Linux-Terminalserver
Table of contents
The Linux terminal server of the School of Science is an extended offer for digital learning. This service provides license required or free software for online education without being installed on a domestic computer. Every member of TU Dresden is allowed to use this service. The access can take place worldwide by using the ZIH-Login without additional equipment like VPN.
Technical Data
Maximum number of users: currently 65 (can be extended as required)
Operating system: Linux
Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma
Access: RDP (without drive redirection)
Authentification: ZIH-Login
Internet site/IP address: npoolterm.mn.tu-dresden.de (IP: 141.76.39.57)
CPU: 16 cores
Memory: 64 GiB
Hard drive: 200 GiB
Regular update: Fridays between 8 and 9 am
Regular restart: daily 6 am
Automatic logout: after 30 minutes inactivity
Available Software
The following list includes a selection of softwares which are available at the terminal server. The list can be extended if needed.
- Mathworks Matlab
- Maplesoft Maple
- IBM SPSS Statistics
- R with RStudio
- LibreOffice
- Gimp
- FreeCAD
- KiCAD
- LaTeX with TeXStudio
- Firefox and Chromium / Chrome
- Python with PIP and Virtualenv
- GCC C, C++ and Fortran-Compiler
Access
Preparation
The access st he terminal server can take place platform-independent via all fixed and mobile systems. this service is available via the internet site : npoolterm.mn.tu-dresden.de (IP: 141.76.39.57). The following software solutions are available for the different operating systems.
Windows
With Windows there has to be no additional software installed. A previously finished configuration file for the client can be downloaded under the following link.
UNIX/Linux
For UNIX/Linux operating systems there are various client applications available. FreeRDP is one of it. It can be installed on most of UNIX/Linux distributions with the package management. With the following command line you can connect with the terminal server:
xfreerdp /v:npoolterm.mn.tu-dresden.de /clipboard /u:<ZIH-Loginname> /f
A graphical application for the connection with the terminal server is Remmina. This software package can also be installed on most of UNIX/Linux distributions with the package management. You can find a detailed instruction by using the following link.
MacOS/iOS/Android
For these operating systems there are different types to get access st he terminal server. A recommendation is the app „icrosoft Remote Desktop“. It can be installed by using the app store. An instruction can be find under the following link.
System Logon
You can be registered at the terminal service with your ZIH-Login:
After this you can start for example SPSS:
After starting it you can work with it like you do in Windows:
Data Exchange between PC and Terminal Server
Because of reasons for performance and stability the drive diversion on site of the server is deactivated. But there are 2 possibilities to exchange data between PC and terminal server.
Possibility #1: using the clipboard
This ist he easiest way to exchange data. Therefore mark the data on your PC you want to copy, STRG-C, change the view tot he terminal window and use STRG-V. It also works the other way: mark the data on the terminal window, STRG-C, change the view to the target directory of your PC and use STRG-V.
Possibility #2: using the home directory of the ZIH
Data exchange with the domestic PC can also take place with the home directory of the ZIH. If you work outside of TU Dresden, you have to connect via VPN with data network of TU Dresden.
Open the explorer and use „this computer“ -> „computer“ -> „connect network drive“
Path: \\vf-home.zih.tu-dresden.de\<ZIH-Loginname>
Login: dom\<ZIH-Loginname>
Password: <ZIH-Password>
At the terminal server you can find the file named like your ZIH-Login -> zih_home
Troubleshooting
Should there be problems while using the terminal server, these have to be solved. First check the following solutions till you ask us for help.
At first check, if you only used small letters for „username“ and not capital letters.
Another possible reason for the problem could be that your password was not transferred correctly to the terminal server.
You can check this as followed: Enter your password instead of your username (without sending it to the server). This will be displayed only for you and you can check, if it is correct. If it is incorrect, I recommend to change the password by using the following link:
https://tu-dresden.de/zih/dienste/service-katalog/zugangsvoraussetzung/passwort_aendern
The best way to check, if your new password is presented correctly on the SPSS server, ist o use the above mentioned method. The new password is valid for every other service, for example e-mail or OPAL, which works with your ZIH-Login.
Possibly, it takes a while until your new password is valid for the terminal server (at the latest until next working day).
If the following error message appears:
Remote desktop connection tot he remote computer is not possible for one of the following reasons:
-
Remote access to the server is not activated.
-
Remote computer is switched off.
-
Remote computer is not available on the network.
Install and activate VPN or OpenVPN before starting the remote access of the terminal server. You can find an instruction by using the following link.
If the error message "An authentication error has occured. The function requested is not supported." appears by using Windows appears, please check, if updating Windows is activated and all updates are installed.
You set a connection via "Microsoft Remote Desktop" and get the following error message while open it:
"Error code: 0x104 Error code: 0x104 We couldn't connect to the remote PC because the PC can't be found. Please provide the fully-qualified name or the IP address of the remote PC, and then try again."
or
"Error code: 0x204 We couldn't connect to the remote PC. Make sure the PC is turned on and connected to the network, and that remote access is enabled."
Instead of using the name "npoolterm.mn.tu-dresden.de" try to use the IP address of the terminal server: 141.76.39.57.
Contact
If you have questions, requests, suggestions or criticism, please send us an e-mail tot he following address: service.mn@mailbox.tu-dresden.de