Linux remote administration on Android and iOS
X for Android
Executing commands on startup is also useful for exporting a display, so you can start graphical applications in combination with the X Server for Android [5]. Unfortunately, android-xserver
does not support the necessary extensions to launch Firefox, for example. Nevertheless, it continues to offer the most comprehensive X server implementation on Android.
Hacker's Keyboard
If you are familiar with the advantages of keyboard-based controls in a shell, you will definitely appreciate some advanced features for touchscreens, including the often missing Tab key for auto-completion. Only a few Android devices have this practical detail preinstalled (Figure 2), and Hacker's Keyboard [6] (Figure 4) makes the Unix shell with ConnectBot far more pleasant to use by retrofitting Tab, Ctrl, Esc, and arrow keys.
During installation, note that new Android keyboards are not automatically active for safety reasons; instead, the user needs to activate them in the system settings. Although this seems unnecessarily complicated at first, it actually makes perfect sense: Unintentionally installed keyboards could act as keyloggers and sniff passwords, among other things.
Apple Console
On the iOS front, iSSH [7] (Figure 5) provides a powerful SSH client. Apart from the features described for ConnectBot, it even supports Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network Computing (VNC) out of the box, and it comes with its own X server.
You can launch Firefox without any problems, although you do have to make some compromises compared with the mobile version, which is optimized for tablets and smartphones. It's still better to use a slow Firefox tunneled over SSH than to expose intranet resources.
Thanks to its own X server, iSSH is much more convenient to use than teaming up ConnectBot and an X server because much less configuration effort is necessary.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
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
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.