Remote desktop
See and control a server's graphical desktop from your phone or computer, over the SSH connection you already have.
How it works
When you open a remote desktop, SecureShell Go copies a small agent program to the server over SSH, starts it for the session and stops it afterwards. The agent listens only on the server's loopback address and is reached through the SSH tunnel, so no port is opened on the server and SSH stays the only way in. Nothing runs on a server until you open a remote desktop on it.
It works with GNOME on Wayland, X11 desktops and Windows servers. Macs are shown through their built-in Screen Sharing, over the same tunnel.
Good to know
The person sitting at the server's screen is told while it is being viewed. Some desktops show a consent prompt that someone there has to approve; until then the app says it is Waiting for the remote side.
Show a server's desktop
Connect to the server and open a session.
Open the session's ⋮ menu and choose Remote desktop…. On a tablet or computer there is also a Remote desktop… button at the top.
The app checks what the server can show, then opens Remote desktop on and the host's name.
Choose Show the desktop to see the desktop signed in on that server. On a Mac, choose Show this Mac's screen.
You can only show a desktop that belongs to the account you signed in with. If someone else is signed in, the app names the account.
Start a virtual desktop
A server with no monitor, such as a cloud machine, can still run graphical programs on a private, invisible screen.
In Remote desktop on your host, choose Start a virtual desktop….
Under What to run, pick a desktop such as Xfce, or One program and type its name.
Choose whether to keep it running after you disconnect, then start it.
Virtual desktops need Xvfb on the server. If it, a desktop or the program is missing, the app offers to install it, asking for your sudo password only if the server needs it. That password is used for the install and not saved.
A virtual desktop you kept running is listed under Running virtual desktops, where you can reconnect to it or Stop it.
Use the viewer
- Mouse and keyboard work as usual on a computer.
- On a touch screen, switch between trackpad mode (drag to move a pointer) and direct touch, and pinch to zoom.
- Show extra keys adds a row with Esc, Tab, Ctrl, Alt, Super, arrows, function keys and Ctrl+Alt+Del.
- Paste to remote types your clipboard text on the server.
- Quality offers Lossless, Balanced and Speed. Pick Speed on a slow connection.
- View only (send no input) lets you watch without touching anything.
- Disconnect ends the session and stops the agent. A kept virtual desktop carries on running.
Open one app in a window
On Linux, or Windows with an X server such as VcXsrv or X410, choose Open an app in a window… from the session's ⋮ menu. One program on the server opens its window on your own desktop, through X11 forwarding. If the server lacks xauth, the app offers to install it. On a phone, the app offers a virtual desktop instead.