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. 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 the Ubuntu Desktop (XFCE) Marketplace application on an NVIDIA-based Vultr Cloud GPU instance.
• 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.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt update

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Visit the Cendio ThinLinc download page and download the latest server package.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

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

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Extract the downloaded archive file.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ unzip tl-4.19.0-server.zip

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

4. Navigate to the extracted directory.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ cd tl-4.19.0-server

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

5. Start the ThinLinc installation.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo ./install-server

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   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 install any missing packages automatically.

   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 finish the installation.

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

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl status vsmserver vsmagent tlwebaccess

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   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.

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.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

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

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Add the VirtualGL repository to your system sources.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ 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

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

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

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt update

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

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

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo apt install virtualgl glmark2 xterm -y

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

5. Verify the installation.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ vglrun --version

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   Output.

   VirtualGL v3.1.4 (Build 20251007)

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

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo /opt/VirtualGL/bin/vglserver_config

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   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.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo usermod -aG vglusers example-user

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

8. Stop the display manager and NVIDIA persistence daemon.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo systemctl stop sddm nvidia-persistenced

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

9. Unload NVIDIA kernel modules to be reloaded with VirtualGL configurations applied.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo modprobe -r nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

10. Restart your server to apply the configuration changes.

    CONSOLE

    Copy

    $ sudo reboot

    Explain Code

    Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

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 the Cendio website.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

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

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

2. Install the downloaded package file.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

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

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

3. Open the ThinLinc Client from the application menu.

   

4. Enter your server’s IP address, username, and 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 lets you 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.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ glmark2 --show-all-options

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

   You should see the OpenGL benchmark results, confirming 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.

   CONSOLE

   Copy

   $ sudo nvidia-smi 

   Explain Code

   Powered by Vultr AgentBeta

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 the ThinLinc Client and a web browser, confirming that remote sessions benefit from hardware-accelerated OpenGL rendering using the NVIDIA GPU.