Apache Guacamole – Access Your Computer From Anywhere Via Web Browser

Apache Guacamole is a clientless HTML5 web application that can be used to access your remote servers and desktops via a web browser. All you need is just a web browser, No additional software, plugins, and tools required. Install Guacamole on any system and start accessing your remote desktops in no time from anywhere. It is completely free and open source software.

Access Your Computer From Anywhere Via Web Browser using Apache Guacamole

You can install it using the official way which is bit complicated for newbies and intermediate users. Alternatively, there is a script called "Guacamole Install Script" to do this automatically. This script will install latest Apache Guacamole version on your Linux system. Only little user intervention is required. Everything will be performed automatically. It will install all necessary dependencies and packages that needed to setup a perfect remote desktop gateway. This script will work on a clean CentOS 6.x and 7.x versions. Here is the list of things It will do:

• Install Packages Dependencies
• Download Guacamole and MySQL Connector packages
• Install Guacamole Server
• Install Guacamole Client
• Install MySQL Connector
• Configure MariaDB or MySQL
• Setting Tomcat Server
• Generates a Java KeyStore for SSL Support
• Install and Setting Nginx Proxy (SPDY enabled)
• Generates a Self-Signed Certificate for SSL Support
• Configure SELinux for Nginx Proxy
• Configure FirewallD or iptables

Now, let us see how to install Guacamole in CentOS 7 64 bit minimal edition.

Download the Guacamole installer script from this link.

Or run the following command from your Terminal to download it.

# wget http://sourceforge.net/projects/guacamoleinstallscript/files/CentOS/guacamole-install-script.sh

Make the script executable using command:

# chmod +x guacamole-install-script.sh

Then, run it to install Guacamole on your CentOS system.

# ./guacamole-install-script.sh

You will be asked to answer a few questions such as root password for MariaDB, Guacamole database name, database user, database user's password, and Guacamole URL etc. Answer them accordingly. I use "centos" as password in this tutorial for the sake of easy remembrance. But I recommend to use any strong password.

'.:++++++++++++++++++++++: 'yhhhhhhhhy- 
 .+y' '://++++++++++++++++++++++++' ':yhhhhyo:' 
 -yNd. '/+++++++++++++++++++++++++++//' .+yo:' ':: 
 oNMh' ./++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/:' '''' 'mMh. 
 -MMM: /+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-.:/+: yMMs 
 -MMMs ./++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/' .mMMy 
 'NMMMy. '-/+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/:. :dMMMo 
 +MMMMNy:' '.:///++++++++++++++++++++//:-.' ./hMMMMN' 
 -MMMMMMMmy+-.''''.---::::::::::--..''''.:ohNMMMMMMy 
 sNMMMMMMMMMmdhs+/:--..........--:/oyhmNMMMMMMMMMd- 
 .+dNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNmmmmmmmNNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmy:' 
 ./sdNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNmho:' 
 ' .:+shmmNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNmdyo/-' 
 .o:. '.-::/+ossssssso++/:-.' '-/' 
 .ymh+-.' ''./ydy. 
 /dMMNdyo/-.'''' ''''.-:+shmMNh: 
 :yNMMMMMMNmdhhyyyyyyyhhdmNNMMMMMNy: 
 ':sdNNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNds:' 
 '-/+syhdmNNNNNNmdhyo/-'

Installation Menu
 Guacamole Remote Desktop Gateway 0.9.9

Enter the root password for MariaDB: centos
Enter the Guacamole DB name: guadb
Enter the Guacamole DB username: guauser
Enter the Guacamole DB password: centos
Enter the Java KeyStore password (least 6 characters): centos
Do you wish to Install the Proxy feature (Nginx)?: Yes
Enter the Guacamole Server IP addres or hostame (default localhost): 192.168.1.150
Enter the URI path (default guacamole):

Now, the installer script will start to download all necessary software to setup the remote desktop gateway. This will take a while depending upon the Internet speed.

After a few minutes, you will asked to complete the wizard for Java KeyStore. Answer them accordingly and type Yes to continue.

