Remote Desktop

[AbdulRauf-4933]

Body

I am developing a Laravel application using Laravel 12 and PHP version 8.2. I aim to implement a remote connection feature that allows me to access a remote desktop directly in a browser tab by clicking on an IP address. Both the remote and host machines are running Windows. I have done the VNC method successfully. Where I have installed the tightVNC on remote machine and was able to access the remote machine in the browser tab. But, it only work on the same method. But, in rdp I was only able to open the remote desktop connection application in windows where I was able to access the remote machine. But, I want the remote desktop to be opened in the browser tab. I have tried some method like websocket (not working in latest version). Apache Guacamole (too much complexity for installation, and content have changed too much for the latest version installation) etc.

//RemoteDesktopController.php

<?php

namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;

class RemoteDesktopController extends Controller
{
    public function connectRDP($ip)
    {
        // Hard-coded username and password
        $username = "";
        $password = "";

        // Construct the MSTSC command to open RDP directly
        $command = "cmdkey /generic:TERMSRV/$ip /user:$username /pass:$password && mstsc /v:$ip";

        // Execute the command
        try {
            shell_exec($command);
            return response()->json(['message' => "Successfully connected to $ip via RDP."]);
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            return response()->json(['message' => "Failed to connect to $ip: " . $e->getMessage()]);
        }
    }

    public function showResources()
    {
        // Hard-coded list of resources
        $resources = [
            [
                'name' => 'Server 1',
                'description' => 'Primary server',
                'type' => 'Windows',
                'ip_address' => '192.168.1.19',
                'department' => 'IT'
            ],
            [
                'name' => 'Server 2',
                'description' => 'Backup server',
                'type' => 'Linux',
                'ip_address' => '192.168.1.20',
                'department' => 'Support'
            ]
        ];
        return view('resources', compact('resources'));
    }
}

//resources/views/resources.blade.php

@foreach($resources as $index => $resource)
<tr>
    <td>{{ $index + 1 }}</td>
    <td>{{ $resource['name'] }}</td>
    <td>{{ $resource['description'] }}</td>
    <td>{{ $resource['type'] }}</td>
    <td>{{ $resource['ip_address'] }}</td>
    <td>{{ $resource['department'] }}</td>
    <td>
        <a href="{{ route('connect.rdp', $resource['ip_address']) }}" onclick="connectRDP(event, '{{ $resource['ip_address'] }}')"> Connect via RDP
        </a>
    </td>
</tr>
@endforeach

Guidelines

• I have read and understood this category's guidelines before making this post.

[AyhamJo7]

The key point is that launching an RDP session via a shell command (using mstsc) on the server won’t open the session in the user’s browser. When you use shell_exec to run mstsc, it executes on the server machine (or the environment where your Laravel app is hosted), not on the client’s computer. That’s why, even though you can open the Remote Desktop Connection application on Windows, it doesn’t render the desktop within the browser tab.

To display an RDP session in a browser, you’ll need a web-based RDP client that translates the RDP protocol into something that can be rendered in HTML5 (typically via WebSockets and a canvas element). Here are some alternatives you might consider:

Web-Based RDP Solutions

Apache Guacamole:
Guacamole is a clientless remote desktop gateway that supports protocols like VNC, RDP, and SSH. It converts these protocols into HTML5, allowing access directly through a browser. Although you mentioned that its setup complexity and frequent changes in documentation are challenging, it remains one of the most robust solutions.

Microsoft RDP Web Client:
If you are in a Windows environment, Microsoft offers an RDP web client solution as part of the Remote Desktop Services (RDS) on Windows Server. This might require additional configuration and licensing but integrates well within Windows ecosystems.

FreeRDP-WebConnect or Similar Projects:
There are projects such as FreeRDP-WebConnect which aim to provide HTML5-based RDP access. These projects may be simpler to configure than Guacamole but still require a web server and some setup to handle the protocol conversion.

Why Your Current Approach Doesn’t Work

Server-Side Execution:
The shell_exec call runs on the server. Even if it successfully executes the command, it launches the RDP client on the server machine, not in the user’s browser.

Lack of Native Browser Support:
Browsers don’t have built-in support for the RDP protocol. They need a translation layer (e.g., via HTML5 and WebSockets) to render the remote desktop session.

Security and Practicality:
Exposing shell commands like mstsc with hard-coded credentials can be risky. A web-based solution generally handles authentication and session management in a more secure and scalable way.

Next Steps

Evaluate Web-Based RDP Clients:
Look into setting up Apache Guacamole or the Microsoft RDP Web Client in your environment. Although they may seem complex initially, they’re designed to handle the conversion of RDP sessions into a browser-friendly format.

Prototype and Test:
Once you choose a solution, create a small prototype to ensure that the remote desktop is rendered correctly in the browser, and that you can manage sessions securely.

Integration with Laravel:
After confirming the solution works independently, integrate it into your Laravel application. This might involve generating secure access tokens or session URLs that the client can use to initiate the RDP session via the web-based client.

By moving to a proper web-based RDP client, you can achieve the goal of displaying the remote desktop directly within the browser, while also ensuring better security and user experience.