Short demo of what Ubuntu users can do with integrated Windows RemoteApps

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I’ve used ubuntu for years and can’t count how many posts I’ve seen about people that
would love to move full time to Ubuntu but there’s just a couple Windows Apps they have to continue to use.

Their normal solutions are:

  1. Dual boot (in which case the “other” OS is unavailable
  2. On Ubuntu run Windows11 as a LXD or Incus VM. This eliminates having to do #1 but still means bringing up the Windows VM Desktop and interacting through it.
  3. Use Wine. But as good as Wine is, it can’t run all Windows software and some run with restrictions

So I thought, what if there was a relatively simple way to configure & run Windows Apps with the look, feel and capabilties of any other Ubuntu Application?

By that I mean each Windows application:

  • Runs in its own Ubuntu Desktop Session Window (moveable, resizeable, minimize/maximize etc)
  • Can print to any Ubuntu connected local Printer
  • Can read & write files to/from Ubuntu and Windows Apps
  • Cut and Paste between the Windows App and an Ubuntu App
  • Use Ubuntu’s USB devices
  • etc

See this Github page, which has complete instructions.

Again, if there’s interest I can post all the config steps required (there’s really not many) and will take about 15-20 minutes to configure.

Prereqs:
You are running Ubuntu 24.04 (you can do it with Ubuntu 22.03 also but takes a few more steps)
You have an existing LXD or Incus Windows 11 VM installed

Let me know what you think?

7 Likes
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This is awesome!!!

I have some questions though

  1. What about performance? How much hit it might take?
  2. How much RAM do I need? 8gb will be enough?
  3. How much RAM will the windows vm might take if I constantly keep it running?
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I love this, would be great to see your config steps :slight_smile:

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It looks pretty neat. Some things that people might want to know before trying to set it up:

  • What edition of Windows 11 do you have to run in the VM for this to work? Pro? Enterprise?
  • You seem to be using something called “CMB RemoteApp” on Ubuntu for this to work - is this proprietary or FOSS software?
  • How good is the graphics performance? Do all apps have to use virtualized, non-accelerated graphics, or does RemoteApp allow the GPU to be shared between host and guest?
  • If the GPU is being shared, can Adobe apps or other apps like CAD software access the GPU?
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@soumyadghosh
I can’t answer that.
Everyone’s machine is different … cpu#of cores, memory, ssd or HD etc.

My system is 12core amd cpu, 4TB SSD, 64GB of memory but you certainly do not need that
to do what’s in the demo.

I mentioned in the video that I’d run the same thing with just 2cpu & 4GB ram and it still worked fine.

The best way to think about this is a “What If”
What If you and a new laptop with 4GB memory and 2 CPU and installed Windows 11 on it.
what all can you install and run on it?

or What if you had a new laptop with 8GB ram & 4CPU and Windows 11 what all can you run.

With VMs its really the same thing but with a VM you can change/add/subtract RAM or CPU when you need to.

So the answer is … you need a Host computer where Ubuntu can run itself & Ubuntu Applications but also enough resources so you can run the Windows11 VM (which you set the #cpu & RAM size).

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I’m using Windows 11 Pro.

do you have to run in the VM for this to work?
Yes
Unless you are thinking about a 2nd physical computer running windows 11
Which should also work if both machines can talk to each other

CIAB (not CMB) is just what I label alot of my projects. CIAB stands for Cloud in a Box.
Its all open source.

Graphics performance & GPU for the VM.
I know both the LXD and Incus VM and Container systems support GPU passthrough.
I’ve just never had a need for it myself but I know it works from others using it.

I guess what I’m saying is its up to the User to config what any VM or Container requires for resources.

Read here for Incus VMs & Containers

And here for a lot of posts about GPUs and LXD VMs & Containers

Keep in mind LXD and Incus are still pretty similar in features/function as Incus was “forked” from LX last year.

So usually what you find about a topic with LXD is often very similar to what is implemented in Incus.

3 Likes
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Awesome. I also am interested in how you set this up.

1 Like
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Same here. Really want to try it out!

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Everyone that is interested…

I will try to put together another short video showing every step required to do what my Demo did by this weekend.

I’ll add it to my youtube channel & let you all know.

FYI, i’m not great about presenting in a video so ya gotta forgive me that they aren’t smoothly presented… my excuse is I’m old … :wink:

I’ll try to get it done & up sooner than later…

Again, I am going to assume you already have a Windows 11 Pro VM created/installed by either LXD or Incus

To install Windows 11 via LXD - note there are a couple guides.
This is just one.
and here is another
Guide to creating a Windows 11 VM with LXD

To install Windows 11 via Incus there are a couple guides:
this is just one.

Here is another…

Note: scottibyte’s Youtube channel has a lot of great video How-To’s about both LXD and Incus also.

My reason for recommending either a WIndows LXD VM or Incus VM is that I’ve been using them both for quite a while now.

That means that even though I’ve used Virtual Box & other VM mgmt systems before a lot.

I do not want to try to help debug anything related to non LXD or Incus VM related (ie Virtual Box etc) that may come up. Hope you understand.

Besides using either LXD or Incus is great because the same CLI (for the most part) within each of the two VM/Container management systems) stays consistent & reducing learning curve greatly.

ie. For LXD the command to launch a new container is 99% the same as to launch a VM
Ditto for Incus. Simplifies life in my perspective.

And each orchestrates/manages both VMs and “system” containers and can do it both on the Local Host and on Remote Servers Hosts of eitehr LXD or Incus!

Brian

3 Likes
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Here is a Draft - Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps

NOTE:
This is a temporary location and I will be moving it to my github in a week or two.

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Here is a Draft - Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps

NOTE:
This is a temporary location and I will be moving it to my github in a week or two.

16

Here is a Draft - Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps

NOTE: This is a temporary location and I will be moving it to my github in a week or two.

17

Here is a Draft - Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps

NOTE: This is a temporary location and I will be moving it to my github in a week or two.

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let me know how it goes… I could always have missed something

Thanks
Brian

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let me know how it goes I could always have missed something

Thanks
Brian

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let me know how it goes I might have missed something

Thanks
Brian

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I just updated the original Draft Installation guide.

Here is the link to the updated DRAFT v2 Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps.

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I just updated the original Draft Installation guide.
Here is the link to the updated DRAFT v2 Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps.

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I just updated the original Draft Installation guide…

Here is the link to the updated DRAFT v2 Installation Guide for CIAB Remoteapps.

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Thanks , this is what people try to achieve with Winapps