Connect to the BEC VM with xfreerdp¶

Prerequisites¶

• You are on a Linux machine with xfreerdp installed.
• You know the hostname of the BEC VM, for example x99sa-bec-001.psi.ch.
• You are a PSI beamline scientist or staff member with access to the BEC VM.
• You are connected to the PSI network or the relevant beamline network.

1. Check that xfreerdp is available¶

In a terminal, run:

xfreerdp /version

If the command is not found, install FreeRDP first using your Linux distribution's package manager.

2. Start the remote desktop session¶

Run xfreerdp with your VM hostname and the recommended options:

xfreerdp /v:<bec-vm-host>.psi.ch /dynamic-resolution +clipboard +fonts

The most important arguments are:

• /v: for the VM hostname
• /dynamic-resolution to resize the remote desktop together with your local window
• +clipboard to enable copy and paste between the local machine and the VM
• +fonts to improve font rendering in the remote session

3. Enter your password and log in¶

After the command starts:

1. enter your personal PSI username and password when prompted
2. wait for the desktop session to open
3. verify that you can see the VM desktop and interact with it normally

4. Disconnect from the session¶

When you are done:

• log out from the VM desktop to not leave your personal session open

Common pitfalls¶

• Using the wrong hostname for the VM.
• Trying to connect from outside the PSI or beamline network.