How to Deploy a New Linux VDI Solution on Vultr Cloud GPU Using Cendio ThinLinc

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) delivers a secure, fully managed desktop operating system from a central server, and Cendio ThinLinc is an open-source, enterprise-ready remote desktop solution designed for this purpose on Linux.

In this guide, you'll deploy a ThinLinc server on a Vultr Cloud GPU instance, configure GPU acceleration, and connect to your virtual desktop from both a web browser and the ThinLinc client application.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you:

• Deploy a Vultr's Ubuntu Desktop (XFCE) Marketplace Application on a GPU server.
• Access the server using SSH as a non-root user with sudo privileges.

Install ThinLinc Server

ThinLinc provides a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) layer that allows multiple users to connect to your Ubuntu Desktop through a web browser or a dedicated client. Follow the steps below to download and install the ThinLinc server.

1. Update your system's package index.

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   $ sudo apt update
   

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2. Visit the Cendio download page and download the ThinLinc latest version.

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   $ wget https://www.cendio.com/downloads/server/tl-4.19.0-server.zip
   

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3. Extract the downloaded archive file.

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   $ unzip tl-4.19.0-server.zip
   

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4. Navigate to the extracted directory.

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   $ cd tl-4.19.0-server
   

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5. Start the ThinLinc installation.

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   $ sudo ./install-server
   

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   The script installs the core server package and then launches the setup wizard. You'll get several configuration prompts.

   • Run ThinLinc setup now?: Enter Yes.
   • Accept the license agreement?: Enter yes.
   • Server type?: Enter Master.

   The wizard then checks for required system dependencies, such as ghostscript, nfs-common, and Python modules. Respond yes to the prompts to allow the wizard to automatically install any missing packages.

   When prompted, configure the server's network and administrative details:

   • Externally reachable address to use?: Enter ip.
   • Administrator email?: Enter your email address, for example, user@example.com.
   • Web Administration password?: Enter a strong password.

   Finally, the wizard handles system integrations. Respond yes to the prompts to automatically configure the firewall and AppArmor for ThinLinc. After these steps, the script starts the necessary services to complete the installation.

6. After the installation, verify that all ThinLinc services are running.

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   $ sudo systemctl status vsmserver vsmagent tlwebaccess tlwebaccess
   

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   A brief explanation of each service is shown below:

   • vsmserver: Manages user authentication, session handling, and reconnections.
   • vsmagent: Launches and maintains user desktop sessions on the server.
   • tlwebaccess: Provides browser-based access to ThinLinc desktops over HTTPS.
   • tlwebadm: Hosts the ThinLinc web administration panel for server management.

Enable VirtualGL for GPU Acceleration

ThinLinc requires VirtualGL to take advantage of the NVIDIA GPU on your Vultr instance. VirtualGL redirects OpenGL commands from applications running in ThinLinc sessions to the GPU for smooth 3D rendering. Follow the steps below to install VirtualGL.

1. Download the GPG key for the VirtualGL repository.

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   $ wget -qO- https://packagecloud.io/dcommander/virtualgl/gpgkey | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/virtualgl-archive-keyring.gpg
   

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2. Add the VirtualGL repository to your system sources.

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   $ echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/virtualgl-archive-keyring.gpg] https://packagecloud.io/dcommander/virtualgl/any any main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/virtualgl.list
   

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3. Update the package index to include the new repository.

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   $ sudo apt update
   

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4. Install VirtualGL and Glmark2 for GPU rendering and OpenGL testing

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   $ sudo apt install virtualgl glmark2 xterm -y
   

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5. Verify the installation.

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   $ vglrun --version
   

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   Output.

   VirtualGL v3.1.4 (Build 20251007)

6. Configure the VirtualGL to set permissions and access rules for GPU rendering in ThinLinc sessions.

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   $ sudo /opt/VirtualGL/bin/vglserver_config
   

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   When prompted, choose the following options:

   • Select Option 1 to configure the server for use with VirtualGL (GLX + EGL back ends):

     Choose: 1

   • Restrict 3D X server access to the vglusers group (recommended):

     Restrict 3D X server access to vglusers group (recommended)? [Y/n] Y

   • Restrict framebuffer device access to the vglusers group (recommended):

     Restrict framebuffer device access to vglusers group (recommended)? [Y/n] Y

   • Disable the XTEST extension for security (recommended):

     Disable XTEST extension (recommended)? [Y/n] Y

   • Exit the configuration menu:

     Choose: X

7. Add your ThinLinc user to the vglusers group to access the GPU.

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   $ sudo usermod -aG vglusers example-user
   

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8. Stop the display manager and NVIDIA persistence daemon.

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   $ sudo systemctl stop sddm nvidia-persistenced
   

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9. Unload NVIDIA kernel modules so they can be reloaded with VirtualGL configurations applied.

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   $ sudo modprobe -r nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
   

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10. Restart your server to apply the configuration changes.

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    $ sudo reboot
    

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Access Ubuntu Desktop via ThinLinc Client

Follow the steps below to install the ThinLinc client package and access your Ubuntu desktop remotely.

1. Log in to your local desktop system and download the ThinLinc client package from Cendio website.

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   $ wget https://www.cendio.com/downloads/clients/thinlinc-client_4.19.0-4005_amd64.deb
   

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2. Install the downloaded package file.

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   $ sudo apt install ./thinlinc-client_4.19.0-4005_amd64.deb
   

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3. Open the ThinLinc Client from the application menu.

   

4. Enter your server's IP address, username, password and click Connect. You should see your Linux desktop environment running on the Vultr Cloud GPU instance.

   

Access Ubuntu Desktop via Web Browser

ThinLinc also allows you to access your Ubuntu desktop session via a web browser. Follow the steps below to access your Desktop session and verify that the VDI solution is working with GPU acceleration.

1. Open your web browser and access your Ubuntu desktop on port 300.

   https://SERVER_IP:300

   

2. Log in with your ThinLinc credentials. After logging in, you will see your full desktop session inside the browser window.

   

3. From within your ThinLinc desktop session, open a terminal and run the glmark2 benchmarking tool to test the performance of your graphics hardware..

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   $ glmark2 --show-all-options
   

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   You should see OpenGL benchmark results, confirming that GPU acceleration is working.

   

4. Open another terminal and run the command below to confirm that your session is utilizing the NVIDIA GPU on the Vultr instance.

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   $ sudo nvidia-smi
   

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Access ThinLinc Control Panel

The ThinLinc Control Panel is a web-based interface that provides administrators with tools to manage their ThinLinc environment. It allows you to configure settings, manage users and sessions, and monitor the status of the server.

1. Open your web browser and access your ThinLinc control panel on port 1010.

   https://SERVER_IP:1010

   

2. Log in with the default username admin and the password set during installation. You will see the interface as shown in the screenshot above. The menu on the left provides quick access to different administrative areas.

   

You can now administer your VDI environment directly from a browser.

Conclusion

In this guide, you deployed a Linux Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution on a Vultr Cloud GPU instance using Cendio ThinLinc. You installed and configured the ThinLinc server, enabled VirtualGL for GPU acceleration, and verified performance with tools like glmark2 and nvidia-smi. You also connected to your virtual desktop from both the ThinLinc Client and a web browser, confirming that remote sessions benefit from full NVIDIA GPU support.