ThinLinc 3.2.0 Release Notes

Introduction

A new ThinLinc release is finally here, 3.2.0. It includes more than 170 enhancements. The most prominent features are:

  • Support for new platforms, such as Windows 2008 R2 and the latest Linux distributions from Red Hat and Ubuntu.
  • Integration with VirtualBox - an advanced VDI solution that works well in conjunction with VirtualGL and ThinLinc. This combination can deliver high performance graphics with OpenGL applications, in a thin client environment.
  • A new web administration. This means that the administration can now be done using a single, modern web interface.

Changes in This Release

In the list below, the enhancement number is given in parentheses. Note that this version of ThinLinc includes a non-backwards compatible change of the session management. All machines in the cluster will need to be upgraded at the same time.

Server

  • ThinLinc works on most modern Linux distributions and Sun Solaris (R). This release has been extensively tested on the following platforms:
    • Red Hat (R) Enterprise Linux 6 (64-bit)
    • SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP1 (R) (32-bit)
    • Ubuntu (R) 11.04 (64-bit)
    • Sun Solaris (R) 10
Note: The 64-bit version of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is currently not recommended, since it does not provide a full 32-bit environment.
  • The performance of many RENDER operations has been improved, since we are now using a newer version of the "pixman" library. The "render_bench" test indicates a performance increase of 100%. (3674)
  • Improved integration with SELinux that, among other things, means that ThinLinc sessions are now running in the correct SELinux context. (3791)
  • The startup of user sessions has been changed. Two new processes, tl-session and tl-xinit, are responsible for initializing and shutting down sessions. This new model has many advantages. The wtmp and utmp files are updated, which means that output from "w", "who", "last" etc includes ThinLinc sessions. Please note that this change requires that all machines in a cluster are upgraded to ThinLinc 3.2.0. (351, 357)
  • A stability problem with the X server has been corrected. The X server could terminate when displaying Solaris applications in a Linux ThinLinc session. (3682)
  • The X server could crash on XDrawArc operations, this has been corrected. (3685)
  • It is now possible to configure the Xserver to use a keyboard layout corresponding to a typical english keyboard. This option has been added for increased compatibility with applications that violates the X11 keyboard conventions; it is normally not needed. The default key codes are still from a Swedish keyboard, but this is now specified in the configuration file instead. (3700)
  • Local drives are now by default mounted with options which sets a shorter timeout. This avoids long delays when trying to access the mount while the client is disconnected. (1270)
  • The files "terminfo" and "terminfo.bat" have been removed. (3776, 3777)
  • The symbolic link "passwd" has been removed from ~/.thinlinc. (3778)

General

  • This release has been translated to Swedish, German, Spanish, and Brazilian Portugese.
  • Scrolling performance has been improved. This is noticable in applications such as Firefox and Adobe Reader. In some cases, 80% less bandwidth is used. (3753)
  • Some components of ThinLinc required an executable stack ("execstack"), which caused problems on modern SELinux systems. This is no longer the case. (3710)
  • The local printer redirection now supports print jobs with multiple copies. (3792)

Client

  • The graphics engine of the client ("vncviewer") has been rewritten. The same component is now used on all platforms. (3599)
  • Since the Mac OS X client now uses the same core components as the other clients, the functionality has been vastly improved. (3612) Note that support for PowerPC has been removed, and that OS X 10.4 or later is now required. (3722)
  • A new feature (--loop) causes the client to run forever. The exit button is removed, and when a session has ended, a new client process is automatically started. (3633)
  • It is now possible to configure if system keys (such as Alt+Tab) should be sent to the server when in full screen mode. (3417)
  • The start menu shortcuts of the Windows client are now translated. (3634)
  • The antivirus check of the Windows client has been removed. (3440)
  • An "unpacked" version of the dynamically linked Linux client is now included on the client CD. This allows you to run the Linux client directly from the CD. (3499)
  • On Linux clients, the sound support did not work on systems with an installed PulseAudio plugin for ALSA. This has been corrected. (3330)
  • Printing to a local printer with the Windows client should now be faster and more reliable. This is because the embedded PDF engine "SumatraPDF" has been upgraded. (3441)
  • The support for Linux based EEE PC laptops has been removed. (3765)
  • This versions features improved fullscreen support that solves issues with some window managers (e.g. Compiz). (3420, 3668)

Smart Card Support

  • The client did not handle recent SITHS cards with 2048 bit RSA. This has been corrected. (3730)
  • The certificate filter handling in the client has been changed. It is now possible to enable certificates from multiple issuers, and control certificate visibility. (3590)
  • A problem with smart card authentication has been corrected. In some cases, it was possible to trigger two simultanious logins. (3637)
  • tl-ldap-certalias now works correctly on SELinux systems. (3697)
  • tl-ldap-certalias can now map certificates to users even if they are stored in different directory servers. It can also verify the certificates against issuer, CRL lists, and expiration date. (3653)

