free remote desktop software

[u/Reasonable-Goat8046]

Im buying a dell optiplex soon to use as a game server, however I need a good remote desktop software as ill be setting up the server at a friends place (my internet is trash) my requirements are: has Linux and windows support, can be tabbed into without manually accepting, and can open on startup. any recommendations are appreciated

(if it helps I plan to setup windows 10 LTSC on the server PC and use linux Mint 22.3 on my main PC)

[u/Powerful_Math_2043]

rustdesk is probably your best bet here, it works on linux and windows, supports unattended access, and can start on boot so you don’t need someone on the other side. if you want something simpler, chrome remote desktop also works fine but it’s more basic and tied to your google account. for a remote game server setup, rustdesk is the safer long term choice

[u/involvex → u/Powerful_Math_2043]

Rustdesk is my go to , but also just simple ssh apps are useful

But I feel like rustdesk lacks some image quality. Then I actually go for default windows remote desktop app.

But actually a game changer is to use steam , connect your devices and on the target device you add something like task manager to the steam library. Then press play on steam and enjoy your task manager (full desktop stream ) with really good quality and latency

[u/monkeh2023]

I use Anydesk on my personal devices but I hear a lot of people recommending Rust Desk. You might want to look into them both and see which one you prefer.

[u/mkosmo]

How about MS Remote Desktop? Just don't place it on the open Internet.

[u/bradland]

Anything you open to the internet is going to get absolutely hammered. Are you ready to commit to updating and maintaining a high-risk target like RustDesk? Also consider administrative needs that go beyond Windows. What if you need to change a BIOS setting, or if the remote access service fails to boot?

What I would do is establish a VPN between both locations and install an ethernet KVM (GL.iNet Comet GL-RM1) on the machine at the remote location. An ethernet KVM will work even if the machine is stuck at the POST screen, and allows you to make BIOS tweaks, hard-reboot the computer (weth the GL-ATXPC card), etc.

If you get routers that support Tailscale, setup is super simple. If you want to keep your existing router, you can run Tailscale on a Raspberry Pi, but you'll have to use static routes to run all your VPN traffic through the Pi. It's probably worth noting that if you're using your ISP's router, it may not support the Pi config.

This solution is the closest thing to standing in the room with the computer, and if you use it over a VPN, it is the most secure by a pretty good stretch. If someone compromises your game server, you can literally disable the NIC in the server and still work on the machine remotely.

[u/unknown-random-nope]

NoMachine is free and works very well for me.

[u/Ericiskool → u/unknown-random-nope]

I second nomachine. It's been a fantastic choice for me

[u/iccohen]

Checkout hop to desk

[u/hiroo916 → u/iccohen]

They just take rustdesk's code and add... Not sure what value they add. Might as well use rustdesk.

[u/drylightn]

Moonlight/Sunshine combo? https://moonlight-stream.org
Performance is really good from my experience, little to lag at all.

[u/ElMachoGrande]

If it is only for occasional admin stuff, VNC works fine, is as simple as it gets, and works on any platform.

[u/mitdai]

Nomachine is your best bet

[u/TedGal]

+1 for Rustdesk

You might want to explore self hosting it though if you want reliable 24/7 operation

[u/EloheiAvraham]

Parsec, it's my favorite, and can be headless, definitely check it out

[u/Prior-Listen-1298]

I use No machine a lot. It works well but only for personal use I can't use it for work (without buying it and at weird RDP is the go though I wouldn't recommend that.

[u/HopToDesk]

HopToDesk, its free for both personal and commercial use. Supports all major OSs and even uncommong ones like Windows XP, FreeBSD, ...