Install FreeNX server on Ubuntu 11.10 oneiric and 12.04 LTS precise

• The following script compile and install freenx server on Ubuntu 11.10 oneiric and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS precise:

  #!/bin/bash
  
  ARC=`uname -m`
  if [[ `echo $ARC | egrep 'i[3456]86'` ]]; then
      ARC=i386
  else
      ARC=x86_64
  fi
  
  # NOMACHINE NX binary packages
  URL_NXCLIENT=http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxclient-3.5.0-7.${ARC}.tar.gz
  PKG_NXCLIENT=nxclient-3.5.0-7.${ARC}.tar.gz
  
  URL_NXNODE=http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/nxnode-3.5.0-7.${ARC}.tar.gz
  PKG_NXNODE=nxnode-3.5.0-7.${ARC}.tar.gz
  
  URL_NXSERVER=http://64.34.161.181/download/3.5.0/Linux/FE/nxserver-3.5.0-9.${ARC}.tar.gz
  PKG_NXSERVER=nxserver-3.5.0-9.${ARC}.tar.gz
  
  # FREENX-SERVER source package
  URL_FREENX=http://aarnet.dl.sourceforge.net/project/freenx.berlios/freenx-server-0.7.3.tar.gz
  PKG_FREENX=freenx-server-0.7.3.tar.gz
  DIR_FREENX=freenx-server-0.7.3
  
  # Install required packages
  echo "Installing required packages: ssh patch expect smbfs xutils-dev..."
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install -y ssh patch expect smbfs xutils-dev
  
  # Create a temp working directory
  CUR_DIR=`pwd`
  TMP_DIR=`mktemp -d`
  
  # Install nomachine nxclient package
  echo -n "Downloading nomachine ${URL_NXCLIENT}..."
  cd $TMP_DIR
  wget $URL_NXCLIENT || exit 1
  echo "done"
  
  echo "Extracting ${PKG_NXCLIENT} to /usr/NX..."
  cd /usr
  sudo tar -zxvf ${TMP_DIR}/${PKG_NXCLIENT}
  cd $TMP_DIR
  
  # Install nomachine nxnode package
  echo -n "Downloading nomachine ${URL_NXNODE}..."
  cd $TMP_DIR
  wget $URL_NXNODE || exit 1
  echo "done"
  
  echo "Extracting ${PKG_NXNODE} to /usr/NX..."
  cd /usr
  sudo tar -zxvf ${TMP_DIR}/${PKG_NXNODE}
  cd $TMP_DIR
  
  # Install nomachine nxserver package
  echo -n "Downloading nomachine ${URL_NXSERVER}..."
  cd $TMP_DIR
  wget $URL_NXSERVER || exit 1
  echo "done"
  
  echo "Extracting ${PKG_NXSERVER} to /usr/NX..."
  cd /usr
  sudo tar -zxvf ${TMP_DIR}/${PKG_NXSERVER}
  cd $TMP_DIR
  
  # Install freenx-server
  echo -n "Downloading ${URL_FREENX}..."
  cd $TMP_DIR
  wget ${URL_FREENX}
  echo "done"
  
  echo "Extracting ${PKG_FREENX}..."
  cd ${TMP_DIR}
  tar zxvf ${TMP_DIR}/${PKG_FREENX}
  
  # Patch the source files: nxloadconfig Makefile node.conf.sample
  cd ${TMP_DIR}/${DIR_FREENX}
  patch -p0 < gentoo-nomachine.diff
  sed -e "s/3\.\[012\]/3\.\[012345\]/g" -i.bak nxloadconfig
  sed -e "s/foomatic-ppdfile/foomatic/g" -i.bak nxloadconfig
  sed -e "s/etc\/cups\//usr\/share\/cups\/mime/g" -i.bak nxloadconfig
  sed -e "s/PATH_BIN PATH_LIB CUPS_BACKEND NX_VERSION/& NX_ETC_DIR/g" -i.bak Makefile
  sed -e "s/sample \$(DESTDIR)\/\$\$NX_ETC_DIR\//&node.conf/g" -i.bak Makefile
  sed -e "s/#COMMAND_MD5SUM=\"openssl md5\"/COMMAND_MD5SUM=\"md5sum\"/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  sed -e "s/foomatic-ppdfile/foomatic/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  sed -e "s/etc\/cups/usr\/share\/cups\/mime/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  sed -e "s/#COMMAND_SMBUMOUNT=smbumount/COMMAND_SMBUMOUNT=umount/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  sed -e "s/#COMMAND_SMBUMOUNT_CIFS=\/sbin\/umount.cifs/COMMAND_SMBUMOUNT=\/bin\/umount/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  [[ -f /usr/share/xsessions/ubuntu-2d.desktop ]] && sed -e "s/#COMMAND_START_GNOME=gnome-session/COMMAND_START_GNOME=\"gnome-session --session=ubuntu-2d\"/g" -i.bak node.conf.sample
  ln -s /usr/NX/lib/libXrender.so.1.2.2 /usr/NX/lib/libXrender.so.1.2
  