What is your first and last name?
 [Unknown]: What is the name of your organizational unit?
 [Unknown]: ostechnix
What is the name of your organization?
 [Unknown]: ostechnix
What is the name of your City or Locality?
 [Unknown]: Erode
What is the name of your State or Province?
 [Unknown]: Tamilnadu
What is the two-letter country code for this unit?
 [Unknown]: 91
Is CN=Unknown, OU=ostechnix, O=ostechnix, L=Erode, ST=Tamilnadu, C=91 correct?
 [no]: yes

Next, It will ask you to enter some details to create a self-signed SSL certificate. Answer the questions and hit ENTER to continue.

Please complete the Wizard for the Self-Signed SSL Certificate...

Generating a 2048 bit RSA private key
........................................................................+++
......................+++
writing new private key to '/etc/nginx/guacamole.key'
-----
You are about to be asked to enter information that will be incorporated
into your certificate request.
What you are about to enter is what is called a Distinguished Name or a DN.
There are quite a few fields but you can leave some blank
For some fields there will be a default value,
If you enter '.', the field will be left blank.
-----
Country Name (2 letter code) [XX]:IN
State or Province Name (full name) []:Tamilnadu
Locality Name (eg, city) [Default City]:Erode
Organization Name (eg, company) [Default Company Ltd]:OSTechNix
Organizational Unit Name (eg, section) []:Support
Common Name (eg, your name or your server's hostname) []:server 
Email Address []:sk@ostechnix.com

Finally, you will see the end of installation message. Note down the Guacamole management URL. You will need it to log in to the management console to access the remote systems.

Finished Successfully

You can check the log file /root/guacamole-0.9.9.10-17-Jan.log

Your firewall backup file /root/guacamole-0.9.9.10-17-Jan.firewall.bkp

To manage the Guacamole GW via proxy go to http://<IP>/guacamole/ or https://<IP>/guacamole/

To manage the Guacamole GW go to http://<IP>:8080/guacamole/ or https://<IP>:8443/guacamole/

The username and password is: guacadmin

If you have any suggestions please write to: correo@nacimientohernan.com.ar

Access Guacamole Dashboard

Open up your web browser and type http://<IP>:8080/guacamole/ or https://<IP>:8443/guacamole/ in the address bar. You will see the following welcome screen. Enter the username and password to access the Guacamole web interface. The default username and password is: guacadmin

Login To Guacamole Dashboard

Here it is how Guacamole dashboard looks like.

Guacamole Dashboard

As you see, we haven't created any remote desktop connections yet. The first thing you must do is to change the default user guacadmin's password. To do so, go to Settings page of guacadmin.

Guacamole Settings

Go to the Preferences link. Enter your current password and update the new password.

Set Guacamole Password

Make new Connections

Now, let us create new remote desktop connection. To do so, go to guacadmin -> Settings -> Connections. And then, Click New Connection.

Enter your remote system details such as name, IP address or hostname, port number, username and password of the remote system details. Also, you need to select the type of protocol from the Protocol drop-down menu.

Create New Remote Desktop Connection

Similarly, you can create other connections by selecting different protocols such as RDP, VNC and telnet etc.

Once you created the new connection, you can launch it from the guacadmin drop-down menu at the top right corner.

Launch Remote Systems

Here is my Ubuntu 16.04 system's active SSH session in browser.

Ubuntu Running

Once you done with your remote system, you can disconnect from it from Guacamole menu.

Disconnect Remote Systems

The Guacamole menu is a sidebar which is hidden until explicitly shown. To bring up this menu, you need to press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT key combination on a desktop. To close/hide this menu, just press CTRL+ALT+SHIFT again. On mobiles devices, you can bring up this menu by swiping right from the left edge of the screen. To hide the menu, swipe left across the screen.

Guacamole Menu

Like I said, this script will only work on CentOS 6/7 systems. We will post the installation instructions for other Linux distributions in the days to come. Until then, please refer the official installation document to setup Guacamole in other Linux distributions like Ubuntu, SUSE, Debian etc.

This script made Guacamole installation much easier than the official method. If you wanted to setup a remote desktop gateway in CentOS, you can use this script. I hope the author will make a common installer script to all Linux systems.

Resources:

• Guacamole Install Script website
• Apache Guacamole website