Remote access to an Ubuntu 24.04 machine

Russ
22 Sep 2024
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    Squad
    22 Sep 2024, 2:06 a.m.
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    My Plex media server is running on Ubuntu 24.04, which has shiny new desktop sharing and remote login capabilities. I'd like to use this capability so that I can remote into it from my new place and download shows etc for my wife to watch. I can't even get it to connect on my home network, much less figure out how to access it over the internet, and a couple of hours of googling has returned my no helpful results.

    I've tried using TightVNC on my Windows PC and it seems like it might connect but it doesn't actually give me a viewer screen (I only think it's connecting because when I disable the Desktop Sharing feature on Ubuntu I get a pop up on the Windows machine telling me that the connection was gracefully closed), and I can't get the native Windows Remote Desktop Connection service to connect at all.

    I'm sure I'm missing something simple here, can anyone give me any guidance please?

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    Squad
    22 Sep 2024, 8:27 a.m.
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    The funniest bit of this post is @Russ writing "anyone" in the final sentence.

    I used to remote into Ubuntu in my old job regularly, but that was 5 years ago and my old brain can't recall any of the details. HTH.

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    Board
    22 Sep 2024, 9:14 a.m.
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    I have never used a plex server remote access, and know nothing about it.

    As a general rule, when it comes to remote anything, there are some basics.

    1. Service: Server has the remote access server enabled/running/available, and you know what port(s) it needs. Also version and client support. Test locally on server if possible. Never underestimate the firewall. It's always the firewall.

    2. Networking: The server has the ports accessible (ie not firewalled - check with something like nmap or port authority on android), and the server itself is known (you have it's address) and routable (normally directly accessible from the same NAT'd subnet, but anything else will need routing and/or port forwarding rules on the router). Never underestimate networking. It's always networking.

    3. Client: You know your server is running and available, you know that you can reach it. Now make sure that the client supports the server protocol version, and your firewall and routing allows connection to the router and has any necessary ports open.

    4. Now stop what you are doing, and ssh into the server correctly secured to use only encrypted public/private key instead. It's almost always the correct answer.

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    Squad
    22 Sep 2024, 11:12 p.m.
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    Thanks, I think.