New Linux VDI User with a couple questions

[jtrutwin]

Hi all,

I'm working on deploying View at our campus for our Linux users, this will help me get rid of a large number of VirtualBox installations and allow our users to run our linux image from their own devices.  I have successfully setup a view environment using Version 7.01 - specifically:

ESXi/Vcenter 5.5 Update 4 (soon to be 6.x)

VMware-viewconnectionserver-x86_64-7.0.1-3988

Access Point 2.5.0 v2

VMware-horizonagent-linux-x86_64-7.0.1-3967987

Client 4.1.0 on Windows and 4.1.0/4.2.0 on iOS

We are using RHEL 7.2 Workstation as the desktop (using MATE/lightdm).  I have successfully created a small testing pool and connected to it from Windows / iOS clients.

There are a couple issues we are having trouble with yet that I'm hoping someone can shed some light on.

1. Login As Current User option does not work on the client from our internal workstations.  I receive a message: "The Connection Server authentication failed to login as the current user."  The user is logged into AD, if I then login with the same credentials to the view client authentication prompt it shows the pools for the user.

2. Single Signon from the desktop is not working nor does it seem even enabled?  I have AD integration setup on our Linux Desktops via sssd.  In the /var/log/vmware/viewagent-debug.log I see:

<main> [StandalongAgent] SSO isn't installed

And the file /usr/lib/vmware/viewagent/bin/SsoDBusNotify.py doesn't even exist?

3. USB doesn't work - I'm thinking it might be a firewall issue here?  It just says "USB Unavailable" on the client.  I tried plugging in a few different USB devices to see if it would change but nothing different happened.

4. Screensaver locks.  If the user has their linux screensaver lock enabled and disconnects without logging off no one can connect to the VM, even the same user.  Is the only way around this to enable the "Automatically logoff after disconnect - After XX minutes" pool setting?

5. HTML Access - I have this enabled in the Pool setting but when attempting to connect is shows an error prompt "Failed to connect to the Connection Server." - guessing a firewall issue here as well.  A separate installation isn't needed for this right?

Thanks!

Josh

[zhiminli]

Hi, Josh,

Login As Current User/USB Redirection is not supported in Linux VDI now. SSO is not supported in RHEL 7.2 now.

For screensaver lock issue, please upload log bundle so we can have a look. Log bundle can be generated by running command "/usr/lib/vmware/viewagent/bin/dct-debug.sh".

I can't tell much on the HTML Access issue but it seems to me an issue related to firewall/network configuration.

Thanks,

Zhimin

[jtrutwin]

zhiminli,

I am not sure if I was clear but the client itself is running on Windows 7/10.  I was thinking Login as Current User would bypass the first prompt to authenticate into the Connection Server to list the pools before event connecting to a desktop?  This aspect doesn't even talk to the Linux desktop yet so shouldn't it be supported with a Windows client?

I see from this document that SSO is supported only on RHEL/CentOS 6.6: Documentation for VMware Horizon 7 version 7.0

And now that I look at the document it also states that USB redirection is also not supported.  These are major disappointments but we are still in proof of concept phase on this.  Do you know if RHEL 7 SSO support and USB redirection are planned for an upcoming release?  I'm surprised it's not available, especially the SSO features...

I will try to gather logs the next time I see the screensaver lock.

Josh

[txiong]

Hi Josh,

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Screensaver locks.  If the user has their linux screensaver lock enabled and disconnects without logging off no one can connect to the VM, even the same user.  Is the only way around this to enable the "Automatically logoff after disconnect - After XX minutes" pool setting?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

==> Yes, this is expectation, which actually has nothing to do with Screensaver, even if the screensaver is disabled, when user disconnect the desktop without logging off, no one can connect to the desktop.If you want to avoid such case, please enabled the option you mentioned on broker.

[jtrutwin]

Thank you for the clarification txiong - this setting is precisely what I have enabled.  Anxiously looking forward to the next version - is there any way to get involved as a beta tester/user?

Thanks!

[txiong]

Hi jtrutwin,

In the first post, you mentioned that you are using broker/agent 7.0.1. Actually, broker/agent 7.0.2 has been released: https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/info?slug=desktop_end_user_computing/vmware_horizon/7_0 (This version supports automated pool of Full Clone)

Do you have any block feature for waiting new version?

Regards,

Tiddy

[jtrutwin]

Thanks - I upgraded everything to 7.0.2 when I noticed it was released. 

With the 7.0.2 release I tested the automated pool but for some reason it kept deleting and re-creating my desktop VM's.  I issued a ticket to VMWare but they haven't really answered the question as to why this happened. 

For me, the main features I'm waiting on are:

1. SSO support for RHEL 7.2+

2. USB Redirection support

Is there a way to be notified of new releases or beta test?

[txiong]

Thanks for your feedback.