Windows Admin with rdesktop

Whether your Linux server is under your desk or in a co-location facility clear across the country, virtually all system maintenance can be accomplished simply by logging in. ssh and tools such as up2date, apt-get, and any text editor make remote Linux system administration a snap.

Remote maintenance of a Windows server can be (almost) as easy, using rdesktop and tsclient, two open source clients that can replace the traditional system console.

rdesktop is an open source client for Microsoft Windows NT Terminal Server, Windows 2000/2003 Terminal Services, and Windows XP Remote Desktop. It uses the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), an extension of the ITU-T T.128 (“T.SHARE”) application sharing protocol, to remotely present a system’s desktop. In newer versions of Windows it also supports device redirection (more on that later). Written by Matthew Chapman, rdesktop is licensed under the…

1. The State of Open Source System Automation
2. Are You Expecting? Your Boss Should Know
3. The Persistence of Time
4. NTP: Timing is Everything
5. Disk Space: The Final Frontier