Apache Guacamole is an innovative, clientless remote desktop gateway that simplifies the process of accessing and managing remote desktops and servers. Unlike traditional remote access solutions that require the installation of client software on the user’s device, Guacamole operates entirely within a web browser. This eliminates compatibility issues and provides seamless access from virtually any device with an internet connection, making it an ideal solution for modern, distributed work environments.

One of the key strengths of Apache Guacamole is its support for a wide range of standard protocols, including VNC (Virtual Network Computing), RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), and SSH (Secure Shell). This versatility ensures that Guacamole can be used to connect to a variety of systems, whether they are Windows, macOS, Linux, or Unix-based. Users can securely access their desktops and servers from anywhere, enhancing productivity and flexibility, especially in scenarios that require remote work or management of geographically dispersed resources.

Guacamole’s architecture is designed with security and ease of management in mind. It acts as a gateway, isolating the user’s device from direct contact with the remote systems. This adds a layer of security by minimizing the exposure of sensitive systems to potential threats. Additionally, Guacamole supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) and can be integrated with existing authentication systems, further strengthening security. For IT administrators, the central management of remote access policies and user permissions through a web-based interface simplifies administration and ensures compliance with organizational security policies.

Deployment and scalability are also major advantages of Apache Guacamole. Being a web application, it can be easily deployed on-premises or in the cloud, and it scales effortlessly to accommodate growing numbers of users and connections. The open-source nature of Guacamole means that it can be customized and extended to meet specific needs, and a vibrant community of developers continuously contributes to its improvement and feature set. Whether for small teams or large enterprises, Apache Guacamole provides a reliable, secure, and flexible remote access solution that adapts to the evolving demands of today’s digital landscape.

To subscribe to this product from Azure Marketplace and initiate an instance using the Azure compute service, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Azure Marketplace and subscribe to the desired product.
2. Search for “virtual machines” and select “Virtual machines” under Services.
3. Click on “Add” in the Virtual machines page, which will lead you to the Create a virtual machine page.
4. In the Basics tab:

• • Ensure the correct subscription is chosen under Project details.
  • Opt for creating a new resource group by selecting “Create new resource group” and name it as “myResourceGroup.”

5. Under Instance details:

• • Enter “myVM” as the Virtual machine name.
  • Choose “East US” as the Region.
  • Select “Ubuntu 18.04 LTS” as the Image.
  • Leave other settings as default.

6. For Administrator account:

• • Pick “SSH public key.”
  • Provide your user name and paste your public key, ensuring no leading or trailing white spaces.

7. Under Inbound port rules > Public inbound ports:

• • Choose “Allow selected ports.”
  • Select “SSH (22)” and “HTTP (80)” from the drop-down.

8. Keep the remaining settings at their defaults and click on “Review + create” at the bottom of the page.
9. The “Create a virtual machine” page will display the details of the VM you’re about to create. Once ready, click on “Create.”
10. The deployment process will take a few minutes. Once it’s finished, proceed to the next section.

To connect to the virtual machine:

1. Access the overview page of your VM and click on “Connect.”
2. On the “Connect to virtual machine” page:

• • Keep the default options for connecting via IP address over port 22.
  • A connection command for logging in will be displayed. Click the button to copy the command. Here’s an example of what the SSH connection command looks like:
    “`
    ssh [email protected]
    “`

3. Using the same bash shell that you used to generate your SSH key pair, you can either reopen the Cloud Shell by selecting >_ again

or going to https://shell.azure.com/bash.
4. Paste the SSH connection command into the shell to initiate an SSH session.

Usage/Deployment Instructions

Anarion Technologies – Apache Guacamole 

Note: Search product on Azure marketplace and click on “Get it now” 

Click on Continue 

Click on Create

Creating a Virtual Machine, enter or select appropriate values for zone, machine type, resource group and so on as per your choice.

After Process of Create Virtual Machine. You have got an Option Go to Resource Group 

Click on the Network Security Group: guacamole-nsg

Click on Inbound Security Rule

Click on Add 

Add Port

Destination Port Ranges
Section*  (where default value is
8080)

8080

Select Protocol as TCP

Option Action is to be Allow

Click on Add     

Click on Refresh

Copy the Public IP Address

In your browser, you can now access by navigating to the IP address of your server:

http://”Instance IP Address:8080/guacamole”

Provide the default credentials:

User: guacadmin

Password: guacadmin

Then, click on the Login button. You should see the Guacamole dashboard on the following screen:

Create a New Admin User

1. Click the guacadmin user dropdown menu on the top right and select Setting.

2. Navigate to the Users tab and click the New User button.

3. Under the Edit User section, enter your preferred username and a secure password.

4. Under the Permissions section, check all the permissions.

5. Click Save to create the new user.

6. Log out of the current user and log in as the newly created user.

7. Click your username on the top left and select Settings from the dropdown menu.

8. Navigate to the Users tab and click the guacadmin user.

9. At the bottom of the Edit User screen, click Delete to remove the default user.

Create an SSH Connection

To test Guacamole, let’s create an new connection in Guacamole that opens up an SSH connection to the server.

Ø    After logging in to Guacamole, click your username on the top left and select Settings from the dropdown menu.

Ø    Navigate to the Connections tab and click New Connection.

Ø    Under Edit Connection, enter a name for your new connection (such as “Guacamole SSH”) and select SSH as the Protocol.

Ø  Under Parameters, enter your IP address as the Hostname, 22 as the Port, your username as the Username and your user’s password as the Password. Other parameters as available if you wish to edit the connection further.

Ø  Click Save to create the new connection.

Ø  Navigate back to your user’s home screen by clicking your username on the top left and select Home from the dropdown menu.

Ø  Click on the new connection under the All Connections list.

Now you use Apache Guacamole

ThankYou!!!