Create an Ubuntu GNOME desktop
This is an Azure template to create an Ubuntu Desktop VM. This is great as a jumpbox behind a NAT.
This template runs quickly, but the overall install takes about 1 hour to complete. You can SSH into the VM and tail -f /var/log/azure/firstinstall.log to see progress.
Once complete, you can create a compressed SSH tunnel to VNC port 5901, and then use VNC to see the desktop. You can edit ~azureuser/bin/startvnc to adjust the resolution of the desktop. Be sure to enable compression on the tunnel, otherwise performance will be sluggish. Instructions for accessing from Windows are below.
Accessing from Windows
These instructions walk through on how to setup a fast secure remote desktop session to your new Ubuntu Desktop machine.
Prerequisites - install the following software
Putty - enables SSH with a secure compressed tunneling for remote desktop - http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html
vncviewer (64 bit) - allows remote desktop - https://www.realvnc.com/download/viewer/
Setup compressed vnc tunneling in putty - this enables a secure and fast tunnel through SSH for your remote desktop experience
Run putty
Enable compression, this allows for a fast remote desktop experience
Add a tunnel - this enables a secure remote desktop over ssh.
save your session:
Connect to your linux with VNC
Open vnc
Click "options" and ensure best quality is chosen (note that the SSH tunnel you setup previously will handle compression)
since the ssh provides encryption and to get maximum speed from ssh compression, turn off encrytpion, and open your session to "localhost:1". ":1" represents port 5901, which you had previously setup with the ssh tunnel:
Click "Connect", and enter "password" for the password:
now you should be connected to your session.
Accessing From OS X
OS X is already setup with a VNC viewer, so all that needs to be done is to create the SSH tunnel:
ssh -N -f -L 5000:localhost:5901 azureuser@<JUMPBOX_IP>
Go to Finder, and press Cmd + K
. Then connect to the VNC tunnel, using password
as the password:
Enter the password and you'll be all setup.
Tags: Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts, Microsoft.Compute/availabilitySets, Microsoft.Network/publicIPAddresses, Microsoft.Network/virtualNetworks, Microsoft.Network/networkSecurityGroups, Microsoft.Network/networkInterfaces, Microsoft.Network/loadBalancers, Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines, Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/extensions, CustomScript