Horizon Client Kiosk

[russellfender]

I am attempting to deploy a group of Chromebooks that will automatically launch a Horizon desktop without needing the user to authenticate for a classroom scenario. I am managing the Chromebooks centrally via Google admin and I have successfully configured the Horizon Client to launch from Kiosk mode with a JSON file that provides connection server settings. My connection server has been configured to authenticate on MAC addresses and the automatic login functionality was successfully tested with a WYSE thin client.

I cannot replicate this with automatic connection with the Chromebook. The client will launch, and select the default connection server, but the client will not authenticate without entering a credential. I suspect that am missing a configuration setting in the JSON file that will trigger the client to authenticate via the machine's MAC. I've attempted several variations of the JSON file similar to the one below (sourced from https://chrome-experts.neverware.com/s/article/Deploying-Configuring-VMware-Horizon-View-in-Kiosk-mo... ) with no success. Can anyone provide any insight?

{
  "broker_list": {
      "Value": {
           "settings": {
                "server-list": [{
                     "server": "172.16.12.76",
                     "default": true,
                     "description": "CloudReady Lab",
                     "domain": "Cloudsteady.lab"
                }]
          }
      }
  }
}

[NFUCHS210]

Hi Russell,

The first thing I like to clarify with anyone is to make sure they're using the proper version of the Horizon Client for Chrome here: VMware Horizon Client for Chrome - Chrome Web Store -- VMware's release of several different apps has caused quite a bit of confusion.

If interested in understanding further, the details of the differences can be found here: https://chrome-experts.neverware.com/s/article/What-are-the-different-client-options-to-access-our-V...

I'll peel through our lab to see if I can discover anything here for passing MAC addresses; but is there a reason you're using MAC over just passing over the username/resource ID? There is a policy for that:

{

  "broker_list": {

    "Value": {

      "settings": {

        "server-list": [{

          "server": "cs-vmware-conn.cloudsteady.lab",

          "default": true,

          "description": "CloudReady VMWare Lab",

          "username": "Nick",

          "desktopId": "CS-VMWARE-RDSH",

          "domain": "cloudsteady.lab"

        }]}

    }

  }

}

[russellfender]

Thanks for your reply!

I am using version 5.1.1 of the client.

When I began this project I was using a JSON configuration very similar to the one you provided. What I experienced with using that configuration was the first Chromebook to connect to the connection server in device group would be able to connect with the username provided in the description. Devices configured after that would not connect - and if the connection was forced (by manually entering the credential) it would steal the session from the already connected device. I opened a support case with VMware regarding the issue, and the resolution of that case was to use a connection server configured in "kiosk mode", basically just authenticating using the device MAC address.

My expected behavior would be similar to that shown here:  Dell ThinOS in Kiosk Mode - YouTube​, substituting the Chromebook as the client device. I have WYSE terminals on site and I have replicated this behavior  so I'm confident that my connection server configuration is valid.

[russellfender · Accepted solution]

The ticket I created with VMware support was closed with support stating that the Chromebooks do not support MAC based authentication, and will not in the foreseeable future.