VMware Horizon Client 4.7 Installation Manual
VMware Horizon Client
for Linux Installation and
Setup Guide
Last modified 4 JAN 2018
VMware Horizon Client for Linux 4.7
VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
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Contents
VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide 5
System Requirements and Installation 6
1
System Requirements for Linux Client Systems 7
System Requirements for Real-Time Audio-Video 9
System Requirements for Multimedia Redirection (MMR) 10
Requirements for Using Flash URL Redirection 11
Requirements for Using Skype for Business with Horizon Client 12
Requirements for the Session Collaboration Feature 13
Smart Card Authentication Requirements 13
Supported Desktop Operating Systems 15
Preparing Connection Server for Horizon Client 15
Installation Options 16
Install or Upgrade Horizon Client for Linux from VMware Product Downloads 18
Configure VMware Blast Options 23
Horizon Client Data Collected by VMware 25
Configuring Horizon Client for End Users 28
2
Common Configuration Settings 28
Using the Horizon Client Command-Line Interface and Configuration Files 29
Using URIs to Configure Horizon Client 42
Configuring Certificate Checking for End Users 48
Configuring Advanced TLS/SSL Options 49
Configuring Specific Keys and Key Combinations to Send to the Local System 49
Using FreeRDP for RDP Connections 51
Enabling FIPS Compatible Mode 54
Configuring the PCoIP Client-Side Image Cache 55
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Managing Remote Desktop and Published Application Connections 57
3
Connect to a Remote Desktop or Application 57
Connect to Published Applications Using Unauthenticated Access 59
Share Access to Local Folders and Drives with Client Drive Redirection 60
Setting the Certificate Checking Mode in Horizon Client 63
Switch Remote Desktops or Published Applications 64
Log Off or Disconnect 65
Using a Microsoft Windows Desktop or Application on a Linux System 67
4
Feature Support Matrix for Linux 67
3
VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Internationalization 70
Keyboards and Monitors 71
Connect USB Devices 73
Using the Real-Time Audio-Video Feature for Webcams and Microphones 76
Using the Session Collaboration Feature 80
Using the Seamless Window Feature 84
Saving Documents in a Published Application 84
Set Printing Preferences for a Virtual Printer Feature on a Remote Desktop 85
Copying and Pasting Text 86
Troubleshooting Horizon Client 88
5
Restart a Remote Desktop 88
Reset a Remote Desktop or Published Applications 89
Uninstall Horizon Client for Linux 90
Problems with Keyboard Input 90
Connecting to a Server in Workspace ONE Mode 91
Configuring USB Redirection on the Client 92
6
System Requirements for USB Redirection 92
USB-Specific Log Files 93
Setting USB Configuration Properties 94
USB Device Families 98
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
This document, VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide, provides information about
installing, configuring, and using VMware Horizon® Client™ software on a Linux client system.
The information in this document includes system requirements and instructions for installing and using
Horizon Client for Linux.
This information is intended for administrators who need to set up a Horizon deployment that includes
Linux client systems. The information is written for experienced system administrators who are familiar
with virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.
Note This document pertains mostly to the Horizon Client for Linux that VMware makes available. In
addition, several VMware partners offer thin and zero client devices for Horizon deployments. The
features that are available for each thin or zero client device, and the operating systems supported, are
determined by the vendor, the model, and the configuration that an enterprise chooses to use. For
information about the vendors and models for these client devices, see the VMware Compatibility Guide,
available on the VMware Web site.
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5
System Requirements and
Installation 1
Client systems must meet certain hardware and software requirements. The process of installing
Horizon Client is like installing most other applications.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
System Requirements for Linux Client Systems
n
System Requirements for Real-Time Audio-Video
n
System Requirements for Multimedia Redirection (MMR)
n
Requirements for Using Flash URL Redirection
n
Requirements for Using Skype for Business with Horizon Client
n
Requirements for the Session Collaboration Feature
n
Smart Card Authentication Requirements
n
Supported Desktop Operating Systems
n
Preparing Connection Server for Horizon Client
n
Installation Options
n
Install or Upgrade Horizon Client for Linux from VMware Product Downloads
n
Configure VMware Blast Options
n
Horizon Client Data Collected by VMware
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
System Requirements for Linux Client Systems
The Linux device on which you install Horizon Client, and the peripherals it uses, must meet certain
system requirements.
Note These system requirements pertain to the Horizon Client for Linux that VMware makes available.
In addition, several VMware partners offer thin and zero client devices for View deployments. The
features that are available for each thin or zero client device, and the operating systems supported, are
determined by the vendor and model, and the configuration that an enterprise chooses to use. For
information about the vendors and models for these client devices, see the VMware Compatibility Guide,
available on the VMware Web site.
Note
n
Starting with version 7.0, View Agent is renamed Horizon Agent.
n
VMware Blast, the display protocol that is available starting with Horizon Client 4.0 and Horizon Agent
7.0, is also known as VMware Blast Extreme.
Architecture i386, x86_64, ARM
Memory At least 2GB of RAM
Operating system
OpenSSL requirement
Operating System Version
Ubuntu 12.04, 14.04
Ubuntu 64-bit 12.04, 14.04, 16.04
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.8, 6.9
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 64-bit 6.8, 6.9, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) 11 SP4
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) 64-bit 12 SP2
CentOS 6.8, 6.9
Horizon Client requires a specific version of OpenSSL. The correct version
is automatically downloaded and installed.
View Connection
Server, Security Server,
and View Agent or
Horizon Agent
Latest maintenance release of View 6.2.x and later releases
If client systems connect from outside the corporate firewall, VMware
recommends that you use a security server. With a security server, client
systems will not require a VPN connection.
