop. 

This is where remote desktop software comes in handy. Using these nifty little applications you can remotely access and operate a computer over the network from all sorts of devices. There are various protocols and while the clients we’ll cover in this article support multiple protocols, we’ll focus on Virtual Network Computing (VNC) which is one of the most po[CENSORED]r.

Specifically, we’re going to evaluate and compare five clients: RealVNC, Remmina, TigerVNC, TightVNC and Vinagre.

How we tested

 

A remote desktop sharing session involves a server and a client. The server component is installed on the remote machine that you want to access and the client is installed on the local machine or even on a mobile device such as a tablet. For this feature, we’ll use three servers – the RealVNC server built into the Raspberry Pi, the default Vino server in Ubuntu and TigerVNC server for accessing Windows PCs.

A good remote desktop client should be responsive, and we’ll rate it higher than a client that does a wonderful job of replicating the remote desktop in true colour but takes ages to register clicks and key presses. We’ll also keep an eye out for any related features that are included, such as the ability to encrypt connections. The clients and servers are also all running inside our network connected via Wi-Fi.