My company recently updated to MS Small Business Server 2011, which has a feature called Remote Web Access (RWA) to my office desktop. Until this change, I was able to access the Windows Server (2003) with rdesktop in Linux. I would then use applications on the server to work on centrally stored files. The new system provides direct access to the system running Windows 7 in my own office, rather than the server.
The process for connecting with a Windows OS involves downloading an ".rdp" file, which appears to be some kind of script (it opens as plain text in a Linux editor, but as gobbledygook in Windows Notebook) for the Windows Remote Desktop Connection program. Double-clicking that file starts a Remote Desktop Connection to the desktop in my office. This appears to be using the same interface that I was previously using to access the office server. There is also a limited connection that can be run with an internet browser as a web application, but "lame" hardly begins to describe it. It accesses an internal website (currently vacant) and gives limited access to my email, but does not provide access to my office desktop.
I have an XP VM installed with Virtualbox, and it makes the connection with tolerable lag (usually undetectable). Since this appears to be using remote desktop protocol, however, it seems to me like there ought to be a more direct way to make this connection with redesktop. I've not been able to figure out how to do that. Our IT manager is virtually illiterate when it comes to Linux. Anyone here know whether there is any way to do this?