Remote (hosted) applications are available only on Horizon 6.0 (or later)
View servers.
Display protocol
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n
VMware Blast (requires Horizon Agent 7.0 or later)
VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
n
PCoIP
n
RDP
Screen resolution on
the client system
Hardware requirements
for VMware Blast and
PCoIP
Hardware requirements
for RDP
Minimum: 1024 X 768 pixels
n
x86- or x64-based processor with SSE2 extensions, with a 800MHz or
higher processor speed.
n
Available RAM above system requirements to support various monitor
setups. Use the following formula as a general guide:
20MB + (24 * (# monitors) * (monitor width) * (monitor height))
As a rough guide, you can use the following calculations:
1 monitor: 1600 x 1200: 64MB
2 monitors: 1600 x 1200: 128MB
3 monitors: 1600 x 1200: 256MB
n
x86- or x64-based processor with SSE2 extensions, with a 800MHz or
higher processor speed.
n
128MB RAM.
Software requirements
for Microsoft RDP
Software requirements
for FreeRDP
Other software
requirements
Use the latest rdesktop version available.
If you plan to use an RDP connection to View desktops and you would
prefer to use a FreeRDP client for the connection, you must install the
correct version of FreeRDP and any applicable patches. See Install and
Configure FreeRDP.
Horizon Client also has certain other software requirements, depending on
the Linux distribution you use. Be sure to allow the Horizon Client
installation wizard to scan your system for library compatibilities and
dependencies. The following list of requirements pertains only to Ubuntu
distributions.
n
libudev0.so.0
Note Beginning with Horizon Client 4.2, libudev0 is required to
launch Horizon Client. By default, libudev0 is not installed in Ubuntu
14.04.
n
To support idle session timeouts: libXsso.so.1.
n
To support Flash URL redirection: libexpat.so.1. (The
libexpat.so.0 file is no longer required.)
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
n
To improve performance when using multiple monitors, enable
Xinerama.
System Requirements for Real-Time Audio-Video
Real-Time Audio-Video works with standard webcam, USB audio, and analog audio devices, and with
standard conferencing applications like Skype, WebEx, and Google Hangouts. To support Real-Time
Audio-Video, your Horizon deployment must meet certain software and hardware requirements.
Remote desktops
Horizon Client
computer or client
access device
The desktops must have View Agent 6.0 or Horizon Agent 7.0 or later
installed. To use Real-Time Audio-Video with published desktops and
applications, Horizon Agent 7.0.2 or later must be installed.
n
Real-Time Audio-Video is supported on x86 and x64 devices. This
feature is not supported on ARM processors. The client system must
meet the following minimum hardware requirements.
Resolution Frame Rate CPU Required Memory
320 x 240 15 FPS 2 core, 1800 MHz 105 MB
640 x 480 15 FPS 2 core, 2700 MHz 150 MB
1280 x 720 15 FPS 4 core, 3400 MHz 210 MB
n
Horizon Client requires the following libraries:
n
Video4Linux2
n
libv4l
n
Pulse Audio
The plug-in file
(/usr/lib/pcoip/vchan_plugins/libviewMMDevRedir.so) has the
following dependencies.:
libuuid.so.1
libv4l2.so.0
libspeex.so.1
libudev0
libtheoradec.so.1
libtheoraenc.so.1
libv4lconvert.so.0
libjpeg.so.8
All of these files must be present on the client system or the Real-Time
Audio-Video feature will not work. Note that these dependencies are in
addition to the dependencies required for Horizon Client itself.
n
The webcam and audio device drivers must be installed, and the
webcam and audio device must be operable, on the client computer.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
n
To support Real-Time Audio-Video, you do not need to install the
device drivers on the remote desktop operating system where the
agent is installed.
Display protocols
n
PCoIP
n
VMware Blast (requires Horizon Agent 7.0 or later)
System Requirements for Multimedia Redirection (MMR)
With multimedia redirection (MMR), the multimedia stream is processed, that is, decoded, on the client
system. The client system plays the media content so that the load on the ESXi host is reduced.
Remote desktops
Horizon Client
computer or client
access device
n
Single-user desktops must have View Agent 6.0.2 or later, or
Horizon Agent 7.0 or later, installed.
n
Session-based desktops must have View Agent 6.1.1 or later, or
Horizon Agent 7.0 or later, installed on the RDS host.
n
For information about operating system requirements and other
software requirements and configuration settings for the remote
desktop or application, see the topics about Windows Media Multimedia
Redirection in Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon 7.
Because MMR offloads media processing from the server to the client, the
client has the following minimum hardware requirements.
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon dual-core
Processor speed: 1.5 GHz for common case, or 1.8 GHz for Full HD
Memory: 2-GB RAM
Video adapter: Hardware accelerated
You must install one of the following libraries to avoid video playback
issues:
n
GStreamer core library and gstreamer-ffmpeg 0.10
n
GStreamer core library and fluendo 0.10
On SLED 11 SP4, if you encounter video playback issues such as a black
screen, remove the library libvdpau.
On Dell Wyse thin clients, video playback might not work with the preinstalled fluendo library. To resolve the problem, contact Dell support to
obtain the latest fluendo library.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Supported media
formats
GStreamer Framework
Media formats that are supported on Windows Media Player are supported.
For example: M4V; MOV; MP4; WMP; MPEG-4 Part 2; WMV 7, 8, and 9;
WMA; AVI; ACE; MP3; WAV.
Note DRM-protected content is not redirected through Windows Media
MMR.
