# Usage

ThinLinc Web Access is accessed with your web browser by browsing to the master machine, for example https://thinlinc-master.example.com:300. If you have configured the service to run on port 443, “:300” can be omitted.

Note

On iOS and Android devices, you can add an icon to the home screen. When the ThinLinc Web Access is launched from the home screen, it will run in full-screen mode.

## Requirements

ThinLinc Web Access requires a web browser that supports modern web technologies such as WebSockets and Canvas. It is verified to work correctly on the latest versions of the major web browsers:

- Microsoft Edge

- Firefox

- Google Chrome

- Safari

## Logging in to a ThinLinc server

The first thing presented to the user when browsing to ThinLinc Web Access is a login form where the user’s username and password can be specified.

Fig. 18 ThinLinc Web Access login

To log in to a ThinLinc server Web Access needs to do a successful user authentication. For most systems the password will be sufficient. If more information is needed, e.g. when using one-time passwords or when a password change is needed, then Web Access will present a series of prompts for the user until the user has been fully authenticated.

If the login attempt is successful a ThinLinc session will start or an old one will be reused, depending on if the user already has a session running or not.

Note

ThinLinc Web Access does not fully support multiple sessions for the same user. If the user has multiple sessions, a random session will be chosen.

## The toolbar

Once connected ThinLinc Web Access will display a toolbar on one side of the browser window for various functions. This toolbar can be hidden by clicking the small tab on the side of it. Clicking the tab again will make the toolbar reappear. The toolbar can also be moved to either side by grabbing the tab and dragging it to the desired side.

Fig. 19 ThinLinc Web Access toolbar

The ThinLinc Web Access toolbar has the following functions:

Move/Drag viewport

  Toggle between sending mouse events to the ThinLinc session or panning a session that is larger than the current browser window. This button will only be shown on devices that do not have visible scrollbars.

Show keyboard

  Toggle the on-screen keyboard for the device. This button will only be shown if a touch device has been detected.

Show extra keys

  Displays a secondary toolbar with virtual keys for devices with limited or no physical keyboard. See Extra keys for details.

Clipboard

  Opens the clipboard dialog. See Clipboard for details.

Disconnect

  Disconnects ThinLinc Web Access from the current session.

## Extra keys

Some physical keyboards and most on screen keyboards lack a number of keys that are commonly used in applications and desktop environments. To simplify use of these an extra toolbar is available that can simulate these keys.

Fig. 20 ThinLinc Web Access extra keys

Control

  Simulates pressing or releasing the left `Control` key.

Alt

  Simulates pressing or releasing the left `Alt` key.

Windows

  Simulates pressing or releasing the left `Windows` key.

Tab

  Simulates pressing and releasing the `Tab` key in sequence.

Escape

  Simulates pressing and releasing the `Escape` key in sequence.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete

  Simulates pressing and releasing the `Control`, `Alt` and `Delete` keys in sequence.

## Clipboard

For security reasons the browsers prevent ThinLinc Web Access from directly integrating with the local clipboard. Copying text to or from the ThinLinc session must therefore be handled manually via the clipboard dialog.

Fig. 21 ThinLinc Web Access clipboard dialog

The contents of the clipboard dialog will automatically be updated whenever the contents of the clipboard in the ThinLinc session changes. Correspondingly, if the contents of the clipboard dialog is changed by the user then the clipboard in the session will be updated to match.

## Touch gestures

ThinLinc Web Access has support for the same touch gestures as the ThinLinc client when used on a touch capable monitor. These gestures allow the user to simulate certain mouse operations that would otherwise not be possible. Please see Client touch gestures for details on what gestures are available.

## Command and Alt keys on macOS and iOS

The `Alt` key (also known as the `Option` key) behaves very differently on macOS and iOS compared to its behavior on other platforms. It closely resembles the PC `AltGr` key, found on international keyboards. ThinLinc therefore treats these keys in a special manner on macOS and iOS in order to provide a good integration between the client and the remote ThinLinc system.

For more information on how ThinLinc treats these keys see Command and Alt keys on macOS.