Login Enterprise Linux Launcher

• Introduction
  • Notes and considerations
• Linux Launcher requirements
  • Azure SKU sizes
• Downloading Linux Launcher
  • Network share deployment for Linux Launcher
• Installing Linux Launcher
  • Running the Linux Launcher
  • Automatically starting the Linux Launcher at logon
  • Ensuring proper connection
• Configuring Connectors
  • RDP Connector
  • Citrix Connector
  • Horizon Connector
  • Citrix Workspace
• Maintenance and updates
  • Updating Linux Launcher
• Troubleshooting and best practices
  • Certificate update
  • Connection status
  • Versioning notice

Introduction

Login Enterprise Launcher is a host used as an endpoint to communicate between the Login Enterprise virtual appliance running a test and the targets (VMware, Citrix, etc.). This article describes the installation, configuration, and best practices for the Login Enterprise Linux Launcher.

To learn about the Launcher’s role in Login Enterprise, what it does, how it works, and more, see Launchers: Overview and best practices.

Notes and considerations

• The Linux Launchers, including IGEL, do not work with UWC (Universal Web Connector). UWC is a Windows-only tool now.
• All testing was conducted using Debian 10, Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, and Fedora 33.
• Support is provided on a best-effort basis.
• Restarting the Launcher machine on failure is not supported.
• VMware Horizon custom command line: /usr/bin/vmware-view --serverURL={serverurl} --userName="{username}" --password="{password}" --domainName="{domain}" --desktopName="{resource}" --nonInteractive
• PCOIP and ICA latency do not work out of the box. The root cause of this likely lies in the clients. Even without our Launcher, the vendors do not report latency. This issue is still being investigated.

Linux Launcher requirements

For information on Linux Launcher compatibility, supported operating systems, and specifications, see the Login Enterprise Launcher machine requirements.

Azure SKU sizes

When deploying in Azure, consider using general-purpose D-series machines, such as the D2 v3 or D2 v4 instances. These machine instances offer 2 vCPUs and 8 GB of memory, providing sufficient resources for running the Launcher effectively.

For more information on Azure virtual machine SKU sizes, see the Azure documentation.

Downloading Linux Launcher

Since we don’t supply the downloads or binaries for the Linux Launcher inside the Login Enterprise management console, you need to download the package externally. For this:

Navigate to the Download - Login Enterprise, scroll down to find Linux Launcher, and click Download now.

Please note that to access the Downloads page, you need to be signed in.

Network share deployment for Linux Launcher

To streamline the deployment of the Linux Launcher across multiple systems, you can store the installer file on a network share. This approach eliminates the need for repeated downloads and ensures centralized management of the Launcher.

The installation steps for the Linux Launcher remain the same regardless of where the installer is hosted. Ensure that the system on which you are installing the Launcher has access to the network share.

Installing Linux Launcher

Ensure you have already downloaded the Linux Launcher onto your intended Linux machine. Refer to the previous instructions in this document if needed.

Log in to the Linux Machine. Open your terminal application and log into your Linux machine using your user credentials.

2. Open the terminal application on your machine, and run the following command:

sudo apt-get update

This command updates the package list to ensure that you have the latest information on the newest package versions. This helps ensure that when you install packages later, you are installing the latest versions available.

If the Software Updater window appears with available updates, click "Install Now" to install the updates, and then continue with the instructions.

3. In the same terminal window, run the following command to install Curl:

sudo apt-get install curl

or

yum install curl

When prompted, type Y and press Enter to continue.

4. In the same terminal window, run the following command to install XDOTool:

sudo apt-get install xdotool

or

yum install xdotool

When prompted, type Y and press Enter to continue.

5. In the same terminal window, run the following command to install OpenSSL:

sudo apt-get install openssl

or

yum install openssl

When prompted, type Y and press Enter to continue.

6. Unpack the Launcher files on the Ubuntu machine:

Double-click on the launcher_linux_x64.tar.bz2 file to open it.

In the upper left corner, click Extract.

In the upper right corner, click the new folder icon to create a new folder in the desired location.

In the upper right corner, click Extract to extract the file into the new folder.

Click Show the Files to check the files.

7. Browse to the extracted file folder in the terminal application:

a. Browse to the Extracted folder.

b. In the top menu, click on the downward-facing arrow.

c. Click Open in Terminal.

8. Execute the install.sh from the Terminal application. Use the following command:

sudo ./install.sh

Insert the URL of the appliance. For example, https://MyAppliance.MyDomain.com.
 

Insert the secret key of the Launcher. For example, BF524AABC372724FBAD5C23B5B81F5A2DF8EF735.

