How to access your Linux PC remotely with NoMachine
NoMachine is a “hands-off” remote access tool for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It offers a few different types of connection protocols like SSH, and NM’s NX protocol.
In this guide, we’ll go over how to set up the NoMachine remote system on Linux, as well as how to connect to computers with the software.
Install NoMachine
NoMachine has support for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE and many other Linux distributions via a downloadable TarGZ archive. To install the software on your Linux operating system, launch a terminal window and follow the instructions below.
Note: along with installing NoMachine on the computer sending out a remote connection, please remember to install the app on the computer you intend to access through the app. NoMachine will not work unless it is set up on both the host and remote PC.
Ubuntu/Debian
NoMachine officially supports Debian-based Linux distributions, so it’s quite easy to get the client/server working on Ubuntu, Debian and operating systems that base themselves off the two operating systems. To start the installation, go to the download page. On the download page, click on either “NoMachine for Linux DEB i386” or “NoMachine for Linux DEB amd64 .”
Once it’s done downloading, open up the file manager and double-click on the DEB package file to open it up in Ubuntu Software Center, or GDebi (if you’re a Debian user.) Then, click the “install” button, type in your password and install the software to your computer.
Alternatively, launch a terminal and use the dpkg tool to install it via the command-line.
cd ~/Downloads sudo dpkg -i nomachine*.deb
sudo apt install -f
Or, for Debian users:
sudo apt-get install -f
Arch Linux
NoMachine is on Arch Linux thanks to the AUR. To install it, launch a terminal window and follow the step-by-step instructions below.
Step 1: Using the Pacman tool, install the dependencies required to install AUR packages. (Base-devel and Git).
sudo pacman -S base-devel git
Step 2: Grab the NoMachine AUR snapshot from the web using the git clone command.
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/nomachine.git
Step 3: Using the CD command, change the terminal’s working directory from ~/home to the new “nomachine” folder.
cd nomachine
Step 4: Build an installable package for Arch Linux using the makepkg command. Keep in mind that when generating a package, problems can happen. Be sure to check the comments on the AUR page for guidance from other users.
makepkg -sri
Fedora/OpenSUSE
Redhat-based Linux distributions such as Fedora and OpenSUSE can easily install the NoMachine client/server system thanks an RPM package being available. To start the installation, head over to the download page and grab either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the RPM package.
When the RPM package is done downloading, open up the file manager on your Fedora or OpenSUSE PC, click on “Downloads.” Once in downloads, double-click on the RPM to launch the default package installer.
Enter your password and use the RPM package installation tool to set up RPM on your Fedora or OpenSUSE PC. Alternatively, launch a terminal window and follow the instructions to set it up via the command-line.
Fedora
cd ~/Downloads sudo dnf install nomachine*.rpm
OpenSUSE
cd ~/Downloads
sudo zypper install nomachine*.rpm
Generic Linux
Are you using a lesser-known Linux distribution? Don’t worry! You can still run the NoMachine client/server system on your PC! Follow the steps below to get it working on your computer.
Step 1: Go to the download page and grab the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the TarGZ NoMachine release.
Step 2: Launch a terminal window and use the tar command to extract the TarGZ archive.
sudo cp -p nomachine_6.3.6_1_x86_64.tar.gz /usr cd /usr sudo tar zxf nomachine_6.3.6_1_x86_64.tar.gz
Step 3: Execute the setup script and get the software installed on your PC.
sudo /usr/NX/nxserver --install
Using NoMachine
Open up the application menu on your Linux desktop. As it opens, you’ll notice a “welcome to NoMachine” message that goes over all of the program’s features. It also outlines the different protocols it supports (SSH and NX,) and gives out your Linux PC’s IP addresses.
After reading the welcome message, check “don’t show this again,” and click the continue button to move on to the next page.
To connect a remote computer, wait for the app to scan for it. Then, double-click on the computer to go to the connection page.
On the connection page, you’ll be presented with information related to the remote computer. It displays the hostname and LAN IP address. Confirm everything looks as it should, then select “OK” to continue to the next page.
Once you’ve reviewed the connection settings for the remote computer, it’s time to access the PC remotely. Highlight it with the mouse and click “Connect,” and enter your password to access the remote computer.
Disconnecting
Exiting a remote connection is refreshingly quick. There’s no need to click “quit” or “exit.” Instead, if you’d like to close an existing session, click the close button. It’s also possible to leave a connection by pressing Alt + F4 on the keyboard.
