Multi-user login & remote desktop on Windows / Linux?

Question

On Windows platforms, it seems either you can login as local user or as a remote user. Is there a way for multiple users to login to Windows? May be starting the telnet service can allow this? But this would be console based. How can each user access his account's desktop remotely?

Similarly on Linux, multiple users can do a telnet to the same machine but that is console based. Is there a way for each user to access the remote desktop?

Solution 1

You need Windows Server to create mutliple desktop sessions. In non-server Windows systems multiple desktop logon is blocked and only one session can be active. Logging on another user/session via Remote Desktop will lock first session (if second user have permissions to do it).

If you heard about/saw many active desktop sessions in non-server Windows - that was modified OS with swapped termsrv.dll. Licensing does not allow you to modify/swap system files and use non-server system that way and this is ILLEGAL.

Under linux this is possible, you just need to configure it. Unfortunately im not Linux specialist, i cant help. Maybe someone else.

Solution 2

Multi-user remote desktop for Linux is available by using NoMachine: https://www.nomachine.com https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/392935-remote-linux-desktops-with-nomachine-nx

Another method is to tunnel through ssh. There are many step-by-step procedures on the Internet to show you how to do this, including from one of the sites in the stackexchange network: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/12755/how-to-forward-x-over-ssh-from-ubuntu-machine

Comments

[HS.]

Is there any configuration (or separate software) you need to do in Windows server for multiple user desktop sessions or is it supported out of the box?

[Kamil]

In Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2003 R2 you dont need anything. In 2003 systems Remote Desktop can be added to "Server Roles". In Windows 2000 Server it was called Terminal Services, you may need to install windows component from CD by "Add/remove...". Using terminal services/remote desktop in Windows Server requires additional license, but there is a way to work around this - you can configure that service in "Remote administration mode" which allows to start 2 sessions at once and dont need any additional license.

[Kamil]

In Windows 2008 Server - im not sure how Remote Desktop/Terminal Services licensing works. 5-client Client Access License pack costs 300-500$ on ebay.

[HS.]

I appreciate your reply and time spent. Thanks.