Apache Guacamole — The Complete Guide: Reach Office Workstations from Any Browser, No Client Install
Apache Guacamole, from the Apache Software Foundation, is a remote desktop gateway: you install it once on a server, usually Linux or Docker, and from there it shows the computers configured in it in the browser. People connecting need no software at all. Open source under Apache-2.0, free for any use with no limit on users or connections.
Apache Guacamole
Apache Software Foundation
A remote desktop gateway installed on a server that gives RDP, VNC and SSH access from any browser, with no client install.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- RDP, VNC and SSH in the browser — Windows workstations, Linux servers and terminals on one page.
- No client install — connect even from a site office PC or a client’s computer.
- Users and permissions — each engineer sees only their own computers.
- Session recording — a record of who did what and when.
- One entry point — instead of opening ports for every computer.
Who it suits, and security
Guacamole suits an office with someone who has server administration skills, since installation and hardening are not trivial. Security is entirely your responsibility: if the gateway is reachable from the internet, you need HTTPS, two-factor authentication for every user and regular updates. Bear in mind that it gives access to every computer configured in it, so a leaked password is especially dangerous.
Related tools
For browser-based device management with an agent on each computer — MeshCentral. For a Linux desktop client for the same protocols — Remmina. For an encrypted VNC server on Linux machines — TigerVNC.
MeshCentral
Ylian Saint-Hilaire and contributors
A self-hosted web site for remote device management: remote desktop, terminal and file access from the browser.
Get it from the vendor
Remmina
Remmina project
A Linux remote desktop client that brings RDP, VNC, SSH and SPICE connections together in one window.
Get it from the vendor
TigerVNC
TigerVNC project
Fast open-source VNC implementation with TLS encryption, widely used for remote desktops on Linux servers.
Get it from the vendor
RustDesk
RustDesk (Purslane Ltd. and community)
Open-source remote desktop tool, an alternative to TeamViewer and AnyDesk, with the option to run your own relay server.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
The orderly way to give a team remote access to office workstations through a single web page, for an office willing to invest in setup and security.