Connecting to VCS from a linux endpoint
Introduction
This document explains the steps needed to connect to Virtual Computer Services (VCS) from a UNIX based operating system.
Applicability
This document is geared towards anyone that wants to connect to VCS from a UNIX based operating system.
Details
While not officially supported by IST, here are the steps to connect to VCS from a UNIX-based operating system.
Connecting to VCS from Linux OS
Connecting to VCS from Linux is not officially supported by IST. However, it is possible to connect to VCS from the most popular Linux distributions and forks. Do note that Workspace App for Linux is not as fully featured as it is for Windows, so there may be some limitations on peripheral support and usability.
You can download the Citrix WorkspaceApp from Citrix's website or from the VCS Downloads & Plugins page. Packages include Debian, RPM, and Tarball. Workspace App is also available from the Arch User Repository (AUR) for Arch based systems.
Once you have Workspace App installed, you need to add the Globalsign Intermediary Certificate to your Linux system. This can be obtained from the VCS website and exporting the intermediate certificate. Once exported, you'll need to copy it to the /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts directory. Failing to do this step will yield in SSL errors when you attempt to launch a VCS virtual desktop.
Method 1: Downloading the Intermediary Certificates
Download the Globalsign Int Certificates, extract the files, then open Terminal and run the following commands to copy them to the proper directory.
sudo cp "GlobalSign RSA OV SSL CA 2018" /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts
sudo cp "GlobalSign Organization Validation - SHA256 - G2" /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts
If downloading the certificates did not work, you can try manually exporting them yourself (as shown below). However if downloading and copying them worked, you can skip the manual export, and you should be able to connect to a virtual desktop.
Method 2: Exporting the Intermediary Certificate
**Note** You will only be exporting one of the two intermediary certificates, and it depends on if you export it while on a campus network, or on an external network, as to which one you will get.
Using Google Chrome, Chromium web browser, or any browser built from Chromium, the following process will be identical or very close.
1. Click on the lock icon next to the website address
2. Click on Certificate.
3. Click on the Details tab
4. Click on the second certificate in the chain. In this case select Globalsign RSA OV SSL CA 2018. *NOTE* You might see Globalsign Organization Validation - SHA256 - G2, but the idea is to pick the second certificate in the chain.* Then click Export, saving it to your Downloads directory.
5. Open Terminal, and copy the intermediary certificate to /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts by issuing the command from the directory where the certificate was downloaded to. Enter your password when prompted since the command needs to be run as sudo. Use the appropriate certificate you downloaded in the command below.
sudo cp "GlobalSign RSA OV SSL CA 2018" /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts
You should now be able to access a VM without any SSL errors.
Changing Workspace App settings
Personalized settings are stored in /.ICAClient/wfclient.ini, you can use any text editor to edit this file.
You may likely need to change the keyboard layout from (User Profile) to US Please see the Keyboard Layout page for additional details.
To Allow a local microphone to be used within a VCS session, you need to add AllowAudioInput=True in the [WFClient] section.
Below is an example of the wfclient.ini file with the keyboard layout set to US, and allowing for a microphone to be used within the session.
Keywords: VCS, Virtual Computer Services, linux, unix, connect, citrix, workspace app,