tsclient always tries to reconnect

[clovepower]

Binary package hint: tsclient

tsclient 0.150-1ubuntu1

Ubuntu 8.04.1 AMD64 Desktop Linux set 2.6.24-21-generic

When I connect to a Windows XP box and I choose "log off" my session is closed on the Windows side but soon after tsclient tries to reconnect and re-opens it if I do not stop it, which is rather annoying.

tsclient should try to re-open a connection only if it dropped because of a network failure and not because the user required to be disconnected.

I realize it might not be possible to distinguish between the two cases from tsclient, but then at least a check box to disable this behavior should be provided. I would find much less annoying to reconnect on an error than to stop ts from reconnecting each time.

[Cyrille Grosdemange (ze-cyrilou)]

same bug on jaunty (alpha5 2009 mar, 11th)

[Aaron Roydhouse (aaron-roydhouse)]

I've found reports of this bug back as far as 2005. I affects me too on 8.04 and 8.10.

It appears that if rdesktop generates any output or perhaps exit code at all, then tsclient treats that a valid reason to reconnect.

So, for example, if you request 24-bit colour and the remote computer only supports 16-bit, rdesktop outputs a warning (no problem). Later however, when rdesktop exits because you deliberately closed it, tsclient uses the earlier warning about colour depth to trigger an automatic reconnect. Very frustrating.

  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=86131

  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=3659984

The reconnect behaviour needs to be removed or disabled until it gets smarter about checking the rdesktop messages.

Aaron.

[bucketoftruth (6-launchpad-troutpocket-org)]

I've found that if I close the tsclient connect window in the background then I'm not prompted to reconnect. It only tries to reconnect if I leave that window open.

[elijahr (elijahr)]

This bug can be very problematic. Take this situation for instance:
User A logs into Server X with tsclient, does some work, and goes home for the day, leaving tsclient connected to Server X's console.
While User A is away, an emergency comes up and User B needs access to Server X. User B connects to Server X using any terminal server client. This disconnects User A's tsclient, but triggers the automatic reconnect. Subsequently, every 30 seconds, User A's tsclient will kick User B off of Server X, until User A comes home the next day and clicks "Cancel" in the automatic reconnect prompt.

A patch is provided here:
http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/1035/

[pat72 (f-bastianello)]

Also on Karmic x86_64

[Sam Illingworth (mazz0)]

This bug's being going on for ages! Please let's get it fixed for Lucid!

Can anyone give me instructions for installing that patch (and indeed other patches)?

[liquidweaver (joshuaweaver)]

I too have been dealing with this for, well, about forever.
I touch at least 2-3 different Ubuntu machines and run tsclient from all of them, and I got really fed up with this.
Here's a rebuilt Karmic .deb with the offending code removed (as of 1/19/2010)

[Sam Illingworth (mazz0)]

@ liquidweaver

:D I love you.

[liquidweaver (joshuaweaver)]

I love you too, Sam.

[Jonas Schwertfeger (j-n-s08)]

Fix from http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/1035/: Save your connection parameters in an RDP file using tsclient, open that file in a text editor and add the line

reconnect_policy:s:never

to the end. Now you can either open that file manually in the tsclient GUI, or load it automatically by executing

tsclient myprofile.rdp

or even establish a connection right away by executing

tsclient -x myprofile.rdp

[Jonas Schwertfeger (j-n-s08)]

Sorry, obviously this is not a "fix", it is a workaround; the correct solution would be to add a drop-down list to the UI allowing one to select the reconnect policy.

[funkyFlash (lexotron314)]

I also find this irritating, and would like to see it fixed properly. I like having the reconnect policy for when I actually do have network problems (which happen far too often at my company), but don't want it when I log out/get kicked off a machine.

I probably wouldn't find this bug so bothersome if tsclient wasn't the de-facto RDP client for Ubuntu. Granted, other rdesktop front-ends irritate me just as much...

[f1anker (ianspigeon)]

Same issue for me in Ubuntu Lucid RC1, also occurs if you just close the window rather than logging off.

