Thinlinc: Terminal Server Environment

Cheat Sheet

• Accessing the same session locally (at the institute) and remotely (for example at home) - no hassle anymore with locked Firefox profiles.

• IT Support: on your request, it's possible to 'shadow' your session to the IT group - in case of any trouble - just call the IT by phone.

Usage

Connect Session

• Use any of the Terminals at the institute or use the 'native client' (see below) application on your own computer (Internet access is needed).
• Just login.
  • An already existing session (in the background or on another terminal) will be moved and reconnect you.

• Server: tl.math.uzh.ch

• Check the screen size" by default the Session is fullscreen. To change this, open the 'popup menu' by pressing F8 and change Full screen.

Disconnect Session

• Press F8 to open 'popup menu' and choose disconnect.

  • If you need the 'F8 key' in an application, assign another key for the popup menu. To do so: F8 > Options > Options > Popup Menu Key. The new setting is only active during the recent connected session.

USB sticks: Terminals in building Y27

• If you plug in a USB Stick at the terminla, there is no window, which opens automatically.

• Plugged in USB sticks, ext. Harddrives and CDROM will appear in your home-directory under the folder thindrives. Open a Filemanager (Menu: Places) and navigate to your 'home directory > thindrives'.

• Mount and unmount happens automatically - wait a few seconds.

• If you copy data, wait until the light on the USB stick stops flashing or the progress bar diasapepaer, plus additional 10 seconds. After that, it's secure to remove the stick.

• If the stick does not appear under directory '~/thindrives', please trigger a remount via menu Applications > System Tools > Clean USB Stick umount/mount.

Copy files from/to the Thinlinc Session

• This is is very similar as with the USB sticks above.
• Assumption: you're using a private computer - this computer is called the 'local computer'.

• If you plug in a USB stick at the local computer, the directory of the USB stick is automatically mapped to the ~/thindrives directory inside the thinlinc session.

• You're free to map additonal directories, of the local computer, to your thinlinc session.

  1. Open the 'Thinlinc Client' and choose Options > Local Devices > Drives: Details

  2. Add a new directory and set 'permissions'

Burning CDs & DVDs

• Not possible with the terminal.

Local: Terminals at the institute

• Login with your regular I-MATH account.

Remote: using the native client (Linux, Windows, Mac) from outside the institute - thinlinc@home

Native Client

• Install the native Client (Linux, Windows, Mac):

  • Download: Windows (I-MATH customized version) Linux & Mac

  • At the moment, there is no Android or iOS Support.

• Start the native client tlclient (it's a standalone application, it's not a browser version)

  • Servername:

    tl.math.uzh.ch

    • Be aware, the second character of the servername is a lowercase 'L'!
  • Username / Password: as your I-MATH Account.
• It's possible that you have to accept the hostkey: press 'Continue'

• Pressing 'F8' opens a menu, with options for:

  • Disconnect.

  • changing Full Screen.

• Never logout, just disconnect.

Screen Size

• After starting the tlclient choose under Options > Screen your desired screen size.

Local printing

• Not configured at the moment.

Access local files - exporting local directories to the thinlinc session

• Before connecting to to thinlinc session, configure the directories to be connected between the local computer and the thinlinc session:

  • 'tlclient' > Options > Local Devices >

    • Drives: checked

    • Drives - Details >

      • Add

      • Exported Path: <the path of your local directory>

      • Permission: Read Only or Read Write (as you wish).
• After any change, best is to close 'tlcient' and start it again. 'tlclient' always saves your last settings.

• You'll find the local exported filesystem inside your thinlinc session under ~/thindrives.

Keyboard Layout

• If you like to use a keyboard with a different layout than already installed in your office, please contact our IT support team.

• Automatic layout detection: While using the terminals at the institute, the keyboard layout should be detected automatically, regarding the connected keyboard type.

• An efficient and fast solution, to type characters, which are not directly accessible on the keyboard, is by using the 'compose key' - please check ComposeKey.

• Manual selected keyboard layout:

  • This setting is only valid until session disconnects.
    • It's boring to change the keyboard layout every time you connect your session - unfortunately, there's no solution at the moment to make the 'manual selected keyboard layout' permanent.

  • Before log in: on the left-bottom-corner of the login screen, you are free to choose another keyboard layout.

  • After log in: If you want to change the keyboard layout on the fly (session is active):

    • Press 'F8'
    • Disable 'Fullscreen'
    • Then you'll see the icon of the 'keyboard layout switcher' in the lower left corner of the screen: click on it to open the 'keyboard layout switcher'
    • Select your favorite layout.
    • If you like, activate 'fullscreen' again by pressing 'F8' again and active 'Fullscreen'.

• Website to convert keystokes to specific languages: http://www.typeit.org/