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 is possible to 'shadow' your session to the IT group - in case of any trouble - just call the IT by phone.

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

• 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.

Get a new and fresh session

Sometimes it happens that your session is locked for some reason (crashed apps, quota problem, ...). A session disconnect / reconnect does not improve the situation.

Please check the option End existing session in the tlclient login window and log in again. Your old session will be killed and a new session will be created. All open applications will be terminated. Open files might be lost. Use is with caution!

• This option is not available via Webaccess.

USB sticks: Terminals in building Y27

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

• Plugged in USB sticks or ext. hard drives 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 disappear, plus some additional 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 Repair thindrives (USB Stick , ...).

Remote Access: thinlinc@home

By webbrowser

• https://tl.math.uzh.ch

• No sound.
• No local drives
• For touch based devices (Tablets), you'll find a software keyboard on the top of the window,

By native client

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

  • At the moment, there is no native Android, Windows Phone or iOS support. Use the webclient instead.

• Start the native client and connect to:

  tl.math.uzh.ch

  • Be aware, the second character of the servername is a lowercase 'L'!
  • Username / Password: as your I-MATH Account.

• It is possible that you have to accept the hostkey: press 'Continue'

• Disconnect / toggle Full screen: Pressing 'F8' opens a menu, with options for:

  • Disconnect.

  • changing Full Screen.

• Best practice: it's not necessary to log out, just disconnect.

Printing at home

• Choose Thinlocal as Printer
  • It automatically uses your default printer configured on your PC/Laptop at home

Copy files from/to the Thinlinc Session

• This is is very similar as with the USB sticks above.

• Add a mapping of local directories to the ~/thindrives directory inside the thinlinc session.

• Do the mapping before you connect to the session:

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

  2. Add a new directory and set permissions.

  3. If there are troubles with a mapped directory: inside the thinlinc session, choose the menu Repair thindrives (USB Stick , ...).

• Connect to your thinlinc session.

• Open the filemanager and navigate to thindrives inside your home directory.

  • If the directory does not appear under directory '~/thindrives', please trigger a remount via menu Repair thindrives (USB Stick , ...).

Dropbox

You can also use dropbox or switchdrive to copy data to the thinlinc session.

• Dropbox

Keyboard Layout

• A quick solution, to type characters not directly accessible on the keyboard, is by using the 'compose key' - please check ComposeKey.

• Select keyboard layout:

  • The Keyboard layout is stored on the terminal.
  • If you move to a different terminal, you have to select the keyboard again.
  • Before you connect to a thinlinc session (or if you are already logged into thinlinc: press F8 and uncheck 'Full screen'), select on the lower left corner:

    • Keyboard > Keyboard Layout: Edit ...

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

WebCam: MS-Teams / Zoom / Skype / SeminarLive

• Webcams are only supported on the terminals, installed at the institute!

• Audio/Video Test: https://janus.conf.meetecho.com/echotest.html (press 'Start' on the top)

• Webcam Support:

  • Terminal in Y27: plug in the webcam.

  • Personal laptop: NO webcam support. Please start your VideoCall outside of the Thinlinc session.

• You can borrow a webcam and/or a headset from Support.

• The Camera will not be available if you are already using it in another application (only one Application can access it at a time)
• When the camera is on, there is a green light on the left side of the lense.

• If your camera is not recognized by the application, open a terminal and enter tlwebcam-ctl list-cameras, to make sure the camera is connected in the first place. There needs to be at least one camera listed.

• If the cameras' light isn't on and the camera doesn't display anything in your VideoMeeting/Recording, enter tlwebcam-reload in the Terminal, to reload the service completely.

Audio

• Audio redirection only works with the native client - not with the thinlinc browser version.

  • Tablet: There is no sound redirecting, because there is no native client.

• If there is no sound at all (verify by playing a youtube video), check the 'Audio redirection' via Pulse Audio Volume Control

  • ok: Output: Tunnel to 127.0.0.1:5...

  • broken: Output: Dummy output

• If broken: Disconnet (F8 > Disconnect) Thinlinc Session and log in again. Wait 5 seonds, 'Dummy...' should be replaced by 'Tunnel...'. This fixes the majority of audio issues!

• If still 'Dummy...' appears, `Logut' completely (System > Logout) and log in again. If this often required, contact Support.

• Audio / Mic is not working - do the following steps, exact in the given order:

  • F8 > Sesssion disconnect and than login again.

  • Unplug the USB Headset, wait 3 seconds and plug in again.

  • If the System is using the wrong Audio Device or Microphone, unplug and plug again the desired device.

Applets

• Overview over all available applets: https://cinnamon-spices.linuxmint.com/

Installation:

• Menu > Settings > Applets > Download (wait 10 seconds until the list is updated)

• Download the wished app.
• Switch to 'Manage' and activate (click on '+') the applet

Filemanager: Nemo

• 15 nice tweaks: https://itsfoss.com/nemo-tweaks/

Setting Default Printer

• Menu > Printers > right click (over printer) > Set Default Printer > Set as my personal default printer.

If Set Default Printer is disabled

• Open the printer via panel notification applet (lower right corner) > <printer>.

• After that, repeat the first step.
• If there is no printer applet in the lower right corner:

  • Menu > System Settings > Applets > Manage > Printers > Settings > Show printer icon: When printers exist

Multi-Head Support

• Fully supported via native client.

• Mac OS X: "macOS (formerly OS X) versions newer than 10.9 installs with a default setting that breaks the multi monitor functionality of the ThinLinc client. A workaround to this problem is to disable setting Displays have separate Spaces in settings for Mission Control found in System Preferences."

FAQ

• Q: The native client does not work

  • A: Please always use the latest version: https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/download

• Q: Thinlinc via Webbrowser - clipboard is not working
  • A1: Known limitation in webbrowser, please use the native client.

  • A2: Work around: open the menu on the left side > clipboard. Insert the clipboard, mark it, and copy it again to the clipboard - now it should be available via clipboard in any application.