Set up the GStreamer environment such that the framework is composed of
the graphics card, hardware acceleration API, and GStreamer plug-in that
allow GStreamer to function properly. Table 1‑1 lists the different possible
setup combinations. To ensure the best possible environment, set up your
GStreamer environment using the information in Table 1‑1 for the NVIDIA
and Intel graphic cards.
Table 1‑1. GStreamer Framework Setup
Graphics Card (including
Driver) Hardware Accelerator API GStreamer Plug-in
NVIDIA VDPAU (libvdpau.so)
Intel VAAPI (libvaapi.so)
--
OpenMax gst-omx
vdpau
gstreamer-vaapi
--
AMD
DCE gstreamer-ducati
OVD/UVD
Unavailable
To get more detailed information, see
https://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/documentation/tutorials/playback/hardwar
e-accelerated-video-decoding.html.
MMR is not enabled by default. To enable it, you must set the configuration option view.enableMMR. For
more information, see Horizon Client Configuration Settings and Command-Line Options.
Requirements for Using Flash URL Redirection
Streaming Flash content directly from Adobe Media Server to client endpoints lowers the load on the
datacenter ESXi host, removes the extra routing through the datacenter, and reduces the bandwidth
required to simultaneously stream live video events to multiple client endpoints.
The Flash URL redirection feature uses a JavaScript that is embedded inside a Web page by the Web
page administrator. Whenever a virtual desktop user clicks on the designated URL link from within a Web
page, the JavaScript intercepts and redirects the ShockWave File (SWF) from the virtual desktop session
to the client endpoint. The endpoint then opens a local VMware Flash Projector outside of the virtual
desktop session and plays the media stream locally. Both multicast and unicast are supported.
This feature is available when used with the correct version of the agent software. For View 6.0 and later
releases, this feature is included in View Agent or Horizon Agent.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
To use this feature, you must set up your Web page and the client devices. Client systems must meet
certain software requirements:
n
This feature is supported for PCoIP only. This feature is not supported on ARM processors.
n
Client systems must have IP connectivity to the Adobe Web server that hosts the ShockWave File
(SWF) that initiates the multicast or unicast streaming. If needed, configure your firewall to open the
appropriate ports to allow client devices to access this server.
n
Client systems must have the appropriate Flash plug-in installed.
a Install the libexpat.so.1 file, or verify that this file is already installed.
Ensure that the file is installed in the /usr/lib or /usr/local/lib directory.
b Install the libflashplayer.so file, or verify that this file is already installed.
Ensure that the file is installed in the appropriate Flash plug-in directory for your Linux operating
system.
c Install the wget program, or verify that the program file is already installed.
n
libffi.so.5 is required on Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 distributions to make Flash URL redirection
work, but Ubuntu 14.04 and 16.04 distributions only have libffi.so.6 by default. You can work
around this limitation by making a symbolic link between libffi.so.6 and libffi.so.5.
For a list of the remote desktop requirements for Flash URL redirection, and for instructions about how to
configure a Web page to provide a multicast or unicast stream, see the Horizon documentation.
Requirements for Using Skype for Business with Horizon Client
An end user can run Skype for Business inside a virtual desktop without negatively affecting the virtual
infrastructure and overloading the network. All media processing takes place on the client machine,
instead of in the virtual desktop, during Skype audio and video calls.
To use this feature, you must install the VMware Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business feature on the
client machine during the Horizon Client for Linux installation. For information, see Installation Options .
A Horizon administrator must also install the VMware Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business feature
on the virtual desktop during Horizon Agent installation. For information about installing Horizon Agent,
see the Setting Up Virtual Desktops in Horizon 7 document.
For complete requirements, see "Configure Skype for Business" in the Configuring Remote Desktop
Features in Horizon 7 document.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Requirements for the Session Collaboration Feature
With the Session Collaboration feature, users can invite other users to join an existing Windows remote
desktop session. To support the Session Collaboration feature, your Horizon deployment must meet
certain requirements.
Session collaborators To join a collaborative session, a user must have Horizon Client 4.7 or later
for Windows, Mac, or Linux installed on the client system, or must use
HTML Access 4.7 or later.
Windows remote
desktops
n
Horizon Agent 7.4 or later must be installed in the virtual desktop, or on
the RDS host for published desktops.
n
The Session Collaboration feature must be enabled at the desktop pool
or farm level. For information about enabling the Session Collaboration
feature for desktop pools, see the Setting Up Virtual Desktops in
Horizon 7 document. For information about enabling the Session
Collaboration feature for a farm, see the Setting Up Published
Desktops and Applications in Horizon 7 document.
You can use group policy settings to configure the Session Collaboration
feature. For information, see the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in
Horizon 7 document.
The Session Collaboration feature does not support Linux remote desktop
sessions or published application sessions.
Connection Server The Session Collaboration feature requires that the Connection Server
instance uses an Enterprise license.
Display protocols VMware Blast
Smart Card Authentication Requirements
Client devices that use a smart card for user authentication must meet certain requirements.
Client Hardware and Software Requirements
Each client device that uses a smart card for user authentication must have the following hardware and
software:
n
Horizon Client
n
A compatible smart card reader.
n
Product-specific application drivers
Users that authenticate with smart cards must have a smart card, and each smart card must contain a
user certificate.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Remote Desktop and Application Software Requirements
A Horizon administrator must install product-specific application drivers on the remote desktops or RDS
host.
Enabling the Username Hint Field in Horizon Client
In some environments, smart card users can use a single smart card certificate to authenticate to multiple
user accounts. Users enter their user name in the Username hint field during smart card sign-in.
