NomachineNX

Contents

Server
Client

Beware that the following packages are not free but if you're facing problems with the freeNX packages, it may be a good solution:

Setting up Nomachine NX packages on Ubuntu is now quite easy:

Server

Installation

Launch Ubuntu desktop or the server edition and install ubuntu-desktop
```
 sudo aptitude install ubuntu-desktop 
```

Download the Nomachine NX packages for Ubuntu (http://www.nomachine.com/download) (versions as of 2011-07-25)

 wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxclient_3.5.0-7_i386.deb
 wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxnode_3.5.0-3_i386.deb
 wget http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/FE/nxserver_3.5.0-4_i386.deb

Install the packages all at the same time: client, node, server

sudo dpkg -i nxnode_3.5.0-3_i386.deb nxserver_3.5.0-4_i386.deb nxclient_3.5.0-7_i386.deb

Security

By default, the SSH key is a shared key amongst all NX clients. This is OK, but if you want added security, generate your own unique key as follows.

Caveat: You'll have to modify your NX client wherever you're connecting from to use the custom key.
Import localhost key
```
sudo cp /usr/NX/etc/keys/node.localhost.id_dsa.pub /tmp/node.localhost.id_dsa.pub.save 
sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxnode --keyadd /tmp/node.localhost.id_dsa.pub.save
```
WARNING: Don't directly import the file /usr/NX/etc/keys node.localhost.id_dsa.pub. First copy it, otherwise it will be deleted after the importation).
Regenerate new SSH key for NX user as the default is common for all others
```
sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --keygen
```

Change the owner of the nx user public key on the server

sudo chown nx:root /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2

If you are going to use it with e.g. Amazon ec2, then NX's hard link between authorized_keys2 and the default.id_dsa.key will create problems when bundling AMIs.

sudo cp /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2 /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2.tmp
sudo rm /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2 
sudo cp /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2.tmp /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2

Check that the name conforms to the filename given in the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file. With the default Ubuntu SSH setting this is not neccessary, but someone might have changed it to e.g.: authorized_keys

sudo chmod 0644 /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2
sudo mv /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys2 /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/authorized_keys --

Additional Potential Steps for Consideration

SSH Password Login

You might need to enable password login into SSH. We can do this by editing SSH configuration:
```
sudo vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
```
1. Configure the following values:
```
PasswordAuthentication yes
UsePam yes
```

SSH Allow NX

If you have restricted SSH with AllowUsers you need to add nx to the list:

```
AllowUsers nx ''youruser'''
```
It may be necessary to remove a line in SSH's your known host file for your user on the server, or remove it all together(reset it):
```
sudo rm /home/$USER/.ssh/known_hosts
```

Restart services

sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart
sudo /etc/init.d/nxserver restart

Check if your user will work:

 sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --usercheck ''youruser''

Client

Install the client on your local machine.
Start it either via Applications/Internet/NX Client for Linux/NX Connection Wizard or via cmd line;
```
  /usr/NX/bin/nxclient --wizard &
```
Enter the hostname and so on till you get prompted for login.
Enter your username and password.
Import the new nx key by:
1. Downloading the new DSA key from the server:
```
 scp ''SERVERNAME'':/usr/NX/share/keys/default.id_dsa.key \
     ''SERVERNAME''.id_dsa.key
```
2. Then click on Configure..., then Key under General and then on Import.
3. Find the file ''SERVERNAME''.id_dsa.key and click save, save then Ok.
Login should now hopefully work....

References:

Ubuntu Documentation