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

  • This release adds support for VirtualBox. VirtualBox is an advanced VDI solution that works well in conjunction with the VirtualGL software. The combination of VirtualBox, VirtualGL, and ThinLinc can deliver high performance graphics with OpenGL applications running on Windows, in a thin client environment solution. (3679)
  • The new tool "tlcloneprep" has been added to the WTS Tools package. This tool can automatically rename machines and join them to an Active Directory domain, and is suitable for VirtualBox environments. (3651)

Administration

  • The functionality of the Webmin administration module (tladm) has been migrated to the dedicated ThinLinc administration framework (tlwebadm) which was introduced in version 3.1.0. This means that the administration can now be done using a single, modern web interface. Webmin is no longer required and can optionally be removed. Additional administration modules will be added in upcoming ThinLinc versions. (2697)
  • The Application Server Group interface allows you to specify additional options. (3146)

TLCOS

  • USB sticks without partitions are now supported. (3128)

Windows (R) Integration

  • Windows 2008 R2 is now supported. (3300)
  • Windows 2000 is no longer supported. (3498)
  • The Windows Terminal Server Load Agent now supports user names with non-ASCII characters. (2395)

Corrected Issues

ThinLinc has also been enhanced in many other ways. The complete list of corrected issues is:

 351,  357, 1214, 1270, 1475, 1546, 1838, 1972, 2030, 2031, 2130,
2139, 2176, 2185, 2341, 2395, 2456, 2656, 2668, 2674, 2697, 2718,
2772, 2788, 2800, 2861, 2867, 2918, 2921, 3075, 3128, 3146, 3148,
3167, 3214, 3225, 3259, 3282, 3293, 3300, 3315, 3330, 3375, 3420,
3429, 3440, 3441, 3442, 3445, 3454, 3491, 3498, 3499, 3563, 3580,
3589, 3590, 3597, 3599, 3600, 3607, 3612, 3627, 3628, 3629, 3633,
3634, 3635, 3637, 3638, 3639, 3651, 3653, 3655, 3659, 3663, 3664,
3668, 3669, 3671, 3672, 3674, 3675, 3678, 3679, 3682, 3683, 3684,
3685, 3689, 3693, 3694, 3696, 3697, 3698, 3700, 3704, 3705, 3708,
3710, 3712, 3713, 3714, 3715, 3718, 3722, 3723, 3728, 3730, 3731,
3732, 3733, 3734, 3735, 3736, 3741, 3745, 3752, 3753, 3757, 3760,
3761, 3762, 3765, 3767, 3769, 3773, 3774, 3775, 3776, 3777, 3778,
3782, 3786, 3788, 3791, 3792, 3793, 3794, 3799, 3801, 3802, 3805,
3807, 3809, 3814, 3816, 3817, 3820, 3822, 3825, 3828, 3829, 3830,
3837, 3838, 3839, 3844, 3847, 3848, 3849, 3867, 3878, 3879, 3885,
3904, 3907, 3908, 3909, 3913, 3914, 3918, 3924, 3928, 3935
eDirectory (R) and SUSE (R) are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
Firefox (R) is a registered trademark of The Mozilla Foundation.
Linux (R) is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.
Mac OS X is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
OpenGL (R) is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Red Hat (R) is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc.
Solaris (R) is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.
ThinLinc (R) is a registered trademark of Cendio AB.
Ubuntu (R) is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd.
Windows (R) is a registered trademark of Microsoft, Inc.
VirtualBox (R) is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • ThinLinc is packaged in subscriptions with a tiered pricing system. A higher number of subscriptions will give a lower price. The subscriptions can be purchased for different periods, 12, 36 and 60 month. A longer duration will give a greater price. The payment of the subscriptions is done in advance.

    The default rule is that the prices are set in accordance with the number of subscriptions that are purchased at the actual call off. Deviation from this can be eventually agreed if a roll-out plan can be committed in advance.

  • Every valid ThinLinc Subscription Agreement has a specific ID. Contact Cendio at support@cendio.com and refer to your ID, and we will issue new user licenses for you.

  • Contact Cendio support team at support@cendio.com. And refer to your ThinLinc Subscription ID in your support request.

  • We will set up an evaluation account that gives the permission to receive support directly from our technical team. Cendio can also provide trial licenses for more than 10 users. Please contact sales@cendio.com directly.

  • Cendio wants to sponsor organizations where the business aims to make the world better. This means to help people, regions etc. that really need help. Please contact us a sales@cendio.com.

