Remote Desktop Software is an application that allows a user to connect and run computers remotely over the internet seamlessly. It has additional features that enable you to access a remote computer on your physical computer in real time and use your keyboard and mouse to control the remote screen. Remote Desktop Software is used in collaborative work, technical support, and demonstrations. Some of the remote desktop software available include; Zoho Assist, TeamViewer, VNC Connect, AnyDesk, RemotePC, NoMachine, Freshdesk, Splashtop, etc.
AnyDesk
AnyDesk is a cross-platform remote desktop software solution available on PC and android phones. With AnyDesk you can connect to any computer no matter the Operating system from anywhere. AnyDesk offers different solutions for remote access including Remote Printing where you can print a document from a remote device.
It is lightweight in terms of Download size of just 3MB. It works on Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi, macOS, Android, and iOS. AnyDesk supports Two-Factor Authenticatication(2FA) which provides an added layer of security over operations like unattended access. AnyDesk is free for Personal Use but has different payment plans for business use.
Features
- Fast and has minimum latency with frame rates of 60fps.
- AnyDesk Clipboard to efficiently exchange texts, screenshots, and more between your remote and local devices.
- Unattended access enables you to connect to a computer even when no one is around with just a password.
- Secure with Military-grade TLS 1.2 security, 256-bit AES and Transport Encryption.
- Built-in address book that helps you keep track of contacts and connections.
- Full Mobile Support with access to servers and desktops via smartphone or tablets.
- Flexible and Customizable to fit your identity.
TeamViewer
TeamViewer is a remote desktop software solution that allows you to remotely access, control, manage, monitor, and repair devices of any kind, from laptops and mobile phones to industrial machines and robots. It is free for private use with different payment plans for Commercial use. TeamViewer is cross-platform and works with almost every desktop and mobile platform, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. You can also connect from the browser without necessarily downloading the software to your machine or phone.
Teamviewer can be seamlessly implemented into other software solutions like ZenDesk. All TeamViewer sessions are end-to-end encrypted to provide secure, private communication between endpoints free of prying from outside sources even TeamViewer itself.
Features
- Permanent access to unattended devices.
- Videoconferencing and collaboration with TeamViewer Meeting.
- Black screen for private remote access.
- Secure, flexible file sharing.
- Remote Printing for Windows and macOS.
- Deploy TeamViewer on hundreds or thousands of devices at once.
This guide will show you how to install AnyDesk & TeamViewer on CentOS 9 / AlmaLinux 9.
Install AnyDesk on CentOS 9 / AlmaLinux 9
At the time of writing this guide, Anydesk for CentOS 9 was not yet released. However, I used the repository for CentOS version 8. Run the following command as the root user to add the repository for AnyDesk
cat > /etc/yum.repos.d/AnyDesk-CentOS.repo << "EOF"
[anydesk]
name=AnyDesk CentOS - stable
baseurl=http://rpm.anydesk.com/centos/8/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
repo_gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://keys.anydesk.com/repos/RPM-GPG-KEY
EOFThen install AnyDesk with the following command.
sudo dnf install anydeskLaunch the application from the Terminal
anydeskOr from the Application Launcher.
Configure Anydesk on CentOS 9|AlmaLinux 9
The application opens as shown below with a unique address that can be used to access it.
Click on the top-right menu icon to go to Settings.
On the settings Tab, there are several options available for customization, They include the interface that allows you to change the language, Security Tab, Privacy Tab, Display, Audio, etc. You can customize these settings to fit what you want to use Anydesk with.
We are going to set up unattended access. This option allows you to connect to the remote machine remotely without invoking a prompt to accept the connection on the remote device. You only use a password to do that. Click on Unlock Security Settings. Not everyone can access these settings, They require a user with Admin privileges.
This opens another window with the following settings. Check on Enable Unattended access button.
You can set a Password for Unattended access as shown below. Click OK to save.
Use AnyDesk
I will use AnyDesk on Windows Operating System on the Physical device. Download Anydesk from the Downloads Page.
Follow Prompts to install the package. It is quite easy. Open the application, Enter the address of the remote machine to access it.
If a password is not set, You will have to manually accept the connection from the remote side.
If a password is set, Enter the password and connect automatically.
The connection is successful and you will receive a display of the remote machine as shown below.
Install TeamViewer on CentOS 9|AlmaLinux 9
1. Create TeamViewer Account
Create an account for TeamViewer for easy connection to remote computers without requiring a password.
Check your Email to verify your account after a successful Sign-Up. The dashboard is shown below.
2. Install TeamViewer
Next up is to install TeamViewer. Update your system packages
sudo yum update -yInstall EPEL repository
sudo yum install epel-release epel-next-releaseDownload and import the Public Key File with the following command
sudo rpm --import https://dl.teamviewer.com/download/linux/signature/TeamViewer2017.ascDownload and install TeamViewer with the following command
wget https://download.teamviewer.com/download/linux/teamviewer-host.x86_64.rpm
sudo yum install ./teamviewer-host*.rpmIn between the installation, a prompt window for the Licence Agreement appears. Accept the terms and click on Continue to finish the installation.
You can start TeamViewer from the terminal
$ teamviewer
Init...
CheckCPU: SSE2 support: yes
Checking setup...
Launching TeamViewer ...
Launching TeamViewer GUI ...Alternatively, You can start it from the Application Launcher.
Configure TeamViewer on CentOS 9|AlmaLinux 9
We have to assign the device to the Account that we created above to enable easy access. Click on Grant easy access.
In the General Tab under Account Assignment, Click on Assign to account…
Enter the credentials of your account at this option then click Assign.
With the correct credentials, your remote device will be assigned to your account.
On the General Tab, you can also change the theme of your interface to Dark.
The Security tab shows you to set rules and enable Two-Factor Authentication for connections. Also, we can see that the Grant easy access feature is granted to my account. Hence I do not need to use passwords to connect to the remote device. Just my account.
The Advanced Tab enables you to configure general settings like Display Language and Access Control.
Click Okay and close the Window. You will now have an address assigned to your device as shown below.
Connect with Teamviewer
I will install TeamViewer on the physical device which has the Windows Operating System. Download TeamViewer for Windows from the downloads page.
Follow the prompts to install the application which will start immediately after successful installation. This window contains the address and password for your physical device in case you should want to connect to it from another device.
Remember we did set up a TeamViewer account that grants easy access to the remote device without inputting a password? So we will sign in to the account on the physical device. Click on Sign In at the top right corner of the window. Enter your credentials and click Sign In. You will be prompted to confirm the device to add it to your “trusted device circle”. Go to your email(The one you registered with) and accept the Prompt to continue with the Sign in process.
Once the device is added successfully, Sign in to gain access. Then enter the address of the remote device on the input bar.
Then because the Account is already confirmed, You do not need to enter any other passwords to connect. The connection happens automatically once you click on Connect.
And you have successfully connected to a remote device with TeamViewer.
Conclusion
This guide has shown how to install AnyDesk & TeamViewer on CentOS 9 / AlmaLinux 9. Both TeamViewer and AnyDesk are great remote desktop software solutions that allow you to access a computer remotely with the full features of the keyboard and mouse. They may be a few differences between the two but all in all they offer the same services. The major difference may be pricing in terms of the Licensed user and the sessions to connect for commercial use.
Other guides to check out:
Install Vivaldi / Brave Web Browser on Solus Linux
Install Flask with Gunicorn and Nginx on CentOS 9 / AlmaLinux 9.
Install and Use Visual Studio Code on Ubuntu / Debian