Running the Linux Launcher

Run the LoginPI.Launcher.Linux from the same terminal window. Use the following command:

./LoginPI.Launcher.Linux

Do not use sudo for this installation, as the Citrix connector will not work if sudo is used to execute LoginPI.Launcher.Linux. This is because the logged-in user to X11 must be the administrator.

Automatically starting the Linux Launcher at logon

To ensure the Launcher starts automatically when the launcher user logs on, refer to the documentation of your specific Linux distribution. Different Linux distributions may have different methods for configuring executable files to run at logon.

For more information, consult the relevant section in your distribution's documentation or support resources.

Ensuring proper connection

When the Linux Launcher is run, it will attempt to establish a connection to the appliance. A successful connection indicates that the Launcher is operating correctly:

To verify the connection in the Loing Enterprise UI:

1. Open the Login Enterprise web interface.
2. In the Sidebar menu, navigate to Configuration > Launchers.
3. Look for the Machine name in the list. The Launcher machine name should appear in this list, e.g. "ubuntu" for an Ubuntu machine.

This verification process is the same for all Launcher operating system types.

Additionally, when the Launcher attempts to launch a new session, you may see a console similar to the following example for an RDP connection:

Configuring Connectors

Configuring connectors is an essential step in setting up your Linux Launcher for seamless remote access. Connectors serve as bridges between your local environment and remote resources, enabling you to access desktops, applications, and virtualized environments with ease. Follow the instructions below to set up RDP, Citrix, Horizon, and Citrix Workspace connectors and enhance your remote workflow.

RDP Connector

1. Open the Terminal application and run the following command to install FreeRDP2:

sudo apt-get install freerdp2-x11

or

yum install freerdp

When prompted, type Y and press Enter to continue.

2. Configure the freeRDP2 path in appsettings.json (/usr/bin/xfreerdp):

Browse to the Launcher folder in the terminal window and run the following command:

nano appsettings.json

Change the following line in the file:

From: RDPClientPath: /services/rrdp/bin/igelrdp2

To: RDPClientPath: /usr/bin/xfreerdp

Save and close the terminal.

Citrix Connector

1. Download the latest workspace client.

You can simply download the full package for Debian.

2. Install package by running the following command:

sudo dpkg -i icaclient*.deb

The binary will be installed in the /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/ folder, and the path to wfica will already be in the appsettings.json file, so it does not need to be edited.

Horizon Connector

a. Download the latest Horizon View client

b. Set execute permission for the downloaded file by running the following command:

chmod +x VMware*bundle

c. Install Horizon View client by running the following command:

sudo ./VMware*bundle --console --required --eulas-agreed

The binary path to the Horizon client is /usr/bin/vmware-view and the parameters may be different from the Windows client.

Modify the Login Enterprise connector setting for Horizon connector to use Linux path and parameters:

Citrix Workspace

The Launcher is already set up for Citrix Workspace. If the Workspace app has been installed in a different directory, you will need to modify the appsettings.json file to include the correct path, similar to the FreeRDP configuration. You can find the appsettings.json file in the installation directory.

For more information on connectors and connection configurations, see Connectors and connection configurations.

Maintenance and updates

To ensure the smooth operation of your Linux Launcher, follow these maintenance and update recommendations:

• Perform periodic OS updates.
• Regularly update connection clients (e.g., VMware).
• Restart the Linux Launcher host periodically.
• Ensure the system remains logged in. If the screen gets locked or the user logs off, the Launcher will not be able to launch target sessions.

Updating Linux Launcher

To update the Linux Launcher, simply delete the Launcher directory and download/reinstall it from Login Enterprise.

Troubleshooting and best practices

Certificate update

We recommend reinstalling the Launcher software if a new certificate is uploaded to the appliance. For more information on certificates, see Managing Certificates.

Connection status

If the Login Enterprise logging/dashboard indicates a connection error in the event logs, or if you notice that the Launcher application isn’t launching a console to the target when attempting to invoke a connection, follow these steps:

1. Check the console output: The best place to investigate is the default verbose console output for the Launcher process. This serves as the GUI for the Linux Launcher.
2. Analyze the logs: The Launcher logs are available in the console output of the Linux Launcher. Look for any messages that might indicate the nature of the problem.

By examining the console output, you can often identify the issue or get clues about what might be causing the problem.

Versioning notice

If the Launcher is a major version behind, it won’t launch sessions anymore, as it's not supposed to. As a general recommendation, we advise updating all Launchers after updating Login Enterprise (manually or through a custom script; we do not provide a solution for this).