FreeNX Server Lucid with No machine NX client works in LAN but does not work over Internet

[Rahul Amaram]

I have recompiled Freenx Lucid packages for debian squeeze and using it. What I have observed is that when I try to connect to the server using No machine NX client (version 3.4.0-7), it works perfectly in LAN but not over Internet. I am attaching the relevant log files.

The connection proceeds normally with successful authentication but when it reaches the stage "Established the displayed connection", it displays this message for about a minute and then says session failed. I tried increasing the AGENT_STARTUP_TIMEOUT but there was absolutely no difference.

Few points to be noted:

1. This bug has been reproducible only with FreeNX Lucid version and No machine NX client (3.4.0-7) when used over Internet (as opposed to LAN)

2. For FreeNX Interprid version (which uses 3.3.0 backend) and No machine NX client (3.4.0-7) over Internet, it connected smoothly.

3. For FreeNX lucid version and opennx Lucid version over Internet, the connection took a while but eventually it was established successfully.

I think this bug has got to do something with latency. There were a couple of other posts I came across which mentioned users facing similar problem with Internet connection over 3G / mobile networks and therefore they reverting to 3.3.0 backend.

[MattW (seattle) (mbw)]

Rahul, thanks for reporting this bug.

  It seems the newer freenx have bugs....
Hardy Heron 8.04 freenx has been working well for me, session resume works,
etc. Not the case with ubu 10.04 freenx (havent tried ubu 10.10 freenx)

FWIW: I installed the UBUNTU 8.04 repos for FreeNX in
debian squeeze x64 and I got it to work...

Client:

Linux (running on Ubuntu 10.10 Maverik) downloaded
from NoMachine.com/download: 3.4.0-7 (nxclient)

Server:

Debian Squeeze - 64-bit on intel. Kernel is:

libra:~> uname -a
Linux libra 2.6.32-5-vserver-amd64 #1 SMP Wed Jan 12 05:05:13 UTC 2011
x86_64 GNU/Linux
libra:~>

Freenx entry in /etc/apt/sources.list on my x64 debian 6 squeeze box

# Matt Added 2/2011 - lets see if this stable ubu 8.04/hardy heron
# freenx works on debian 6
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/freenx-team/ubuntu hardy main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/freenx-team/ubuntu hardy main

On 02/28/2011 10:44 AM, Rahul Amaram wrote:
> ** Attachment added: "logs.zip"
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/726714/+attachment/1877174/+files/logs.zip
>

[Rahul Amaram (amaramrahul)]

Hi Matt,
Thanks for the response. I had initially tried FreeNX intreprid version (backend 3.3.0) in Debian Lenny. But it kept disconnecting. So I recompiled the debian package for Debian Lenny and it was working pretty well. I did observe though that certain features such as Desktop sharing did not work.

I thought that the latest FreeNX Lucid version (backend 3.4.0) might have fixed these bugs. And so I recompiled them for Debian squeeze. But there seem to be a couple of bugs in the latest version. The session resume bug has been fixed though. It might not work with the OpenNX Lucid Version but it works with the deb package provided by the original author. Installation instructions can be found at http://opennx.net/download.html.

So my recommendation would probably be Ubuntu FreeNX Lucid version with OpenNX from the original author :).

Regards,
Rahul.

[Rahul Amaram (amaramrahul)]

An additional observation - The freenx packages from "karmic" seem to work fine for Debian Squeeze. Here are the repos I use in /etc/apt/sources.list:

# FreeNX
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/freenx-team/ppa/ubuntu karmic main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/freenx-team/ppa/ubuntu karmic main

This might be preferred to hardy packages as they are more recent (though they still use 3.3.0 backend).