To make the Username hint field appear on the Horizon Client login dialog box, you must enable the
smart card user name hints feature for the Connection Server instance in Horizon Administrator. The
smart card user name hints feature is supported only with Horizon 7 version 7.0.2 and later servers and
agents. For information about enabling the smart card user name hints feature, see the View
Administration document.
If your environment uses an Unified Access Gateway appliance rather than a security server for secure
external access, you must configure the Unified Access Gateway appliance to support the smart card
user name hints feature. The smart card user name hints feature is supported only with
Unified Access Gateway 2.7.2 and later. For information about enabling the smart card user name hints
feature in Unified Access Gateway, see the Deploying and Configuring Unified Access Gateway
document.
Note Horizon Client still supports single-account smart card certificates when the smart card user name
hints feature is enabled.
Additional Smart Card Authentication Requirements
In addition to meeting the smart card requirements for Horizon Client systems, other Horizon components
must meet certain configuration requirements to support smart cards.
Connection Server and
security server hosts
Active Directory For information about tasks that an administrator might need to perform in
An administrator must add all applicable Certificate Authority (CA)
certificates for all trusted user certificates to a server truststore file on the
Connection Server host or security server host. These certificates include
root certificates and must include intermediate certificates if the user's
smart card certificate was issued by an intermediate certificate authority.
For information about configuring Connection Server to support smart card
use, see the View Administration document.
Active Directory to implement smart card authentication, see the View
Administration document.
Configure Horizon Client for Smart Card Authentication
You must perform certain configuration steps to use a smart card in Horizon Client.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Prerequisites
n
Install Horizon Client.
n
(Optional) To make the Username hint field appear in the Horizon Client login dialog box, enable the
smart card user name hints feature in Connection Server. For more information, see "Setting Up
Smart Card Authentication" in the View Administration document.
Procedure
1 Create the folder /usr/lib/vmware/view/pkcs11.
2 Create a symbol link to the pkcs11 library, which is used for smart card authentication.
For example, run the following command:
sudo ln -s /usr/lib/pkcs11/libgtop11dotnet.so
/usr/lib/vmware/view/pkcs11
Supported Desktop Operating Systems
A Horizon administrator creates virtual machines that have a guest operating system and installs agent
software in the guest operating system. End users can log in to these virtual machines from a client
device.
For a list of the supported Windows guest operating systems, see the View Installation document.
Some Linux guest operating systems are also supported if you have View Agent 6.1.1 or later, or
Horizon Agent 7.0 or later. For information about system requirements, configuring Linux virtual machines
for use in Horizon, and a list of supported features, see Setting Up Horizon 6 for Linux Desktops or
Setting Up Horizon 7 for Linux Desktops.
Preparing Connection Server for Horizon Client
A Horizon administrator must perform specific tasks to enable end users to connect to remote desktops
and applications.
Before end users can connect to a server and access a remote desktop or published application, a
Horizon administrator must configure certain pool settings and security settings.
Unified Access Gateway and Security Servers
n
If you plan to use Unified Access Gateway, configure Connection Server to work with
Unified Access Gateway. See the Deploying and Configuring Unified Access Gateway document.
Unified Access Gateway appliances fulfill the same role that was previously played by only security
servers.
n
If you are using a security server, verify that you are using the latest maintenance releases of
Connection Server 6.x and Security Server 6.x or later releases. For more information, see the View
Installation document.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Secure Tunnel Connection
n
If you plan to use a secure tunnel connection for client devices, and if the secure connection is
configured with a DNS host name for Connection Server instance or a security server, verify that the
client device can resolve this DNS name.
To enable or disable the secure tunnel, in Horizon Administrator, go to the Edit Horizon Connection
Server Settings dialog box and select or deselect the Use secure tunnel connection to desktop
check box.
Desktop and Application Pools
n
Verify that a desktop or application pool has been created and that the user account that you plan to
use is entitled to access the pool. For information, see the Setting Up Virtual Desktops in Horizon 7 or
Setting Up Published Desktops and Applications in Horizon 7 document.
User Authentication
n
To use two-factor authentication with Horizon Client, such as RSA SecurID or RADIUS authentication,
you must enable this feature in the Connection Server instance. For more information, see the topics
about two-factor authentication in the View Administration document.
n
To hide security information in Horizon Client, including server URL information and the Domain
drop-down menu, enable the Hide server information in client user interface and Hide domain
list in client user interface settings in Horizon Administrator. These global settings are available in
Horizon 7 version 7.1 and later. For information about configuring global settings, see the View
Administration document.
To authenticate when the Domain drop-down menu is hidden, users must provide domain information
by entering their user name in the format domain\username or username@domain in the User name
text box.
Important If you enable the Hide server information in client user interface and Hide domain
list in client user interface settings and select two-factor authentication (RSA SecureID or RADIUS)
for the Connection Server instance, do not enforce Windows user name matching. Enforcing
Windows user name matching will prevent users from being able to enter domain information in the
user name text box and login will always fail. For more information, see the topics about two-factor
authentication in the View Administration document.
n
To provide end users unauthenticated access to published applications in Horizon Client, you must
enable this feature in the Connection Server instance. For more information, see the topics about
unauthenticated access in the View Administration document.
Installation Options
During the Horizon Client installation process, you are prompted to confirm whether to install various
components. The default is to install all components.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
The following table provides a brief summary of each optional component.
Table 1‑2. Horizon Client for Linux Installation Options
Option Description
Seamless
Window
Multimedia
Redirection
(MMR)
Smart Card Lets users authenticate with smart cards when they use the VMware Blast or PCoIP display protocol. Although
Real-Time AudioVideo
VMware
Horizon(R)
Virtualization
Pack for Skype for
Business
With this feature, users can interact with an application that is running on a remote desktop as if it was a locally
running application. This feature is supported only on Ubuntu 14.04 and Ubuntu 16.04 systems.
