Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

JackH79 · 2012-05-29 09:22:42

I need a remote desktop type connection between two linux laptops that are both roaming (so ssh is out).
There are plenty of GUI solutions out there, I know. But trying to fix my mum's machine the other day I had to restart X a few times and would've liked seamless tty access for proper trouble shooting.
I managed by talking my mum through some procedures 'blindly', but that was extremely tedious for both of us.

Does anyone know of a decent solution?

All my research so far only turned up GUI or ssh solutions.
Thanks.

tomk · 2012-05-29 12:38:42

Why is ssh out? Ask your mum for her ip address, or set up dynamic dns.

Awebb · 2012-05-29 12:53:57

I don't like dynamic DNS services, as it often takes too long to update the DNS cache on my ISP's side. The first thing my computer at home does when it detects a new WAN IP, is writing the IP to a file in a Dropbox folder. This happens when you live in a country like Germany, they give you new IPs at least every 24 hours (or at least most ISP do). That file is being read by a script and the IP is turned into a bash variable. You don't need a service like Dropbox, though. Any webserver with FTP access will do the job, although you'd have to implement the sync with your client machine manually.

You could also create a script that outputs the public IP - zenity or whatever is your friend. That's how we do it at work: Anyone who calls the IT hotline is supposed to click the icon and tell us the IP of the device.

EDIT:

If your IP is static, let her connect to your network via VPN and create a route to her external IP. I might be spoiled by using IPCop, though

Last edited by Awebb (2012-05-29 12:54:57)

JackH79 · 2012-05-29 22:39:21

Thanks very much for your suggestions.
But by roaming I mean, both of us being out and about, connecting to hotspots or through cafes, where neither of us has access to the router.
Is that still possible with ssh? All I've ever read about ssh over Internet (admittedly, it's not a lot) is that you need access to the router to do a spot of port forwarding.
Maybe I missed something. If someone could point me to a good recourse I'd be eternally grateful.

tomk · 2012-05-29 23:14:44

If your mum has a public routable ip address i.e. not 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, etc, you're good to go.

If she doesn't, go with a vpn, as suggested above - openvpn is good.

Last edited by tomk (2012-05-29 23:16:04)

Xyne · 2012-05-29 23:59:02

tomk wrote:

If your mum has a public routable ip address i.e. not 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x, etc, you're good to go.
If she doesn't, go with a vpn, as suggested above - openvpn is good.

I would expect that most hotspots are NAT'd and firewalled, so even if his mum can find the public IP, it won't help for SSH. The same goes the other way around. At least one of them would need an open port (edit: in the firewall), right?

Can a VPN get around a firewall on both ends? If so, how?

Last edited by Xyne (2012-05-29 23:59:48)

Awebb · 2012-05-30 05:33:55

How? Hmm.

Those closed services like Teamviewer use servers to allow users to connect to each other. You can do the same: Get a server (they became cheap over the years, like 5€+/Month) and install a VPN server. Since all this server has to do, is tunnel a few SSH connections, you could do other things with it as well… you know, 5 bucks are 5 bucks after all.

JackH79 · 2012-05-30 05:39:07

It's certainly a thought. I'd just have to come up with a justification for the expense.
Setting up a server just to ssh into my mum's computer seems a bit of an overkill. That is not to say that it's not tempting

Thanks to all for the various suggestions. As it doesn't happen too often that I have to talk my mum through terminal commands, I think I'll just put up with the GUI thingies.
However, as solutions might still turn up, I'll leave this thread open for now.
Thanks again.

tomk · 2012-05-30 06:06:00

If you have a computer and net connection at home, you can use that, and save the $5.

JackH79 · 2012-05-30 07:17:33

I wish. But since I'm a gypsy (figuratively not literally) ...
I don't even have a home at the moment.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-05-29 09:22:42

Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#2 2012-05-29 12:38:42

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#3 2012-05-29 12:53:57

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#4 2012-05-29 22:39:21

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#5 2012-05-29 23:14:44

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#6 2012-05-29 23:59:02

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#7 2012-05-30 05:33:55

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#8 2012-05-30 05:39:07

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#9 2012-05-30 06:06:00

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

#10 2012-05-30 07:17:33

Re: Remote desktop for two roaming laptops with tty support?

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