software for remote access that mimics Omnissa Horizon Client and supports use across four 4K displays
software for remote access that mimics Omnissa Horizon Client and supports use across four 4K displays
My work uses Omnissa VMWare for us to remote in. Our IT also has that on their server and when i start their client from my PC, it opens up the website and then starts the client. There also is 2FA. So this is a bit more involved than just remoting into a PC. This is the client direct download that includes the .deb version I'm using on Linux. On Windows, this works perfectly fine with my two 4K monitors. and the 2 screens fill out exactly the entire display. It literally is like sitting at my PC at the office. I have done the same in Linux (on Mint, Debian, and MX Linux) and there it works for a single monitor. The remote window fills exactly the entire screen. BUT when I use both monitors (which i do 100% of the time), the remote session is a bit larger and has scroll bars. So, by default, I don't see the task bar on my work PC. I suspect this is a limitation of the Linux version of that client. I even tried it with my PC set to 100% scale (since int he past even in W11 that client can be flaky with fractional scales). I tried a few Linux-native remote clients, but none succeeded (or I'm too dumb). i have the deep suspicion our IT has measures to prevent non-Omnissa clients to work (or whatever they installed on their server side) My question: - if anyone is familiar with this client, is there a way to properly display two remote displays (like the W11 version is able to do)? - is there a native Linux client that could work? (I don't want to commit any fire-able offenses with IT...) My other ideas are to try run the Windows version of the client in wine or similar or a VM... but i feel that adds multiple layers of complication and even more danger of not working well with two monitors. FWIW, I'm trying this on MX Linux with two 4K monitors (and Debian 13 on a secondary PC, but that only has one 4K monitor output). But unless i do something wrong, Wine and Bottles does exactly nothing for me. Edit: this is how it looks like. The highlighted is the Linux desktop being at the bottom (this isn't the case in windows) and the scroll bars within the remote session that i need to use to get the remote taskbar (and those don't exist in Windows either)
Execute the Windows client within a VM using VirtualBox/KVM on Linux with GPU forwarding, maintaining multi-monitor functionality. Alternatively, employ an RDP bridge such as xrdp or FreeRDP if permitted by your organization, as RDP on Linux performs better with multiple displays. There isn’t a native Linux client that replicates the complete Windows Horizon experience. For high-fidelity dual-monitor setups, a Windows client running directly in the VM or on bare-metal remains the most dependable option.
You're asking about deploying W11 within a virtual machine. It seems you want to avoid that setup because it undermines the goal of keeping W11 maintenance separate and could introduce performance issues compared to running it directly. You mentioned working remotely most days, so this isn't just a small part of your usage. You also tried KRDC for RDP and suspect something went wrong, while assuming IT enforces strict software approval policies—using tools like Applocker to block unauthorized installs.
Dual-boot into Windows for work tasks, and maintain Linux for other needs. It’s not the most stylish setup, but it works better than using Horizon’s Linux client.
It seems like the only viable path might be sticking with W11 for this machine. I’m considering all possibilities before deciding. There’s also the (perhaps overly optimistic) idea that Omnissa would improve their Linux client. I believe trying to build a custom fix—if feasible and lawful—could reintroduce the risks we’ve faced before, especially since our IT team has been tightening security controls over the years. During remote work, they’ve consistently restricted options for safety reasons. For example, when they introduced 2FA, they provided us with two hours to set it up from home. Since I was at work then, I couldn’t complete it immediately and had to wait a few days after they addressed the issue. I suspect that not fully following their guidance could lead to unexpected complications at any moment.
Not sure if I understand. When connecting from my home PC (the one I use) to the office PC (the one at work), I don’t want to see anything from the client’s desktop—taskbar or otherwise. Ideally, both monitors should be filled with 100% of the work PC screen, without any scroll bar. The remote PC should look exactly like it would when working normally, with the taskbar visible and no scroll bar. When the client is using W11, this works well with two monitors. If the client runs Linux, it only shows one monitor at a time. But once the Linux client has two remote displays, the scroll bar appears and the Linux taskbars remain visible.
You secured the web victory! Adjusting my Linux task bar to auto-hide resolved the issue. (By the way, in W11 I don't enable auto-hide for the taskbar.) The performance seemed slightly less smooth—about a few extra milliseconds compared to using W11—but I'll keep it for testing.