Arch Linux

toni

Member

Registered: 2011-10-15

Posts: 437

[SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

I would like to connect to a WIndows 2008 server r2 remote desktop at work from home. I have configured a cisco VPN connection correctly as it is required with the necessary credentials. I can establish connection through VPN, no problem. But using a remote desktop viewer such as Remmina, I cannot access to the remote desktop. The protocol selected is RDP. However, I can do it from Windows, using a cisco client to establish the VPN connection and then using the typical remote desktop application that comes with Windows.

How to do the same from arch linux?

Last edited by toni (2013-05-25 11:30:13)

alphaniner

Member

From: Ancapistan

Registered: 2010-07-12

Posts: 2,810

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

Since Vista/2008, Windows versions have two options for enabling remote desktop, one of which requires clients use Network Level Authentication. I'm pretty sure freerdp (the RDP backend used by Remmina) supports NLA, but you may need to enable it or something.

---

But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.
-Lysander Spooner

toni

Member

Registered: 2011-10-15

Posts: 437

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

Since Vista/2008, Windows versions have two options for enabling remote desktop, one of which requires clients use Network Level Authentication. I'm pretty sure freerdp (the RDP backend used by Remmina) supports NLA, but you may need to enable it or something.

Yes, it has the NLA option. If you edit the connection, in advanced tab, you can select security as NLA. I have changed to NLA and it says: "Connecting to NameConnection..." but nothing happens: No error messages are shown. Simply this message is shown inderterminately, well, after 5 minutes approximately it says: "Unable to connect to RDP server xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx"

Last edited by toni (2013-05-22 20:00:29)

alphaniner

Member

From: Ancapistan

Registered: 2010-07-12

Posts: 2,810

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

Is that different behaviour than before you enabled NLA?

Anyway, I would try running freerdp directly from the command line and if necessary enable verbose/debug output. Maybe Remmina already does this and has some logs somewhere (speaking of logs, check the kernel log and journal). Or maybe it can tell you what command it's using so you don't have to start from scratch.

If it's easy enough to connect from the Windows box, check the event logs on the RDP server in case the problem is on that end.

Also, I know nothing about VPN so for all I know it could be interfering somehow.

---

But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.
-Lysander Spooner

toni

Member

Registered: 2011-10-15

Posts: 437

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

Is that different behaviour than before you enabled NLA?

Anyway, I would try running freerdp directly from the command line and if necessary enable verbose/debug output. Maybe Remmina already does this and has some logs somewhere (speaking of logs, check the kernel log and journal). Or maybe it can tell you what command it's using so you don't have to start from scratch.

If it's easy enough to connect from the Windows box, check the event logs on the RDP server in case the problem is on that end.

Also, I know nothing about VPN so for all I know it could be interfering somehow.

The behaviour is the same than NLA.
How does freerdp work? I have installed but when trying to execute from terminal it says not found....

alphaniner

Member

From: Ancapistan

Registered: 2010-07-12

Posts: 2,810

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

I used it briefly a long time ago and don't remember the details. The binary probably isn't named 'freerdp'. Run

pacman -Ql freerdp | grep bin

to help you find it.

Last edited by alphaniner (2013-05-23 19:29:03)

---

But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.
-Lysander Spooner

toni

Member

Registered: 2011-10-15

Posts: 437

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

I used it briefly a long time ago and don't remember the details. The binary probably isn't named 'freerdp'. Run

pacman -Ql freerdp | grep bin

to help you find it.

I have tried different commands using xfreerdp without success:

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec rdp -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec nla -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec tls -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec rdp --ignore-certificate -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec nla --ignore-certificate -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec tls --ignore-certificate -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --secure-checksum -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --secure-checksum --ignore-certificate -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

$ xfreerdp -u myUser --sec rdp --secure-checksum -p myPass xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
unable to connect to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:3389
Error: protocol security negotiation failure

I think my cisco based VPN Is set correctly as I can connect correctly to server at work through it.

Any ideas?

toni

Member

Registered: 2011-10-15

Posts: 437

Re: [SOLVED]HOWTO:Connect Windows 2008 server R2 remote desktop from arch

Hi!
I have already solved this issue. The problem was the cisco vpn connection that was wrong. I created using gnome-network by selecting CISCO compatible and importing my *.pcf profile but for some reason it does not work if I do in this way.

So I have installed cisco-vpnclient as commented in another post that I have posted (see https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … #p1277733).

Then once I execute from terminal:

$vpnclient connect myProfile

the connection is established correctly. Then I can use any remote desktop client to connect to the server at work, such as, xfreerdp or remmina by simply using:

$ xfreerdp -u myUser -p myPassword xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx <--- not necesary specify the port as by default is 3389 using rdp security protocol

or using remmina, by leave options as:
-Security: leave as negotiate (not necessary specify rdp, nla, tls...)

Thanks all!