Control a computer over the network

There are many ways to take control over a Linux or Windows computer:

program	mean	possible from Windows	browser enablement possible	CLI only access possible
ssh (successor of telnet and rsh)	issue commands to a remote computer	yes3	no	yes
shell in a box, ajaxterm	issue commands to a remote computer via a browser, also over the borders of a typical corporate network	yes	yes1	no
xdmcp	get a graphical login to a desktop	yes	no	no
vnc	get a graphical desktop on a remote computer, sharable with other users	yes	yes2	no
x11vnc	take over a graphical session that has been started out of vnc	no	no	no
guacamole	share a Linux desktop over a browser	yes	yes	no
nx	get a low-latency graphical login to a desktop	yes	no	no
rdesktop	get a dedicated session on a Windows computer	yes4	no	no
webex	take over a graphical session using a browser	yes	yes	no

¹ you will not be able to run e.g. apache on the same port as shell in a box

² you will not be able to cross a typical corporate network. You will need access to more ports on the server than 80 and 443

³ use xming if you want graphics, putty if text console is enough

⁴ as command use mstsc

With WebEx and with x11vnc you will be able to take over an existing session and work jointly on it. This is useful for support and training.

See also

• Access the display on a remote computer