  rm *.bak
  
  # Compile and install
  make
  sudo make install
  
  # Run nxsetup
  sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxsetup --install --setup-nomachine-key
  
  # Install starup script
  cd /etc/init.d
  sudo wget -O freenx http://computingplugs.com/files/nxserver
  sudo chmod +x freenx
  sudo update-rc.d freenx defaults
  
  # Clean up
  cd $CUR_DIR
  rm -fr $TMP_DIR
  
  

• You can download the script and execute it with the following command:

  sudo chmod +x /path/to/freenx-install.sh
  sudo /path/to/freenx-install.sh
  

How to configure the NX server to make it work with Unity 2D?

If your computer comes without 3D graphics support, the ubuntu will fall into unity 2D automatically, in this case, the nx session should work fine with unity 2D
If your computer comes with 3D graphics support, by default, the ubuntu will try to use Unity (3D) as its desktop session. However, the nx server does not support Unity (3D) so far. In this case the nx session will fail to work. To solve it, you have to change the nx server configuration to use Unity 2D or Gnome classic specificly.
The following commands will configure the NX server to unity 2D(Tested on Ubuntu 12.04):

• To configure NX server to use unity 2D:
• Edit /usr/NX/etc/node.conf file as root, and enable the following line:

  COMMAND_START_GNOME="gnome-session --session=ubuntu-2d"
  

• Restart freenx server:

  sudo /etc/init.d/freenx restart
  

• To configure NX server to use gnome-shell:
• Install gnome-shell:

  sudo apt-get install gnome-shell
  

• Edit /usr/NX/etc/node.conf file as root, and enable the following line:

  COMMAND_START_GNOME="gnome-session --session=gnome"
  

• Restart freenx server:

  sudo /etc/init.d/freenx restart
  

• To configure NX server to use gnome-session-fallback:
• Install gnome-session-fallback:

  sudo apt-get install gnome-session-fallback
  

• Edit /usr/NX/etc/node.conf file as root, and enable the following line:

  COMMAND_START_GNOME="gnome-session --session=gnome-fallback"
  

• Restart freenx server:

  sudo /etc/init.d/freenx restart
  

Note:

• The scripts has been tested and works the following version of Ubuntu Linux:
• Ubuntu Desktop 11.10 32bit
• Ubuntu Desktop 11.10 32bit
• Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 LTS 32bit
• Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 LTS 64bit

Update(5 May 2012): Easy installation using the all in one binary

For convenience, I have compiled the free nx server and developed an installer script to install the compiled binaries (so that you do not have to run the script above to download and compile from source). It includes both 32 bit and 64 bit binaries.

1. Download the freenx.bin
2. Run the following commands to install:

   chmod +x /path/to/freenx.bin
   /path/to/freenx.bin
   

FYI: I use this method to build the self-extractable installer.

Update(15 Oct 2012): Solve the authentication failure by generating custom key pair.

For some reason, the default nomachine key pair comes with the installation no longer work. Therefore, the nx client could not login because of the key authentication failure.

The solution is: Generate and use custom pair

1. On the nx server host, remove the old ssh key pairs for the nx user:

   sudo rm /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh

2. On the nx server host, generate new custom key pair:

   sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxsetup --install

   When asking:

   Do you want to use your own custom KeyPair? [y/N]

   Answer is y. It will generate files (key pair) in /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/. And /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/client.id_dsa.key is the file you need to distribute to your nx clients.
3. In the configuration of NX client (Nomachine nx client or OpenNX client), import the newly generate key file: /usr/NX/home/nx/.ssh/client.id_dsa.key
4. Now you should be able to login via nx client...