Connect to Remote Desktops from Clients in Kiosk Mode

You can run the client from the command line or use a script to connect a client to a remote session.

About this task

You would usually use a command script to run Horizon Client on a deployed client device.

Note:

On a Windows or Mac client, by default USB devices on the client are not forwarded automatically if they are in use by another application or service when the remote desktop session starts. On all clients, human interface devices (HIDs) and smart card readers are not forwarded by default.

Procedure

To connect to a remote session, type the appropriate command for your platform.

Option	Description
Windows	Enter `C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Horizon View Client\vmware-view.exe -unattended [-serverURL connection_server] [-userName user_name] [-password password]` -password `password` Specifies the password for the client's account. If you defined a password for the account, you must specify this password. -serverURL `connection_server` Specifies the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that Horizon Client will use to connect to its remote desktop. If you do not specify the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that the client will use to connect to its remote desktop, the client uses the default View Connection Server instance that you configured for it. -userName `user_name` Specifies the name of the client's account. If you want a client to authenticate itself using an account name that begins with a recognized prefix string, such as "custom-", rather than using its MAC address, you must specify this name.
Linux	Enter `vmware-view --unattended -s connection_server [--once] [-u user_name] [-p password]` --once Specifies that you do not want Horizon Client to retry connecting in the case of an error occurring. Important: You should usually specify this option, and use the exit code to handle the error. Otherwise, you might find it difficult to kill the vmware-view process remotely. -p `password` Specifies the password for the client's account. If you defined a password for the account, you must specify this password. -s `connection_server` Specifies the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that the client will use to connect to its desktop. -u `user_name` Specifies the name of the client's account. If you want a client to authenticate itself using an account name that begins with a recognized prefix string, such as "custom-", rather than using its MAC address, you must specify this name.

Option

Description

Windows

Enter C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Horizon View Client\vmware-view.exe -unattended [-serverURL connection_server] [-userName user_name] [-password password]

-password password: Specifies the password for the client's account. If you defined a password for the account, you must specify this password.
-serverURL connection_server: Specifies the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that Horizon Client will use to connect to its remote desktop. If you do not specify the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that the client will use to connect to its remote desktop, the client uses the default View Connection Server instance that you configured for it.
-userName user_name: Specifies the name of the client's account. If you want a client to authenticate itself using an account name that begins with a recognized prefix string, such as "custom-", rather than using its MAC address, you must specify this name.

Linux

Enter vmware-view --unattended -s connection_server [--once] [-u user_name] [-p password]

--once: Specifies that you do not want Horizon Client to retry connecting in the case of an error occurring.

Important:
You should usually specify this option, and use the exit code to handle the error. Otherwise, you might find it difficult to kill the vmware-view process remotely.
-p password: Specifies the password for the client's account. If you defined a password for the account, you must specify this password.
-s connection_server: Specifies the IP address or FQDN of the View Connection Server instance that the client will use to connect to its desktop.
-u user_name: Specifies the name of the client's account. If you want a client to authenticate itself using an account name that begins with a recognized prefix string, such as "custom-", rather than using its MAC address, you must specify this name.

If the server authenticates the kiosk client and a remote desktop is available, the command starts the remote session.

Running Horizon Client on Clients in Kiosk Mode

Run Horizon Client on a Windows client whose account name is based on its MAC address, and which has an automatically generated password.

C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Horizon View Client\vmware-view.exe -unattended -serverURL consvr2.myorg.com

Run Horizon Client on a Linux client using an assigned name and password.

vmware-view -unattended -s 145.124.24.100 --once -u custom-Terminal21 -p "Secret1!"