Logging off causes error on client

[Giannis Tsakiris]

I have Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn with all latest updates installed.
I use Terminal Server Client 0.148 (packages: tsclient 0.148-2ubuntu3, rdesktop 1.5.0-1ubuntu1).
I use tsclient to connect to a remote Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
When I log off from the server (Start -> Log Off Administrator) I get a Terminal Server Client Error dialog that reports that an error has ocured. It automatically reconnects in 30 seconds, unless you press the cancel button.
The same happens if you press "Cancel" on the Login Screen of the Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
As far as I can see there is not option to disable auto-connect.

To reproduce the problem try connecting to a Windows 2000 Advanced Server.
On the login screen press Cancel.
Alternatively, login and then log off.

[KDontenville (kevin-keepnet)]

I have this on Gutsy still, whatever Windows version or protocol, screen etc. As soon as you exit the client after a connection has been made the error is 100% repeatable.

Error reported currently is 'autoselected keyboard map en-gb' have seen others in forum with issues relating to screen resolution eg 16bit not 24bit etc.

When I manually select in the TS client the keyboard language code en-gb then the error goes.

I think this is a bug in the client as it is not picking up on the autoselected language, protocol, screen etc. It autoselects it appropriately but doesnt pass this through for some reason.

Certainly annoying and a continuing pain but I guess not 'critical' yet it would be nice if this was finally more polished in Hardy after Feisty and Gutsy having done me to distraction at times ;-)

K

[Taylor Braun-Jones (nocnokneo)]

I can confirm this error (still in Hardy). It is very confusing and disconcerting for new users.

[Vincent Maroun (vmaroun)]

I'm using tsclient 0.150 - experience the 30 second reconnect anytime the session is interrupted.

This can be more than just a minor annoyance. For example:

Client 1 connects to server. Then, after some amount of time, Client 2 connects to server. Client 2 can stay connected for only 30 seconds because Client 1 will reconnect within 30 seconds of being disconnected.

The only way to stop Client 1 from connecting (without having direct access to Client 1) is to block the MAC on the switch port or whip up a quick inbound or outbound firewall rule.

[Niels Endres (niels-weaklogic)]

I've hit this in 8.04 too.

Interestingly, if I share my local HDD, the error does not occur.

[Christian Felsing (hostmaster-taunusstein)]

Can confirm that problem on Ubuntu 8.10 (x86_64) and Windows 2003 Server (latest patches installed). That auto reconnect is very annoying so it should be at least possible to disable auto reconnect.

[Vexed (alanmc14-gmail)]

Still happening for me in Jaunty too.

Its really annoying as I normally have sessions open on one PC. If i need to connect from another site to an already connected session I only get 30 seconds before the original session reconnects. It means I have to ssh to my main desktop and kill the original rdesktop session.

It doesnt appear to add any benefit having this feature on.

[David Siegel (djsiegel-deactivatedaccount)]

Not a usability issue affecting most users, not a paper cut.

[Sam Illingworth (mazz0)]

I agree that this isn't a papercut, but will it still get fixed? Perhaps it should be raised upstream? Who makes the remote desktop client?

[Christian Felsing (hostmaster-taunusstein)]

At least this annoying behaviour should be configurable, so user may be able to turn off that auto reconnect.

[Sam Illingworth (mazz0)]

This is a high priority bug.

Scenario:
 - User A leaves themselves connected to Remote Machine then goes away from their local machine
 - User B has a high priority reason to connect to Remote Machine, so User B connects, disconnecting User A
 - Since User A is not around to click cancel, their TSC automatically reconnects, kicking off User B in the middle of something critical
 - repeat ad infinitum

In a production environment this is a very big deal.

Also, what's the point in this feature anyway? If you're at your machine when you get disconnected you can click reconnect manually, and you can do so straight away so you're never going to use the timed auto-reconnect anyway, and if you're not at your machine you can't click cancel (even though if you're not there to click cancel there's no point connecting, and if you were there to click cancel then it wouldn't need to be automated). It seems as though this feature is there solely to create problems.

[wavded (wavded)]

Still happens in 10.04 and looks like it will be in 10.10. Please look into this issue.

[matanya (matmo)]

this is still in 11.04, a security issue as well.

[Kevin (kevin-matson)]

This is still a PITA.

Real world scenario that I did to myself: Logged into my work Windows box from my home Ubuntu box to work on an outage overnight. Forgot to close out of Terminal Service Client, went to bed, got up and went to work. Tried to log into my work Windows box and got kicked off every 30 seconds. Ultimately I had to log into the VPN concentrator and killed the VPN connection from my home computer to disable the auto reconnections.

Found a work around by adding a line my workstation profile in my ~/.tsclient folder. This should be set as a default and people can change it to one of the other options if they want. You have to choose your Quick Connect profile every time to make this work. If you use the preloaded connection settings that are carried over from your previous session it will not pick up the "reconnect_policy: never" setting.

http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/1035/

Otherwise I like the app. Thanks for keeping it up to date

For the impatient:
mzolin wrote on the 23 Dec 09 at 00:08
  In case anyone still wonders where this option is in the latest TS Client, it's hidden. Add "reconnect_policy: never" to your config file in ~/.tsclient/ to change this behavior without changing code.

Options are:
never
always
error
prompt

Default is "prompt"