  • Cendio offers a non-profit discount for organizations that fall under the definitions that can be found at the https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/shop/non-profit-organization/. Please contact us at sales@cendio.com for pricing. 

  • Cendio will, in good time before expiration of the ThinLinc Subscriptions Agreement, send a reminder by email. The renewal process will follow the same routines that are used in a new or additional purchase.

  • Other set-ups are possible for bigger deals. Contact sales@cendio.com.

  • Purchases can be done directly via invoice, web shop or by a reseller. Cendio is a Swedish and EU company with long experience from doing business with foreign organizations. If you have any questions or need support, please contact us at sales@cendio.com

     

  • Best functionality and performance will always be achieved by upgrading to the latest version, both on the server and client-side. A newer version on the client-side will always give a better user experience than a former version. Cendio’s ambition is to keep good compatibility and functionality between the different versions. Historically, good compatibility between versions has been 3-5 years.

  • A ThinLinc set-up consists of a server software, client software and user licenses.

    Server software

    The server software is the heart of ThinLinc installation and handles all sessions, desktop environments and generates the virtual desktop, workspace etc.

    User licenses

    To allow more than 10 sessions to connect access to the server software, user licenses need to be added into the server software. User licenses are bought from Cendio. Please note, when placing user licenses into the ThinLinc server, the counting starts from 0, not 10. In concrete, this means that you need to buy and install the number of user licenses that you need.

    Client software

    The client software is installed on the device that is used to connect to the server and provision the virtual desktop / workspace. If using the web access client, no local installation of client software is needed, the provisioning is generated via the web browser that is installed at the server.

  • It’s up to the licensee to decide who can connect into the server installation. The ThinLinc client software is free of charge and can be downloaded by everyone.

  • The licensing is per organization. There is no limitation on how the ThinLinc user licenses are distributed in the legal organization, as long as the number of consumed licenses don’t exceed the number of paid licenses. It’s allowed to move the user licenses, but not copy.

  • The license use can be seen in the status module, how to manage can be found at https://www.cendio.com/resources/docs/tag/tlwebadm_status.html#tlwebadm-status . ThinLinc will notify you when the limit of licenses has been reached, for detailed information see, https://www.cendio.com/resources/docs/tag/licensehandling.html?highlight=soft

  • Both the ThinLinc server and client software are free to distribute. The user licenses are connected to a purchase and are not allowed to distribute. For more detailed information, see https://www.cendio.com/thinlinc/docs/legal/eula

  • A specific version of ThinLinc is supported 3 years from release date. After 3 years, Cendio can’t guarantee support.

  • The number of user licenses that will be delivered will be in accordance with the number of subscriptions that have been acquired by the customer. The user licenses are perpetual.

  • When adding user licenses into the ThinLinc server, the counting will start from zero. So if you require 200 users, you need to have 200 user licenses

  • You need to buy user licenses and install them in the ThinLinc server. The user licenses are received through buying ThinLinc subscriptions.

  • It’s easy to add new users into a current ThinLinc set-up. By purchasing additional subscriptions into your agreement, so will we issue additional user licenses.

  • Cendio will, after receiving a valid order, distribute user licenses via email for the latest version after a purchase. If the purchase is a renewal and the customers have already received the latest version, no user licenses will be delivered by default, updated licenses will be delivered on request in this case.

  • It’s possible to merge existing agreements. When doing a merge, the period shall be at least 12 months.

  • The default rule is that the prices are set in accordance with the number of subscriptions that are purchased at the actual call off. Deviation from this can be eventually agreed if a roll-out plan can be committed in advance.

  • The client software packages are free of charge.

  • The ThinLinc license is perpetual and will still work after the expiry date of the ThinLinc subscriptions.

     

  • Both as an individual and as an organization, it is not allowed to use the free version of ThinLinc if you have valid user licenses.

  • ThinLinc is free to use for up to 10 concurrent users for both individuals and organizations (on a group basis).

  • ThinLinc Subscriptions give the possibility to run more than 10 concurrent users per ThinLinc installation. It also gives technical support directly from Cendio and the right to get upgrades (new versions) for ThinLinc.

  • ThinLinc Premium Subscription gives prioritized answers, faster response time, and direct access to our qualified technical support via telephone service.

  • The free version of ThinLinc is limited to 10 concurrent users and is supported via the ThinLinc Community. The commercial version of ThinLinc is packaged in a so-called subscription and can be scaled for more than 10 users. The subscriptions also give the right to get professional support in ThinLinc directly from the Cendio technical team.

  • ThinLinc is free to use up to 10 users at the same time per individual or organization worldwide, without any obligations. The usage can be 10 installations with one user per each or one installation with 10 users. What matters is that the 10 users aren’t exceeded.

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