Apache Guacamole is a free and open-source, cross-platform, clientless remote desktop gateway maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It allows users to control remote computers or virtual machines via a web browser, and allows administrators to dictate how and whether users can connect using an extensible authentication and authorization system. Destination machines can be kept isolated behind Guacamole and need not be reachable over the internet.
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Developer(s) | Apache Software Foundation |
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Initial release | March 17, 2010 |
Stable release | 1.5.5
/ April 5, 2024[1] |
Repository | |
Written in | C and Java (server), JavaScript (client) |
Operating system | |
Type | Remote Desktop Gateway |
License | Apache License 2.0 |
Website | Official Website |
Remote access is performed via the guacd component, which uses the RDP, VNC or SSH remote protocols to access resources. Guacamole is clientless and doesn't require an agent to be installed on the resources being accessed. The fact that the client runs on web browsers allows users to connect to their remote desktops without installing a remote desktop client.[2]
Components
editGuacamole is made up of multiple components: a web application that is served to users, and a backend service ("guacd") that dynamically translates and optimizes[3] native protocols into the Guacamole protocol. The part of Guacamole that a user interacts with is the web application.[4]
Web Application
editThe web application provides the user interface, authentication, and authorization system. It does not implement any remote desktop protocol, but instead relies on guacd to translate remote desktop protocols into the Guacamole protocol. The server side of the web application is written in Java and runs beneath a servlet container like Apache Tomcat or Jetty. The client side of the web application is written in JavaScript and runs within the web browser.
guacd
editguacd services requests to connect to remote desktops from the web application. It dynamically loads support for remote desktop protocols so that neither guacd nor the web application need to understand the specifics of any one remote desktop protocol. guacd and all client plugins use a shared library, libguac, to abstract away the Guacamole protocol and communication with the web application.
History
editGuacamole was created in 2010 by Michael Jumper[5] as an HTML5 VNC client leveraging components of a browser-based telnet client called "RealMint".[6] The company Glyptodon LLC formed to support and develop the project,[7] and donated the project to the Apache Software Foundation in 2016 where it entered incubation. In 2017, Guacamole completed incubation and became the Apache Guacamole top-level project.[8]
As an Apache Software Foundation project, Guacamole is licensed under the Apache License and is developed by a community of contributors.[9][10] Development discussions and support take place on the project's mailing lists,[11] and contributions are made through opening pull requests against the project's GitHub repositories. The project follows responsible disclosure practices and provides a private list for reporting and addressing issues with security implications.[12]
Timeline
editVersion[13] | Release date |
---|---|
1.5.5 | 2024-04-05 |
1.5.4 | 2023-12-07 |
1.5.3 | 2023-07-31 |
1.5.2 | 2023-05-25 |
1.5.1 | 2023-04-13 |
1.5.0 | 2023-02-18 |
1.4.0 | 2022-01-01 |
1.3.0 | 2021-01-01 |
1.2.0 | 2020-06-28 |
1.1.0 | 2020-01-29 |
1.0.0 | 2019-01-08 |
0.9.14 | 2018-01-18 |
0.9.13-incubating | 2017-07-30 |
0.9.12-incubating | 2017-04-01 |
0.9.11-incubating | 2017-02-02 |
0.9.10-incubating | 2016-12-29 |
0.9.9 | 2015-12-18 |
0.9.8 | 2015-09-09 |
0.9.7 | 2015-06-10 |
0.9.6 | 2015-03-30 |
0.9.5 | 2015-02-16 |
0.9.4 | 2015-01-06 |
0.9.3 | 2014-09-30 |
0.9.2 | 2014-07-21 |
0.9.1 | 2014-05-23 |
0.8.4 | 2014-05-23 |
0.9.0 | 2014-03-28 |
0.8.3 | 2013-08-28 |
0.8.2 | 2013-07-15 |
Legend: Old version Older version, still maintained Latest version |
Literature
edit- Kalyan Ram, S. Arun Kumar, S. Prathap, B. Mahesh & B. Mallikarjuna Sarma: Remote Laboratories: For Real Time Access to Experiment Setups with Online Session Booking, Utilizing a Database and Online Interface with Live Streaming, in: Engineering & Internet of Things, Conference paper, p. 190—204
References
edit- ^ Apache Guacamole™: 1.5.5, retrieved 2024-04-07
- ^ Kenlon, Seth (6 May 2020). "5 open source tools IT leaders should know about now". enterprisersproject.com. Archived from the original on 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "Performance testing of Guacamole-Apache Mail Archives". lists.apache.org.
- ^ "Implementation and architecture — Apache Guacamole Manual v1.5.0". guacamole.apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Guacamole - SourceForge.net". SourceForge.net. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ "Introduction - Apache Guacamole Manual v1.5.0". guacamole.apache.org.
- ^ "Guacamole - HTML5 Clientless Remote Desktop". guac-dev.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Guacamole Incubation Status - Apache Incubator". incubator.apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Guacamole™: Open Source". guacamole.apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Phone Book - Guacamole". apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Guacamole™: Help / Support". guacamole.apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Guacamole™: Security Reports". guacamole.apache.org.
- ^ "Apache Guacamole™: Release Archive". guacamole.apache.org.