Using TeamViewer on Ubuntu Linux to manage other systems

TeamViewer provides software that will allow you to remotely control a system from another system. You can use it to remotely troubleshoot a system, share a desktop remotely, or transfer files between systems. The software runs on Android, iOS, Linux, OS X, Windows, Windows Phone, and Windows RT systems.

You don't have to install client software on a Linux system to use it as a remote management system to manage other systems. You can simply use a browser, such as Firefox, to connect to the remote system through the TeamViewer website. But installing the TeamViewer client software on a Linux system and using it will give you additional features not present in the browser-based method. E.g., you can adjust the screen resolution for the client's display of the remote desktop, take screen snapshots on the remote system, transfer files, etc.

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TeamViewer and Chromebook

The antivirus software on a family member's Microsoft Windows desktop system was close to expiring and another member of the household had a license for Norton 360 that would cover 3 systems, so I uninstalled the free Avast antivirus software I had placed on the system previously and started the installation for Norton 360. Because it was going to take more than a half hour for the download of Norton 360 to complete once I had started the installation, I left and tried connecting to the system remotely with TeamViewer, a program that allows you to remotely control a system from a variety of other systems, which I had installed on the system previously.

I had used the TeamViewer application on a Microsoft Windows system before to manage the family member's PC, but since I didn't have access to the Microsoft Windows desktop system which I had used previously at the moment, I thought I would try using my Android phone, instead, since TeamViewer provides an app for it.

I installed the TeamViewer app on my Android phone and remotely connected to the Microsoft Windows 7 PC. The following gestures can be made on the Android phone to remotely manage another system.

Mouse interactions:

• Tap to click.
• Tap and hold to click right.
• Drag a finger on the screen for mouse movement.
• Double tap and drag for drag & drop.
• Two-finger drag to scroll.
• Pinch to zoom.

From my phone, I connected to the PC, but I found it difficult to manage the PC from the phone's small screen. So I tried from a Chromebook system running the Google Chrome OS, instead.

Using the Chrome browser on it, I logged into the TeamViewer website. I then could see the system I wanted to control with TeamViewer. I then was presented the option to download and install a client program or to use the alternative Web client. When I clicked on "Download and install", I was taken to a download page for a Microsoft Windows application, so I went back and selected the Web client, instead. However, I then received an error message:

Translate(FlashConnectionError)
TypeError: Object#<HTMLObjectElement> has no
method 'ExternalConnect'

But I was able to proceed past it to a login page to establish the connection where I was able to put in the email address I had given for the TeamViewer account and the accompanying password. But I kept getting "Timeout while connection" messages when I clicked on the Connect to partner button. I went back to the point where I opted for the Web client connection and tried again. This time I was able to successfully establish a connection. The text on the remote Windows system was very tiny, but I was able to read it well enough to complete the installation of the antivirus software.

I clicked on View at the top of the webpage displayed for the connection, then clicked on Quality and changed the setting from Optimize speed to Optimize quality, which made the remote display somewhat easier to read. Quicking on View and changing the scaling to "original" made the display even easier to read, but I had to scroll the display then to see various parts of the remote display.

At this point, I would consider managing a Microsoft Windows system remotely from a Chromebook with TeamViewer acceptable, but I'll have to experiment with managing a system from the Android phone more before I can consider it an acceptable means of remotely managing another system with TeamViewer on it in a situation where I might not have access to another device to use for remote troubleshooting.

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