The component files are installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/bin/. After you install the client, you must
manually configure this feature by setting the following environment variable before starting a Horizon Client
session.
export ENABLE_SEAMLESS_WINDOW=1
Redirects multimedia stream from the desktop to the client machine, where the stream is processed.
The component file is installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/vdpService/.
this option is selected in the client installer by default, this option is not selected by default when you run the
View Agent installer in the remote desktop.
Smart card is supported on remote desktops that are deployed on single-user machines and RDS hosts. For
smart card support on RDS hosts, you must have View Agent 6.1.1 or later.
The component files are installed in /usr/lib/pcoip/vchan_plugins/.
Redirects webcam and audio devices that are connected to the client system so that they can be used on the
remote desktop.
The component file is installed in /usr/lib/pcoip/vchan_plugins/.
Lets users run Skype for Business inside a virtual desktop without negatively affecting the virtual infrastructure
and overloading the network. All media processing takes place on the Linux client machine, instead of in the
virtual desktop, during Skype audio and video calls.
The component file is installed in /usr/lib/vmware/mediaprovider.
USB Redirection Gives users access to locally connected USB devices on their desktops and applications.
USB redirection is supported on remote desktops and applications that are deployed on single-user machines.
The component files are installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/usb/. If you allow the installer to register and
start installed services after the installation completes, the USB arbitrator daemon, vmware-USBArbitrator,
runs automatically. Otherwise, you can start the daemon manually by running the following command:
sudo /etc/init.d/vmware-USBArbitrator start
Note You can use group policy settings to disable USB redirection for specific users. For more information,
see the Configuring Remote Desktop Features in Horizon 7 document.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Table 1‑2. Horizon Client for Linux Installation Options (Continued)
Option Description
Virtual Printing Lets users print to any printer available on their client computers. Users do not have to install additional drivers
on their remote desktops.
The component files are installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/virtualPrinting/. After you install the client,
if you allow the installer to register and start installed services after the installation, you do not need to
configure this feature manually. Otherwise, you can configure and enable this feature by following the
instructions in Enable the Virtual Printing Feature on a Linux Client.
In Horizon 6.0.2 and later, virtual printing is supported on the following remote desktops and applications:
n
Desktops that are deployed on single-user machines.
n
Desktops that are deployed on RDS hosts, where the RDS hosts are virtual machines.
n
Remote applications, which are provided by RDS hosts.
n
Remote applications that are launched from Horizon Client inside remote desktops (nested sessions).
Client Drive
Redirection
Lets users share folders and drives on the client computer with remote desktops and applications. Drives can
include mounted drives and USB storage devices.
The component files are installed in /usr/lib/vmware/view/vdpService/.
Install or Upgrade Horizon Client for Linux from VMware Product Downloads
You can download and run a Horizon Client installer bundle from the VMware Downloads page. This
installer contains modules for features such as USB redirection, virtual printing, Real-Time Audio-Video,
smart card, and client drive redirection.
Note On most Linux distributions, the Horizon Client installer bundle launches a GUI wizard. On SUSE
Linux distributions, the bundle installer launches a command-line wizard. You can also run the installer
with the --console option to launch the command-line wizard.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the client system runs a supported operating system. See System Requirements for Linux
Client Systems.
n
Become familiar with the installation options. See Installation Options.
n
Verify that you have root access on the host system.
n
Verify that VMware Workstation is not installed on the client system.
n
If you plan to use the RDP display protocol to connect to a View desktop, verify that you have the
appropriate RDP client installed. See System Requirements for Linux Client Systems.
n
Uninstall any earlier version of the Horizon Client software. See Uninstall Horizon Client for Linux.
n
If you plan to use the command-line installer, become familiar with the Linux command-line
installation options. See Command-Line Installation Options for the Linux Client.
n
On SUSE Linux distributions, run sudo zypper install python-curses to install the curses
library.
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n
In a python2 environment on Ubuntu 16.04 x64 distributions, run sudo apt-get install pythongtk2 to install the gtk2 library.
As part of the installation process, the installer runs a scan of the system libraries to determine whether
the system is compatible with Horizon Client, although you can select to skip the scan.
Procedure
1 On the Linux client system, download the Horizon Client installer file from the Horizon Client Product
Downloads page at http://www.vmware.com/go/viewclients.
The name of the file is VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle, where x.x.x is the
version number, yyyyyyy is the build number, and arch is either x86 or x64.
2 Open a Terminal window, change directories to the directory that contains the installer file, and run
the installer, using the appropriate command.
Option Command
For the GUI wizard, if you have set
executable permissions
sudo ./VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
For the GUI wizard, if you have not set
executable permissions
For the command-line installer
sudo sh ./VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
sudo ./VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle
--console
The installer wizard appears, prompting you to accept the end user license agreement.
3 Follow the prompts to finish the installation.
Important You are prompted to allow the installer to register and start installed services after the
installation. Allowing the installer to complete these tasks means that you will not need to manually
start USB redirection services every time you reboot, and you will not need to manually enable the
virtual printing feature.
4 After installation is complete, specify whether to perform the compatibility scan for libraries that
various feature components are dependent on.
The system scan displays a result value for each library compatibility.
Result Value Description
Success All needed libraries were found.
Failed The specified library was not found.
Log information about the installation is recorded in /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-installer-pid.log.
What to do next
Start Horizon Client and verify that you can log in to the correct virtual desktop. See Connect to a Remote
Desktop or Application.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Command-Line Installation Options for the Linux Client
You can use command-line installation options to install Horizon Client on a Linux system.
