Running Windows and Linux apps on the same desktop with OVD
Two in One
© Alexander Yakovlev, 123RF
Serve up a fully functional virtual desktop through a web browser – with Windows and Linux apps running side by side.
Interoperability is a favorite technology buzzword, but if you have ever managed a heterogeneous network of Linux and Windows, you know the goal of a truly interoperable desktop has been something of a myth. If you administer a mixed environment, though, you can breathe easier with the recent arrival of Ulteo Open Virtual Desktop (OVD). OVD lets you serve both Linux and Windows apps as part of the same desktop!
Ulteo OVD comes from the labs of Gaël Duval, creator of the first user-friendly Linux desktop distro, Mandrake, which evolved into Mandriva. Ulteo OVD, which just had its first stable release, doesn't do what hasn't been done before – similar products come from big companies like Citrix, VMware, and Sun. But unlike the competition, Ulteo OVD is released under the GNU GPL, and it is available as a free download.
Introducing OVD
The innovative OVD merges input from Windows and Linux application servers into a single desktop interface (Figure 1). The client system can be a full Windows computer, a Linux computer, or even a thin client system. A user working with the virtual desktop on the client can even cut text from a Linux application and paste it in a Windows app.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Dutch Government Turns to Open Source for Digital Sovereignty
Following in the footsteps of European countries, the Netherlands is looking to increase its sovereign digital infrastructure with open source software.
-
Linux May Soon Work on Snapdragon X2-Based PCs
If you're thinking about buying a Snapdragon X2-based desktop or laptop, Linux may soon be an option.
-
KDE for People Initiative Calls for AI Ban in Plasma
A new community of KDE wants the project to adopt a strict no-AI policy for KDE Plasma.
-
KDE Sets Ambitious Goals for 2026 and Beyond
KDE Connect reveals the goals for the Linux desktop darling, with one of those goals long overdue.
-
It’s Time to Test Fedora 45 Beta
Fedora 45 beta has been released with updated Gnome, KDE Plasma, and kernel.
-
Ubuntu Stonking Stingray Gets Even Rustier
Ubuntu 26.10 has completed its migration to the Rust-based coreutils.
-
AI Fixes Linux Bottlenecks Using “Hideous” Code
A Linux developer used AI to fix bottlenecks that caused problems when building the kernel. The resulting AI-generated code needed a lot of work.
-
Advanced Video Coding Still Under Patent
Brazilian patent BRPI0109962B1 has expired, which means that DivX and Xvid are no longer problematic for Linux, but it doesn’t mean that video is all of a sudden fully unleashed.
-
2,000 Vulnerabilities per Linux Release
Thanks to AI bug hunters, the Linux kernel is seeing record numbers of vulnerabilities, and it's overwhelming developers.
-
Linux Exempt from California’s Age Verification Law
So long as Linux is distributed under the GPL, MIT, BSD, and Apache licenses, the OS is exempt from being required to verify the age of its users in California.