How to Install Guacamole on Arch Linux

Guacamole is an open-source remote desktop gateway. It provides web access to remote desktops using standard protocols like VNC, RDP, and SSH. This tutorial will guide you through the installation process of Guacamole on Arch Linux.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation process, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• A running Arch Linux system
• Internet connectivity

Installation

1. Open the terminal and run the following command to update the system:

   sudo pacman -Syu
   

2. Install the required packages by running the following command:

   sudo pacman -S tomcat-native libvncserver freerdp
   

3. Download the Guacamole server package by visiting the following link: https://guacamole.apache.org/releases/. Select the latest version and copy the link to the .tar.gz package.

4. Open the terminal and run the following command to download the Guacamole package:

   wget <paste the copied link here>
   

5. Extract the downloaded package by running the following command:

   tar -xzf guacamole-server-<version>.tar.gz
   

6. Navigate to the extracted directory:

   cd guacamole-server-<version>
   

7. Run the following commands to build and install Guacamole:

   ./configure --with-init-dir=/etc/init.d
   make
   sudo make install
   

8. Run the following command to start the Guacamole service:

   sudo systemctl start guacd
   

9. Run the following command to enable the Guacamole service at boot time:

   sudo systemctl enable guacd
   

10. Download the Guacamole client package from the following link: https://guacamole.apache.org/releases/. Select the latest version and copy the link to the .war package.

11. Open the terminal and run the following command to download the Guacamole client package:

    wget <paste the copied link here>
    

12. Copy the downloaded .war package to the Tomcat webapps directory:

    sudo cp guacamole-<version>.war /var/lib/tomcat/webapps/guacamole.war
    

13. Restart the Tomcat service by running the following command:

    sudo systemctl restart tomcat
    

14. Verify the installation by pointing your browser to http://localhost:8080/guacamole/. You should see the Guacamole login screen.

Congratulations, you have successfully installed Guacamole on Arch Linux. You can now easily access remote desktops from your web browser.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!