Creating a Reproducible Remote Desktop with Terraform
Desk Dance
© Photo by Nat Weerawong on Unsplash
The Terraform orchestration tool lets you create a remote desktop configuration that you can easily bring up and tear down, which could save you money and add flexibility to your environment.
The concept of a remote desktop has been around for a long time. The idea is to store a regular desktop configuration on some remote server and let the user connect to it using a remote desktop tool like RDP or VNC. One common approach is to set up a physical server with beefy hardware and then provide a connection to it from a thin client. This option has many downsides, such as the possibility of hardware issues or electrical outages.
An alternative approach is to treat your remote desktop the same way you treat cloud resources – that is, building it on demand and using it only when you actually need it. This solution is certainly cheaper than running RDP 24/7. Plus, the fact that the desktop only exists when you need it also reduces the possibility of a cyberattack. An added advantage is that building on demand lets you scale vertically within minutes.
I wanted a remote desktop that could be quickly created and destroyed, but with a state that persisted between the sessions. Some more specific requirements included:
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
MX Linux 25.1 Features Dual Init System ISO
The latest release of MX Linux caters to lovers of two different init systems and even offers instructions on how to transition.
-
Photoshop on Linux?
A developer has patched Wine so that it'll run specific versions of Photoshop that depend on Adobe Creative Cloud.
-
Linux Mint 22.3 Now Available with New Tools
Linux Mint 22.3 has been released with a pair of new tools for system admins and some pretty cool new features.
-
New Linux Malware Targets Cloud-Based Linux Installations
VoidLink, a new Linux malware, should be of real concern because of its stealth and customization.
-
Say Goodbye to Middle-Mouse Paste
Both Gnome and Firefox have proposed getting rid of a long-time favorite Linux feature.
-
Manjaro 26.0 Primary Desktop Environments Default to Wayland
If you want to stick with X.Org, you'll be limited to the desktop environments you can choose.
-
Mozilla Plans to AI-ify Firefox
With a new CEO in control, Mozilla is doubling down on a strategy of trust, all the while leaning into AI.
-
Gnome Says No to AI-Generated Extensions
If you're a developer wanting to create a new Gnome extension, you'd best set aside that AI code generator, because the extension team will have none of that.
-
Parrot OS Switches to KDE Plasma Desktop
Yet another distro is making the move to the KDE Plasma desktop.
-
TUXEDO Announces Gemini 17
TUXEDO Computers has released the fourth generation of its Gemini laptop with plenty of updates.