Google Chrome Remote for Linux

Secure SHell (SSH) is great for most applications, but sometimes you just want to connect to the graphical desktop of another computer.  The Google Chrome Remote extension allows you to connect over the Internet with computers running any operating system—Linux, Mac OS, or Windows—with no network or software configuration required.  With the iOS or Android app, you can even connect from your phone!

Connections from Linux has always been available, but I just realized that connections to Linux computers are now supported!  Not sure how I missed this: apparently this beta download was first announced on 2014-07-07.  For Ubuntu and other Debian-based systems, there are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the application available.

All you have to do is install the Google Chrome Remote extension on both computers and follow the instructions to enable remote access.  Press 'connect', type in a PIN, and you're in!

In Ubuntu, you can even customize what window manager runs when Chrome Remote connects by customizing a script at ~/.chrome-remote-desktop-session (remember to make it executable with chmod ugo+x ~/.chrome-remote-desktop-session).

If all you want is terminal access:

#!/bin/bash
exec xterm

For a nice lightweight graphical interface, try IceWM (install it first with sudo apt-get install icewm):

#!/bin/bash
exec /usr/bin/icewm-session

For Ubuntu's default Unity interface, try something like this:

#!/bin/bash
export DESKTOP_SESSION=ubuntu
export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=Unity
exec /usr/sbin/lightdm-session 'gnome-session --session=ubuntu'

To make the new configuration stick, run:

sudo /etc/init.d/chrome-remote-desktop stop

sudo /etc/init.d/chrome-remote-desktop start

This can be a real lifesaver when you're out at a bar at one in the morning and you realize you forgot to change a setting on a graphical user interface running on a computer in the lab...