Install Horizon Client silently by using the --console option along with other command-line options and
environment variable settings. With silent installation, you can efficiently deploy View components in a
large enterprise.
The following table lists the options you can use when you run the VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-
yyyyyyy.arch.bundle installer file.
Table 1‑3. Linux Command-Line Installation Options
Option Description
--help
--console
--custom
--eulas-agreed
--gtk
--ignore-errors or -I Allows the installation to continue even if there is an error in one of the
--regular
--required
--set-setting vmware-horizon-smartcard
smartcardEnable yes
Displays usage information.
Enables you to use the command-line installer in a Terminal window.
Shows all installation questions, even if default answers have been
scripted, such as, for example, by using the --set-setting options.
The default is --regular, which means show only questions that do not
have a default answer.
Agrees to the end user license agreement.
Opens the GUI-based VMware installer, which is the default option. If the
GUI cannot be displayed or loaded for any reason, console mode is used.
installer scripts. Because the section that has an error does not complete,
the component might not be properly configured.
Shows installation questions that have not been answered before or are
required. This is the default option.
Shows the license agreement prompt only and then proceeds to install the
client.
The default is --regular, which means show only questions that do not
have a default answer.
Installs the smart card component.
--set-setting vmware-horizon-rtav
rtavEnable yes
--set-setting vmware-horizon-usb usbEnable
yes
--set-setting vmware-horizon-virtualprinting tpEnable yes
--set-setting vmware-horizon-tsdr
tsdrEnable yes
--set-setting vmware-horizon-mmr mmrEnable
yes
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Installs the Real-Time Audio-Video component.
Installs the USB redirection feature.
Installs the virtual printing feature.
Installs the client drive redirection feature.
Installs the multimedia redirection (MMR) feature.
VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Table 1‑3. Linux Command-Line Installation Options (Continued)
Option Description
--set-setting vmware-horizon-media-provider
mediaproviderEnable yes
--stop-services
Installs the VMware Horizon Virtualization Pack for Skype for Business
component.
Do not register and start installed services.
In addition to the options listed in the table, you can set the following environment variables.
Table 1‑4. Linux Environment Variable Installation Settings
Variable Description
TERM=dumb
VMWARE_EULAS_AGREED=yes
VMIS_LOG_LEVEL=value Use one of the following values for value:
Displays a very basic text UI.
Allows you to silently accept the product EULAs.
n
NOTSET
n
DEBUG
n
INFO
n
WARNING
n
ERROR
n
CRITICAL
Log information is recorded in /tmp/vmware-root/vmware-installer-pid.log.
Example: Silent Installation Commands
Following is an example of how to install Horizon Client silently, and, for each component, the example
specifies whether to install that component.
sudo env TERM=dumb VMWARE_EULAS_AGREED=yes \
./VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-usb usbEnable no \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-virtual-printing tpEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-smartcard smartcardEnable no\
--set-setting vmware-horizon-rtav rtavEnable yes \
--set-setting vmware-horizon-tsdr tsdrEnable yes
This next example shows how to perform a silent installation of Horizon Client using the default settings.
sudo env TERM=dumb VMWARE_EULAS_AGREED=yes \
./VMware-Horizon-Client-x.x.x-yyyyyyy.arch.bundle --console --required
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Enable the Virtual Printing Feature on a Linux Client
The installer bundle for Horizon Client 3.2 and later includes a virtual printing component. If you have
Horizon Client 3.2, you must create a configuration file and set some environment variables to enable the
feature..
The virtual printing feature lets end users use local or network printers from a remote desktop without
requiring that additional print drivers be installed in the remote desktop.
Important Performing this procedure is usually not necessary if you have Horizon Client 3.4 or later
because you can specify during client installation that the installer should register and start installed
services after installation. When the user launches the client, a configuration file is automatically created
and placed in the user's home directory
Prerequisites
You must use the installer bundle provided by VMware to install Horizon Client 3.2 or later. The virtual
printing component is then installed by default.
Procedure
1 Open a Terminal window and enter a command to create a folder named .thnuclnt in the home
directory.
$ mkdir ~/.thnuclnt/
Note Because this file is created in a specific user's home directory, the file needs to be created for
each user who will be using the Linux client system.
2 Use a text editor to create a configuration file called thnuclnt.conf in the ~/.thnuclnt folder, and
add the following text to the file:
autoupdate = 15
automap = true
autoid = 0
updatecount = 1
editcount = 0
connector svc {
protocol = listen
interface = /home/user/.thnuclnt/svc
setdefault = true
}
In this text, substitute the user name for user.
3 Save and close the file.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
4 Enter a command to start the thnuclnt process.
$ thnuclnt -fg
5 Enter the commands to set the environment variables for the virtual printing components.
$ export TPCLIENTADDR=/home/user/.thnuclnt/svc
$ export THNURDPIMG=/usr/bin/thnurdp
6 To launch Horizon Client, start the vmware-view process.
The printers that normally appear in the client are now also redirected so that they appear in the Print
dialog boxes in your remote desktop.
7 (Optional) If you ever want to disable the virtual printing feature, use the following steps:
a Enter a command to stop the thnuclnt process.
$ killall thnuclnt
b Disconnect from the remote desktop and reconnect to the desktop.
The printers will no longer be redirected.
Configure VMware Blast Options
You can configure H.264 decoding and network condition options for remote desktop and application
sessions that use the VMware Blast display protocol.
The maximum resolution that is supported depends on the capability of the graphical processing unit
(GPU) on the client. A GPU that can support 4K resolution for JPEG/PNG might not support 4K resolution
for H.264. If a resolution for H.264 is not supported, Horizon Client uses JPEG/PNG instead.
