To install the Real-Time Audio-Video feature on a Linux machine, you must install both the V4L2Loopback driver and Horizon Agent with the audio-in and webcam redirection options included. You must include both options to complete the installation of Real-Time Audio-Video.

For information about how the Real-Time Audio-Video feature works and about feature limitations, see the sections at the end of this article. Also, see the topics under "Configuring Real-Time Audio-Video" in the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document.

System Requirements for Real-Time Audio-Video

To support Real-Time Audio-Video, your deployment must meet certain software and hardware requirements.

Virtual desktops

The Linux desktop must be running one of the following distributions.

  • Ubuntu 22.04/20.04/18.04
  • Debian 11.x/10.x
  • RHEL 9.x/8.x/7.x
    Note: For RHEL 9.x desktops, ensure that you have enabled audio input and output redirection by installing the PulseAudio sound server. For more information, see Features of Linux Desktops in VMware Horizon 8.
  • SLED/SLES 15.x

When using Microsoft Teams with Real-Time Audio-Video, desktops must have a minimum of 4 vCPUs and 4 GB of RAM.

Horizon Client software
Horizon Client for Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, or Android.
Horizon Client computer or client access device
  • All operating systems that run Horizon Client for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
  • All operating systems that run Horizon Client for Linux on x64 devices. This feature is also supported on Raspberry Pi 4 Model B devices running ThinLinx Operating System (TLXOS) or Stratodesk NoTouch Operating System.
  • For information about supported client operating systems, see the Horizon Client installation and setup document for the appropriate system or device.
  • The webcam and audio device drivers must be installed, and the webcam and audio device must be operable, on the client computer. You do not need to install the device drivers on the machine where the agent is installed.

Installation Sequence for Real-Time Audio-Video

The Real-Time Audio-Video feature has a dependency on the V4L2Loopback driver. To support the feature, you must install both Horizon Agent and the V4L2Loopback driver on the Linux machine, in the correct sequence for your Horizon Agent installer.

Use the following guidelines to determine the appropriate installation sequence for the Real-Time Audio-Video feature.

Installation Sequence When Using the Tarball Horizon Agent Installer
If you want to install Horizon Agent using the .tar.gz tarball installer, follow this installation sequence.
  1. Install the V4L2Loopback Driver.
  2. Install Horizon Agent with both the audio-in and webcam redirection options.
    sudo ./viewagent_installer.sh -a yes --webcam

    For more information, see Install Horizon Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine.

Installation Sequence When Using the RPM Horizon Agent Installer
If you want to install Horizon Agent using the .rpm RPM installer, follow this installation sequence.
  1. Install Horizon Agent, as described in Install Horizon Agent on a Linux Virtual Machine.
  2. Install the V4L2Loopback Driver.
  3. Use the Horizon Agent setup script to enable both the audio-in and webcam redirection options. 
    sudo /usr/lib/vmware/viewagent/bin/viewSetup.sh -a yes --webcam
    See Command-line Options for Installing Horizon Agent for Linux.

Configuration Settings for Real-Time Audio-Video

You can use options in the /etc/vmware/config configuration file to define certain settings for the Real-Time Audio-Video feature, such as the maximum frame rate and image resolution allowed. See Setting Options in Configuration Files on a Linux Desktop.

In addition, client users can configure a preferred device that Real-Time Audio-Video redirects to the remote desktop or published application. See "Selecting Preferred Webcams and Microphones" and "Selecting a Preferred Speaker" in the Horizon Remote Desktop Features and GPOs document.

How Real-Time Audio-Video Works

Real-Time Audio-Video is compatible with standard conferencing applications and browser-based video applications, and supports standard webcams, audio USB devices, and analog audio input. This feature redirects video and audio data with a significantly lower bandwidth than can be achieved by using USB redirection.

Real-Time Audio-Video allows users to run Skype, Webex, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, and other online conferencing applications in their remote sessions. With Real-Time Audio-Video, webcam and audio devices connected locally to the client system are redirected to the remote sessions.

During the setup of a conferencing application, users can choose input and output devices from menus in the application.

Note: If end users change the resolution or frame rate (fps) setting on the client system, they must disconnect and reconnect to the Linux desktop session, and close and reopen all conferencing and video applications, to apply the changes to Real-Time Audio-Video redirection.

For Linux remote desktop and application sessions, Real-Time Audio-Video can redirect only one audio device and only one video device. The name of the audio device appears as PulseAudio server (local) and the name of the video device appears as VMware Virtual Webcam.

The VMware Virtual Webcam uses a kernel-mode webcam driver that provides enhanced compatibility with browser-based video applications and other third-party conferencing software.

When a conferencing or video application is launched, it displays and uses these VMware virtual devices, which handle the audio-video redirection from the locally-connected devices on the client.

Limitations of Real-Time Audio-Video

The Real-Time Audio-Video feature has the following limitations for Linux remote desktop and application sessions.

  • The feature is not supported in multiple-session mode.
  • The feature can redirect only one audio device and only one video device per session.