# Virtual Remote Application



## Jimmy (Aug 13, 2014)

Is there any way I can run a virtual application from a freebsd FreeBSD server? Akin to Citrix or Microsoft RDS? So from a remote workstation I can launch a copy of a remote virtual application?


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## SirDice (Aug 13, 2014)

Jimmy said:
			
		

> Is there any way I can run a virtual application from a FreeBSD server? Akin to Citrix or Microsoft RDS? So from a remote workstation I can launch a copy of a remote virtual application?


These aren't "virtual applications", with both Citrix and RDS you are running an actual application. The application itself runs on the server, it's the display (or just a window) that gets transferred to a client. 

The entire X Window System is built around this idea from the ground up. A remote X session runs all applications on the server and only transfers the "screen" to the client. If you install an X server on Windows you can tunnel X over SSH. Starting a GUI application will open the window on the Windows client. 

Alternatively there are various VNC servers and clients which acts a bit like RDP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Window_System


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## Jimmy (Aug 18, 2014)

SirDice said:
			
		

> These aren't "virtual applications", with both Citrix and RDS you are running an actual application. The application itself runs on the server, it's the display (or just a window) that gets transferred to a client.



Which is the very definition of a virtualised/virtual application.



			
				SirDice said:
			
		

> The entire X Window System is built around this idea from the ground up. A remote X session runs all applications on the server and only transfers the "screen" to the client. If you install an X server on Windows you can tunnel X over SSH. Starting a GUI application will open the window on the Windows client.



This would be more akin to VDI/Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, whereas I am looking for the facility to launch individual applications and have them run as though they were native on my workstation.

I thought this forum was intended to help people, not to be obtuse.


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## SirDice (Aug 18, 2014)

Jimmy said:
			
		

> whereas I am looking for the facility to launch individual applications and have them run as though they were native on my workstation.


Which is exactly what you get with the X window system. Launch the application through a SSH session that has X forwarding enabled and the application window will open on your workstation.


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