Overview
Guacamole is a service to access on campus computers remotely using a web browser.
Usage: One to One, User to Assigned Computer
Guacamole is accessed using any HTML5 compliant browser: Current versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari work.
Usage: Computer Labs
OCIO has a knowledge base article on remote labs with Guacamole: https://osuitsm.service-now.com/selfservice/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=kb06947
Tips
Make the browser window the desired size before you connect. Resizing the browser after connection zooms of shrinks the font, but does not change desktop real estate.
What You Need to Do Your Job
If you have an OCIO-managed device (your usual device or loaner equipment), you can do the majority of your job with just your normal internet connection. Access to Office 365 (e.g. Outlook, Teams, Skype, OneDrive), BuckeyeBox and Zoom are all available by simply logging in to your computer and connecting to the internet.
Remotely Accessing Your Files
A few items need a more secure connection. If you need access to the K: drive (file share) or certain internal applications, you will need to use a VPN or remote access portal depending on the equipment you have access to. You do not need to use VPN or the remote access portal to access files on BuckeyeBox and OneDrive, just an internet connection.
Equipment Guidelines
To help staff work remotely, we are temporarily adjusting our policies around peripheral equipment for Managed IT Services partners.
Staying Connected
The university has several tools available for communication and collaboration, all of which can be used anywhere you have an internet connection.
Getting Help
The IT Service Desk (link is external) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For urgent needs, call 614-688-4357 and press option 3 to speak to service desk members dedicated to providing support to Managed IT Services partners. Get help online at go.osu.edu/it (link is external) by searching the KnowledgeBase or entering a ticket.
How does Guacamole work?
Guacamole is a remote desktop gateway. The Open Source tool is developed under the Apache license and uses standard protocols like VNC (Virtual Network Computing), Microsoft’s RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), and SSH (Secure Shell). All you need to access your desktop is a web browser that supports HTML5, e.g.
Guacamole at Univention
We use Guacamole in our own projects at Univention, especially with AWS CloudFormation in our pre-configured demo environments. That way we can access Windows server systems via RDP, without having to configure port forwarding in the UCS system or open ports in customers’ firewalls – potential security risks we like to avoid.
Further information on Guacamole
If you encounter problems setting up or using Guacamole, we recommend having a look at the Guacamole FAQ. Our community is also happy to answer questions you may have. If you have any questions about your support coverage, please contact your Univention representative.
Access your computers from anywhere
Because the Guacamole client is an HTML5 web application, use of your computers is not tied to any one device or location. As long as you have access to a web browser, you have access to your machines.
Keep your desktop in the cloud
Desktops accessed through Guacamole need not physically exist. With both Guacamole and a desktop operating system hosted in the cloud, you can combine the convenience of Guacamole with the resilience and flexibility of cloud computing.
Free and open source
Apache Guacamole is and will always be free and open source software. It is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0, and is actively maintained by a community of developers that use Guacamole to access their own development environments.
Built on a well-documented API
Apache Guacamole is built on its own stack of core APIs which are thoroughly documented, including basic tutorials and conceptual overviews in the online manual. These APIs allow Guacamole to be tightly integrated into other applications, whether they be open source or proprietary.
Commercially supported
For enterprises, dedicated commercial support is also available through third party companies.
