We’ve known it for years, and maybe you have, too! Sometimes you just can’t beat Linux.
If you work in any number of high tech industries, such as oil and gas, semiconductor design, media and entertainment, manufacturing, and more, you probably rely on complex applications that run only on a Linux operating system. Maybe you’ve relied on installing those applications on workstation sitting below the user’s desk, investing in separate licenses for each user and relying on users to deal with any latency issues resulting from the data being in the datacenter, when the application is not.
Or, maybe, like us, you’ve known that hosting your Linux applications in your datacenter, and even sharing them between multiple users, has been an option for awhile. By using a connection broker (like Leostream) with a display protocol (how about NoMachine) you can design a hosted Linux solution that keeps your users productive and helps lower costs.
But wait, you say, what’s all the buzz about the Citrix Linux VDA (virtual desktop agent) that enables Linux virtual desktops, or VMware Horizon with support for Linux Desktops? Are those just, well, buzz?
You have plenty of display protocol options
To say Citrix and VMware were late to the Linux VDI game is a bit of an understatement. If you don’t think that’s true, you probably don’t really need Linux VDI. And, hey, that’s OK. Not everyone does. But, if you do need Linux VDI, those VDI stacks aren’t the only game in town when it comes to managing Linux virtual desktops.
Looking just at display protocols, the list is long. Beyond VNC and SSH, options such as HP RGS, NoMachine, MechDyne TGX, and Teradici PCoIP come to my mind. These are all high-performance protocols, which can be key for users working in a Linux VDI environment.
A task worker connecting to a Windows VM to access productivity software may not need a lot of bells and whistles. An engineer using Linux is likely running complex, maybe even 3-D, applications. They need a protocol that provide pixel-perfect graphics, like the above protocols do. Some of these protocols even allow you to take advantage of Linux’s natural multi-user capabilities, allowing many users to log into one Linux workstation or VM and run an independent session.
But, a display protocol isn’t the only piece that makes up Linux VDI. You also need a connection broker that ensures the correct level of access to the right resources in the datacenter. I’m a little biased towards Leostream, which supports Windows and Linux side-by-side, plus a wide range of use cases and display protocols.
Is that Windows under the hood?
And, let’s not forget, both Citrix XenDesktop and VMware Horizon install as applications on, ahem, Windows operating systems. So, if you’re strictly a Linux shop, suddenly you need to invest time and money managing the Windows servers necessary to install their components, all so you can manage your Linux VDI using Windows. Boo.
Leostream, on the other hand, runs on Linux, so you can update and manage the underlying operating system just like the other desktops and servers in your environment. Leostream is Linux; why not use it to manage your Linux VDI?
Ready to learn more?
I started off by saying that, here at Leostream, we’ve been managing hosted Linux desktops for a long time, meaning well over a decade. We’ve always know that Linux users are an important subset of employees in many industries, and have worked hard to make sure that their VDI experience is on par with their Windows peers.
Need to monitor idle time on a Linux VM so you can automatically log the user out if they don’t reconnect to their session in eight hours? We can do that. Want to use a custom OpenLDAP server or old NIS server to authenticate your Linux users? Not a problem. Want to manage multiple NX or VNC sessions to one Linux virtual server? Check!
We’ve known you needed Linux VDI for years. It’s nice of Citrix and VMware to decide to join the party.
OK, Linux users. I know you’re a group of technology enthusiasts and early adopters. But when it comes to designing your hosted Linux desktop solution, you can’t go wrong with the tried and true. At Leostream, we’ve had your back on Linux VDI for over 15 years.