Is it anywhere near feasible to create an RDP layer to the X protocol? I ask because of the sheer number of dumb terminals that run only RDP connections. For companies that use these terminals, the cost of migration to Linux would have to include replacing all their RDP terminals with those that run X11. The correct terminology has escaped me since my Uni days, but . . . Can an interface be constructed so that the dumb RDP terminal can connect to the X server and be presented with the normal desktop via it's own protocols. Perhaps it's not technically feasible. Perhaps it's been dismissed before. I just thought I'd ask. The perverse flip-side of this is that the dumb terminals we use here are actually running Linux as their OS, but only allowing RDP connections.
As an update: I've looked into various ways to do this, but most people come back with the answer of using VNC (or other tool to run the X session). The downside to this is that the dumb terminals only support the RDP and ICA protocols. Now buying extra licenses for X11 ICA connections is exatly what you would be trying to avoid by migrating to Linux desktops. So RDP ends up as the only option on terminals such as these. It was short sighted in my opinion to go with these terminals in the first place, but sometimes accountants get in the way of good decisions. The saving by using these terminals was actually quite dramatic compared to the model that supported X11. I know for a fact that there are multi-national companies who have rolled out thousands of these terminals. A native connection method for them to run X desktops would remove a large cost from a migration to Linux.
I'll postulate and hypothesise for a few lines as I've got a few minutes spare at work. If this were to be a "go-er", would the best method be: 1) Create an RDP listener service. This would start up a discrete X-server on the server for each connection. These X-servers would be modified from the normal to perform the translation from X11 to RDP. Downside is a new process for each RDP connection. Upside is leaving the X-client completely untouched. 2) Modify the X-client to be able to talk natively to the RDP sessions. Downside is having to modify the X-client software. A caveat to my musings: I'm not convinced I've got the X-server X-client terminology the right way round (it's been a LONG time since Uni). The X-server draws the display while the X-client runs on the machine and sends the "draw" commands to the X-server? Don't shoot me if I'm wrong. Also, if this has been proposed and thrown out previously - sorry. I did look around for several weeks before I came to submit this enhancement.
this wouldn't necessarily be hard, except that the RDP protocol is wonderfully underdocumented.
Is there any way I could champion this idea to bring it closer to development stage? Understandably there are arguments to be made for and against this kind of move, but I'd be willing to put forward the PRO case and hopefully counter any negative issues. I see this purely as a way of tapping into the massive installed base of RDP dumb terminals that already exist in corporate-land.
The biggest reason this isn't going forward right now isn't something you can argue your way out of. It's a lack of developers that have all the necessary time, knowledge and desire to volunteer to work on it.
Yes - true enough. Manpower is probably the biggest factor influencing development. Unfortunately my development skills are pretty far removed from X development. I was hoping to be able to help present a case to any corporations or benefactors that may provide funding or manpower. I know it will not be a quick matter as this is not really core X development. But if this could be raised in the right light, those who decide what goes onto the development path would be able to look closer at it. Perhaps it's not worth doing at all. I just know it's something that has frustrated me several times now when putting together cases for migrating systems from Windows/Citrix to Linux.
Sorry about the phenomenal bug spam, guys. Adding xorg-team@ to the QA contact so bugs don't get lost in future.
Duncan Innes Do you still experience this issue with newer soft ? Please check the status of your issue.
Sorry, have lost track of X developments. Whilst I'm aware of some projects that can *add* RDP functionality to X (i.e. xrdp) I'm not aware of anything being added to X itself. I'm not up to speed with recent developments in X.Org though.
Right, this is pretty clearly not implemented - I think the question asking if it was still a problem was an automated script gone awry.
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