Re: [rdesktop-users] Rdesktop launching winodws server 2008 published applications

[Chris R. <cj...@tr...>]

On Monday 22 Feb 2010, Bushby, Bruce (London)(c) wrote:
> This brings me to my question, how would I launch a "Windows Server 2008
> Published Application"?  My final goal is to have a Gnome menu item
> which says "Microsoft Word" and it's launches "Microsoft Word" via
> rdesktop as a "Windows Terminal Server 2008 Published Application"
>  
> Anybody managed to configure something along those lines?

Yes, we have it working exactly like that.  If you read the manpage for 
rdesktop you will read:

-A     Enable  SeamlessRDP. In this mode, rdesktop creates a X11 window
       for each window on the server side. This mode requires the Seam-
       lessRDP   server   side   component,  which  is  available  from
       http://www.cendio.com/seamlessrdp/.  When using this option, you
       should specify a startup shell which launches the desired appli-
       cation through SeamlessRDP.  When using SeamlessRDP,  a  control
       socket is created that allows additional commands to be executed
       inside the RDP session. Additonal commands can  be  executed  by
       using subsequent invocations of rdesktop with the -l option, and
       the control socket path can be specified with the -M option.

       Example: rdesktop -A -s 'seamlessrdpshell notepad'

We also have installed the Fontis patches (from 
http://www.fontis.com.au/rdesktop ) although from reading the above manpage 
excerpt, I am far from clear whether the Fontis patches are still required.  
Originally they were required in order for subsequent applications to 
piggy-back the same connection, but from the look of the above, it may well 
be that that functionality is supported now in rdesktop with the cendio 
server side component.

One small word of warning, at least in our version of MS Word (2002), if it is 
the first application launched, then the open dialog fails to get focus, 
leaving the application flashing uselessly.  Run another application first, 
or and it works fine.  Indeed once it fails, you can recover the situation by 
running a second application.  Not pretty though :(.

This issue could well be specific to our exact environment of course.

--
Chris Roberts