Add experimental web client for desktops#215
Add experimental web client for desktops#215jackbuehner merged 214 commits intokimmknight:masterfrom
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✅ Deployment successfulPreview URL: https://raweb.app/deploy-preview/pr-215/
Local install
Run as an administrator in PowerShell to install this branch: iwr -UseBasicParsing install.raweb.app/preview/jackbuehner/guac | iex |
Installing during the setup script isntalls the guacd wsl distribution for the user who ran the script. This is usually different that the identity for the application (usuaully IIS AppPool\raweb). If we install it on-demand, it is installed by the application identity instead. WSL distibutions are per-user/identity.
We were building it after RAWeb files were already isntalled, which resulted in guacd.wsl not being copied with the rest of the installed files.
…imation has completed
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I am done with the bugfixes. I ended up with a lot of small commits for lots of different small changes. Reposting since GitHub is hiding these comments behind multiple clicks in the sea of commits: Jack Buehner on Jan 26, 2026, 9:32 PM EST:
Kim Knight on Jan 26, 2026, 4:00 AM EST:
Jack Buehner on Jan 24, 2026, 8:30 PM EST:
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… instead of opening popup
…ls dialog is shown We need to unregister because the keyboard event listener captures all input, making it impossible to type into the dialog. Once the dialog is closed, we re-register the event listeners.
This is consistent with the way mstsc.exe works. Note that if the credentials did not work, we still need to prompt for the device credentials first. If new gateway credentials are also required, they will be requirested afterwards.
…d then rdp file contains a gateway hostname
…o determine whether to use a gateway
…eway and guacd closes with an SSL/TLS error
… distribution upon start This ensures that trusted certificates on the RAWeb host do not trigger guacd's SSL/TLS untrusted certificate error
…ion setting (policy)
2 participants
This PR adds an experimental web client for desktops. The web client uses guacamole-common-js and a custom proxy to communicate with a server running the guacamole dameon (guacd).
If Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2) is installed, RAWeb will automatically create a container for guacd. Oherwise, the option to connect to to the web client will be hidden until an administrator installs WSL2 or configures RAWeb to use an external guacd server. More info
Demo:
RAWeb.Web.Client.mp4
guacd
The Guacamole daemon, guacd, provides a translation between the RDP protocol the guacamole protocol. RAWeb provides a proxy endpoint for communicating with guacd over websockets. The web client uses guacamole-common-js to transmit and receive messages related to the active connection.
We have to manage the connection on the server side because web browsers do not allow direct TCP access, which is required by RDP. Guacd is maintained by the Apache Software Foundation.
Guacd only runs on Linux. RAWeb uses Windows Subsystem for Linux to run guacd. The GitHub Actions workflow has been updated to build a stripped down variant of the guacd docker image that only has the required components for RDP and is designed to run as a linux distribution in WSL2. RAWeb launches the distribution on the first connection, and RAWeb terminates the distribution whenever IIS stops the web server. WSL2 must be installed system-wide with the MSI installer, not the Microsoft Store version. See the docs for the detailed prerequisite information: Enable the web client.
Connections
When connecting via the web client, the device running RAWeb must be able to reach the terminal server referenced by the RDP file. Instead of a client <--> terminal server connection, it is a browser (client) <--> RAWeb (proxy) <--> terminal server connection.
A full user guide is available at https://preview-jack.raweb.app/deploy-preview/guac/docs/web-client/.
To-do
Checklist
Resolves #49.