H.264 decoding is supported on AMD, NVIDIA, and Intel GPUs. H.264 decoding requires that the
graphics library OpenGL 3.2 or later is installed for AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
If you plan to use H.264 decoding with a NVIDIA GPU, install VDPAU (Video Decode and Presentation
API for Unix). VDPAU is no longer included with the latest NVIDIA driver and must be installed separately.
To use H.264 with an Intel GPU, the Intel VA-API driver and the GLX VA-API libraries are required.
Running the command vainfo shows the H.264 profiles. If the VA-API driver version is 1.2.x or earlier,
you must add the entry mks.enableGLBasicRenderer = TRUE
to /etc/vmware/config, /usr/lib/vmware/config, or ~/.vmware/config. The configuration files are
processed in the following order:
/etc/vmware/config
1
/usr/lib/vmware/config
2
~/.vmware/config
3
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
With Red Hat 7.2, Intel GPU, Intel driver version 1.2 or earlier, OpenGL 3.2, and H.264 enabled, you must
add the following entries to one of the three configuration files to avoid display issues such as a black
screen.
mks.enableGLRenderer=FALSE
mks.enableGLBasicRenderer=TRUE
H.264 is not supported on SLED 11 SP4 with Intel GPU because the xorg version is too old.
You cannot change the network condition option after you connect to a server. You can configure H.264
decoding before or after you connect to a server.
Prerequisites
To use this feature, Horizon Agent 7.0 or later must be installed.
Procedure
1 Select File > Configure VMware Blast from the menu bar.
2 Configure the decoding and network condition options.
Option Action
H.264 Select this option to allow H.264 decoding in Horizon Client.
When this option is selected (the default setting), Horizon Client uses H.264
decoding if the agent supports H.264 software or hardware encoding. If the agent
does not support H.264 software or hardware encoding, Horizon Client uses
JPG/PNG decoding.
Deselect this option to use JPG/PNG decoding.
Select your network condition for the
best experience
Select one of the following network condition options:
n
Excellent - Horizon Client uses only TCP networking. This option is ideal for
a LAN environment.
n
Typical (default) - Horizon Client works in mixed mode. In mixed mode,
Horizon Client uses TCP networking when connecting to the server and uses
Blast Extreme Adaptive Transport (BEAT) if the agent and Blast Security
Gateway (if enabled) support BEAT connectivity. This option is the default
setting.
n
Poor - Horizon Client uses only BEAT networking if the BEAT Tunnel Server
is enabled on the server, otherwise it switches to mixed mode.
Note In Horizon 7 version 7.1 and earlier, Connection Server and Security
Server instances do not support the BEAT Tunnel Server.
Unified Access Gateway 2.9 and later supports the BEAT Tunnel Server.
Blast Security Gateway for Connection Server and Security Server instances do
not support BEAT networking.
3 Click OK to save your changes.
Changes for H.264 take effect the next time a user connects to a remote desktop or application and
selects the VMware Blast display protocol. Your changes do not affect existing VMware Blast sessions.
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Horizon Client Data Collected by VMware
If your company participates in the customer experience improvement program, VMware collects data
from certain Horizon Client fields. Fields that contain sensitive information are anonymous.
VMware collects data on client systems to prioritize hardware and software compatibility. If your
company's administrator has opted to participate in the customer experience improvement program,
VMware collects anonymous data about your deployment to respond better to customer requirements.
VMware does not collect data that identifies your organization. Horizon Client information is sent first to
the Connection Server instance and then to VMware, with data from Connection Server, desktop pools,
and remote desktops.
Although the information is encrypted while in transit to the Connection Server instance, the information
on the client system is logged unencrypted in a user-specific directory. The logs do not contain any
personally identifiable information.
The administrator who installs Connection Server can select whether to participate in the VMware
customer experience improvement program while running the Connection Server installation wizard, or an
administrator can set an option in Horizon Administrator after the installation.
Table 1‑5. Data Collected from Horizon Clients for the Customer Experience Improvement
Program
Is This Field
Made
Description
Company that produced the Horizon Client
application
Product name No VMware Horizon Client
Client product version No (The format is x.x.x-yyyyyy, where x.x.x is the client version
Client binary architecture No Examples include the following:
Client build name No Examples include the following:
Anonymous? Example Value
No VMware
number and yyyyyy is the build number.)
n
i386
n
x86_64
n
arm
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-Win32-Windows
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-Linux
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-iOS
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-Mac
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-Android
n
VMware-Horizon-Client-WinStore
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Table 1‑5. Data Collected from Horizon Clients for the Customer Experience Improvement
Program (Continued)
Is This Field
Made
Description
Host operating system No Examples include the following:
Host operating system kernel No Examples include the following:
Anonymous? Example Value
n
Windows 8.1
n
Windows 7, 64-bit Service Pack 1 (Build 7601 )
n
iPhone OS 5.1.1 (9B206)
n
Ubuntu 12.04.4 LTS
n
Mac OS X 10.8.5 (12F45)
n
Windows 6.1.7601 SP1
n
Darwin Kernel Version 11.0.0: Sun Apr 8 21:52:26 PDT 2012;
root:xnu-1878.11.10~1/RELEASE_ARM_S5L8945X
n
Darwin 11.4.2
n
Linux 2.6.32-44-generic #98-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 24
17:27:10 UTC 2012
n
unknown (for Windows Store)
Host operating system architecture No Examples include the following:
n
x86_64
n
i386
n
armv71
n
ARM
Host system model No Examples include the following:
n
Dell Inc. OptiPlex 960
n
iPad3,3
n
MacBookPro8,2
n
Dell Inc. Precision WorkStation T3400 (A04 03/21/2008)
Host system CPU No Examples include the following:
n
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GH
n
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GH
n
unknown (for iPad)
Number of cores in the host system's
No For example: 4
processor
MB of memory on the host system No Examples include the following:
n
4096
n
unknown (for Windows Store)
Number of USB devices connected No 2 (USB device redirection is supported only for Linux, Windows,
and Mac clients.)
