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Remote Desktop Clients

This page provides information about graphical remote desktop clients for accessing the XLence cluster.

Use case: Run graphical applications (VMD, molecular visualization, graphical software) on the cluster and display them on your local computer.

Overview

Remote desktop clients allow you to: - Access the cluster through a graphical interface - Run GUI applications remotely - Display cluster applications on your local screen - Use graphical tools without SSH command line

Bitvise SSH Client (Windows)

Bitvise is a comprehensive SSH client for Windows with remote desktop capabilities.

Installation

Download from: https://www.bitvise.com/ssh-client-download

Setup

[To be completed with detailed Bitvise configuration]

Basic configuration: 1. Open Bitvise SSH Client 2. Enter server: xlence.disfeb.unimi.it 3. Enter username and password 4. Click Log in

Features: - Integrated SFTP file transfer - Port forwarding - Terminal access - Remote desktop tunneling

Windows App (macOS)

Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) is the modern RDP client for macOS.

Installation

Download from the Mac App Store: Search for "Windows App" or "Microsoft Remote Desktop"

Setup

[To be completed with Windows App configuration for SSH tunneling]

Note: To access the cluster's desktop environment, you'll need to set up SSH tunneling through the Windows App.

Remmina (Linux)

Remmina is a remote desktop client for Linux systems with support for multiple protocols.

Installation

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-vnc remmina-plugin-rdp

Fedora:

sudo dnf install remmina

Setup

[To be completed with Remmina configuration]

Basic usage: 1. Open Remmina 2. Click New connection 3. Configure SSH tunnel to cluster 4. Set up VNC or RDP connection through tunnel

Supported protocols: - SSH - VNC - RDP - SFTP

Alternative: SSH with GUI Forwarding

For simple GUI applications, you may not need a full remote desktop client. SSH with X11 forwarding works for many cases:

ssh -X username@xlence.disfeb.unimi.it

This allows individual GUI applications to display on your local computer without a full desktop environment.

Requirements: - Linux: X11 usually pre-installed - macOS: Install XQuartz from https://www.xquartz.org/ - Windows: X11 server required (VcXsrv, Xming)

Which Client to Choose?

Platform Recommended Client Use Case
Windows Bitvise Comprehensive SSH + file transfer + tunneling
macOS Windows App Modern RDP client with SSH tunneling
Linux Remmina Multi-protocol support, native Linux tool
All platforms SSH with X11 Simple, for individual GUI apps

Support

For help setting up remote desktop access:

Last Updated: October 2025

Note: This page is under development. Detailed setup instructions for each client will be added.