Remotely, a Free, Open Source Remote Support Alternative to TeamViewer, AnyDesk, GoToAssist, LogMeIn, and more...

Brian McGonagill

• 2 min read

Remotely Show Notes

Remotely is a truely free (as in Libre) , truely open source GPS 3.0, Self-hosable Remote Desktop Support software.  That's right! Foret the "free" but crippled versions of TeamViewer, Anydesk, GoToAssist, LogMeIn, and so many more.  No need to try and make VNC work for you.  Port Forwarding - never try to walk a client through that again.

Remotely is top-notch server and client Remote support software that puts the client in control for security, but makes it straight forward for you as a Desktop Support admin to help them through the process of getting connected.

Remotely - Github:
https://github.com/lucent-sea/Remotely

Remotely - Releases on Github
https://github.com/lucent-sea/Remotely/releases

What do I need?

  1. Server running Linux or Windows
  2. Does the server have to be external to my home?

a. No, but you will have to port forward to the server at your home.

  1. Which ports?

a. 80, 443

  1. Browser (modern - Chorme, Firefox, Safari, etc - no IE)
  2. Client machines running Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10... (and if they are still running 7, you should encourage them to upgrade - seriously.)
  3. Will this work for a Raspberry Pi?

a. No, not today, but I'm trying to get it there.

  1. Can I setup my own machines for Unattended Access?

a. Yes.

  1. Domain Name registered that you want to use, or add a subdomain for.

a. e.g. support.myspecialdomain.com

  1. DNS for the domain or subdomain, setup to point to your server's public IP address.

What does it run on?

  1. The server and client apps appear to be built on .net core, which is cross platform, and open source.
  2. Runs on Linux server (which I'll show you how to setup), or Windows server (which I won't show you because I don't have a Windows server).
  3. Is there Mac support?  Not that I see today... so a great project for a dev who would like to make this better.

Steps

  1. Create a Server (I use Digital Ocean, but feel free to use your own VPS, or a server in your home.)
    a. Note, if you use a home server you will most likely need to forward ports in your router to ensure the Remotely traffic goes to the correct machine.
  2. Make sure your OS is up to date.  I use Ubuntu Linux, so the command is sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
  3. Ensure you have a domain name to use with this installation: e.g. support.mysuperawesomedomain.com
  4. Make sure to use the DNS settings of your domain provider to create an A record that will point your domain from step 3 to your server's public IP address.
  5. Download the Server Installer:

wget https://github.com/lucent-sea/Remotely/releases/download/v2020.05.13.1949/Remotely_Server_Install.sh

It may be valuable, depending on when you use these instructions, to make sure you are getting the latest version.

Go to https://github.com/lucent-sea/Remotely/releases and make sure to copy the link for the latest .sh file for Linux Servers, or .ps1 file for Windows servers.

  1. Make the installer executable (Linux only):

chmod +x Remotely_Server_Install.sh

NOTE: you may need to use sudo if you are not logged in as root.

sudo chmod +x Remotely_Server_Install.sh

  1. Run the installer, again you may need sudo if you are not logged in as root.

./Remotely_Server_Install.sh

  1. Fill in any information as prompted during the installation.
  2. Once the install completes, go to your new site, and register, as the first registered user is defaulted as an admin.
  3. Start configuring and using your new Remote Support site to help others.