Maximum concurrent USB device
No 2
connections
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Table 1‑5. Data Collected from Horizon Clients for the Customer Experience Improvement
Program (Continued)
Is This Field
Made
Description
USB device vendor ID No Examples include the following:
USB device product ID No Examples include the following:
USB device family No Examples include the following:
Anonymous? Example Value
n
Kingston
n
NEC
n
Nokia
n
Wacom
n
DataTraveler
n
Gamepad
n
Storage Drive
n
Wireless Mouse
n
Security
n
Human Interface Device
n
Imaging
USB device usage count No (Number of times the device was shared)
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Configuring Horizon Client for
End Users 2
Configuring Horizon Client for end users can involve constructing URIs, setting the certificate verification
mode, modifying advanced TLS/SSL options, configuring specific keys and key combinations, setting
display protocol options, and enabling FIPS Compatible mode.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
Common Configuration Settings
n
Using the Horizon Client Command-Line Interface and Configuration Files
n
Using URIs to Configure Horizon Client
n
Configuring Certificate Checking for End Users
n
Configuring Advanced TLS/SSL Options
n
Configuring Specific Keys and Key Combinations to Send to the Local System
n
Using FreeRDP for RDP Connections
n
Enabling FIPS Compatible Mode
n
Configuring the PCoIP Client-Side Image Cache
Common Configuration Settings
Horizon Client provides several configuration mechanisms to simplify the login and desktop selection
experience for end users, and enforce security policies.
The following table shows only some of the configuration settings that you can set in one or more ways.
Table 2‑1. Common Configuration Settings
Setting Mechanisms for Configuring
Connection Server address URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
Active Directory user name URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
Domain name URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
Desktop display name URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
Window size URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
Display protocol URI, Configuration File Property, Command Line
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
Table 2‑1. Common Configuration Settings (Continued)
Setting Mechanisms for Configuring
Configuring certificate checking Configuration File Property
Configuring SSL protocols and
cryptographic algorithms
Configuration File Property, Command Line
Using the Horizon Client Command-Line Interface and
Configuration Files
You can configure Horizon Client using command-line options or equivalent properties in a configuration
file.
You can use the vmware-view command-line interface or set properties in configuration files to define
default values your users see in Horizon Client or to suppress some dialog boxes from prompting users
for information. You can also specify settings that you do not want users to change.
Processing Order for Configuration Settings
When Horizon Client starts up, configuration settings are processed from various locations in the
following order:
/etc/vmware/view-default-config
1
~/.vmware/view-preferences
2
3 Command-line arguments
/etc/vmware/view-mandatory-config
4
If a setting is defined in multiple locations, the value that is used is the value from the last file or
command-line option read. For example, to specify settings that override users' preferences, set
properties in the /etc/vmware/view-mandatory-config file.
To set default values that users can change, use the /etc/vmware/view-default-config file. After
users change a setting, when they exit Horizon Client, any changed settings are saved in the
~/.vmware/view-preferences file.
Properties That Prevent Users from Changing Defaults
For many properties, you can set a corresponding view.allow property that controls whether users are
allowed to change the setting. For example, if you set the view.allowDefaultBroker property to
"FALSE" in the /etc/vmware/view-mandatory-config file, users will not be able to change the name
of the server when they connect using Horizon Client.
Syntax for Using the Command-Line Interface
Use the following form of the vmware-view command from a terminal window.
vmware-view [command-line-option [argument]] ...
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VMware Horizon Client for Linux Installation and Setup Guide
By default, the vmware-view command is located in the /usr/bin directory.
You can use either the short form or the long form of the option name, although not all options have a
short form. For example, to specify the domain you can use either -d (short form) or --domainName=
(long form). You might choose to use the long form to make a script more human-readable.
You can use the --help option to get a list of command-line options and usage information.
Important If you need to use a proxy, use the following syntax:
http_proxy=proxy_server_URL:port https_proxy=proxy_server_URL:port vmware-view options
This workaround is required because you must clear the environment variables that were previously set
for the proxy. If you do not perform this action, the proxy exception setting does not take effect in
Horizon Client. You configure a proxy exception for the View Connection Server instance.
Horizon Client Configuration Settings and Command-Line Options
For your convenience, almost all configuration settings have both a key=value property and a
corresponding command-line option name. For a few settings, there is a command-line option but no
corresponding property you can set in a configuration file. For a few other settings, you must set a
property because no command-line option is available.
Important Some command-line options and configuration keys are available only with the version of
Horizon Client provided by third-party vendors. For more information about VMware thin-client and zeroclient partners, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=vdm.
Table 2‑2. Horizon Client Command-Line Options and Configuration File Keys
Configuration Key Command-Line Option Description
view.allMonitors --allmonitors
view.allowDefaultBroker
-l, --lockServer Using this command-line option, or setting the
Hides the host operating system and opens the
Horizon Client user interface in full screen mode
on all monitors that are connected when the client
is launched.
If you are setting the configuration key, specify
"TRUE" or "FALSE". Default is "FALSE".
property to "FALSE", disables the Server field
unless the client has never connected to any
server, and no server address is provided in the
command line or the preferences file.
Example of using the command-line option:
--lockServer -s view.company.com
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