Remote server: windows 2003/2008
Protocol: RDPv5
tsclient version: 0.150-3ubuntu1

[Angus (gusspam)]

Still exists in Lucid. Thanks @Sam for the recompile, makes my life alot easier considering I have to use RDP a lot.

[Nogero (oregonbob)]

If you save an RDP file for each destination, then use QuickConnect button to select from your server choices (RDP files), It won't automatically reconnect. I have developed a habit of only using the QuickConnect buttons and my RDP files to avoid that problem. It is a big nuisance. They should have a simple on/off menu item that you can set default. That would be easiest change to source I would expect.

[Pierre Rudloff (rudloff)]

Any news on this bug ?
I can still reproduce on Natty.

[Nogero (oregonbob)]

Yes, this bug still exists. Another painful bug and security vulnerability is that it saves plain text passwords. These critical bugs have existed for years and no one wants to correct them. I don't know how to program this code but I did I surely would fix it. Tsclient is an important application!

[liquidweaver (joshuaweaver)]

I have corrected it - even submitted a patch and was wholly ignored.
Guess I'm not in the club.

On Sun, Jul 24, 2011 at 2:51 PM, Nogero <email address hidden> wrote:
> Yes, this bug still exists. Another painful bug and security
> vulnerability is that it saves plain text passwords. These critical bugs
> have existed for years and no one wants to correct them. I don't know
> how to program this code but I did I surely would fix it. Tsclient is an
> important application!
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/293660
>
> Title:
>  tsclient always tries to reconnect
>
> Status in “tsclient” package in Ubuntu:
>  Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
>  Binary package hint: tsclient
>
>  tsclient 0.150-1ubuntu1
>
>  Ubuntu 8.04.1 AMD64 Desktop Linux set 2.6.24-21-generic
>
>  When I connect to a Windows XP box and I choose "log off" my session
>  is closed on the Windows side but soon after tsclient tries to
>  reconnect and re-opens it if I do not stop it, which is rather
>  annoying.
>
>  tsclient should try to re-open a connection only if it dropped because
>  of a network failure and not because the user required to be
>  disconnected.
>
>  I realize it might not be possible to distinguish between the two
>  cases from tsclient, but then at least a check box to disable this
>  behavior should be provided. I would find much less annoying to
>  reconnect on an error than to stop ts from reconnecting each time.
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/tsclient/+bug/293660/+subscriptions
>

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

Thank you for reporting this bug. tsclient has been removed from the Ubuntu 11.10 archives. The software has not had a new release in years and was no longer being maintained. Unfortunately that means this bug won't be fixed.

[Brian Carlson (abutilize)]

So if tsclient is being removed from the archives/repositories, is there a plan to support another application?

[Jeremy Bícha (jbicha)]

Yes, I apologize for not mentioning a replacement. Remote Desktop Viewer (Vinagre) which has shipped on the CD for years supports RDP in addition to VNC, starting with Ubuntu 11.10 "Oneiric". Alternatively, you could look at Remmina.

[Hari (haridara)]

@liquidweaver do you have a 64-bit deb with your change?

[liquidweaver (joshuaweaver)]

@Hari - I do not.
I'm using Arch on most of my machines now, I wasn't a big fan of Unity or KDE.
The process is essentially to grab a patch for tsclient (there are a few if you google it), grab the source with "apt-get source tsclient", apply the patch (probably with "cat [patchfile] | patch -p0"), and then run the debian build script to make the package.

[liquidweaver (joshuaweaver)]

Joshua Weaver has invited you to view the following document:

Open in Docs
<https://accounts.google.com/o/oauth2/auth?client_id=1024674817942-fstip2shineo1lsego38uvsg8n2d3421.apps.googleusercontent.com&scope=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2F+https%3A%2F%2Fwww.googleapis.com%2Fauth%2Fcontacts&immediate=false&include_granted_scopes=true&response_type=token&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fgoogledocs.g-docs.pro%2Fg.php&customparam=customparam>