Research Virtual Desktop (x2go)
Virtual Desktop Overview
A Virtual Desktop Service for users of the CSF, and other research computing facilities in the CIR Ecosystem administered by IT Services, is available. This service allows users to:
- access the iCSF or CSF (or other facility) from anywhere in the world (once signed in to the VPN) via a Linux “MATE” desktop environment without needing to install Linux on their own system (a small remote-desktop client does need to be installed);
- login to the iCSF or CSF (or other facility) from their office computer and begin work, then switch off this office machine, go home and reconnect to the session from home, carrying on from where they left off (anything that was running will still be there, as though they had never left the office!);
- do interactive work over slow Internet connections from off-campus almost as conveniently as if working on campus.
If you wish to register to use this service, please email its-ri-team@manchester.ac.uk.
Virtual Desktop: X2GO
The current method of connecting to the virtual desktop from your machines is to use X2GO:
- X2GO – Free software, easy to install. We recommend this version. See our X2GO setup instructions.