Logo UK Logo MFF

Institute of Formal and Applied Linguistics


Charles University, Czech Republic
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics

ÚFAL
Milan Fučík

Virtual Development Desktop

Purpose: 

  • provide virtual desktop with limited access to internal resources
  • provide persistent personal development desktop available from multiplatform environment
  • support using of AI development tools in managed environment

Virtual Development Desktop (VDD) address: vdesk.ufal.mff.cuni.cz

Protocol: ssh/X2Go

Users: staff and students of UFAL MFF UK

Specification/architecture/rules:

  • user may have assigned virtualized personal linux development desktop instance
  • instances are running on top of Proxmox cloud called VDD
  • virtual desktops are named vdd[number].ufal.hide.ms.mff.cuni.cz
  • standard instance has 4-cpu cores, 16GB of RAM, 25GB SSD, 1Gbps LAN, XFCE desktop environment
  • VDD instances are connected to a dedicated network, by default separated from each other and from the rest of UFAL's resources
  • the instance should be dedicated to only one person or used by more people who are avare of this fact
  • assigned user has sudo rights on the provided VDD instance and is responsible for maintenance of the VM (!)

Guideline (what to do if I need to get VDD instance):

  1. contact IT dpt. and ask for provate VDD
  2. you'll receive personal VDD ID, which can be translated into a port number
  3. you can connect to your VDD system by ssh over this port number
  4. you can connect to your VDD system by X2Go to get full graphical desktop (it's possible to disconnect and reconnect to a running X2Go session later) - select XFCE session in X2Go client (!)
  5. X2Go clients are available at https://wiki.x2go.org/doku.php/download:start
  6. IT dpt. will send you access credentials to let you maintain the system

Example:

 IT dpt. assigned to you system vdd-51. Port access number (port-forwarded ssh) is: 2200+IDnumber=2251

 You can access your VDD system several ways:

  1. using port-forwarding: ssh user@vdesk.ufal.mff.cuni.cz -p 2251
  2. using port-forwarding and open X2Go session with selected XFCE desktop environment on vdesk.ufal.mff.cuni.cz and port 2251
  3. VS Code provides "Remote SSH" to use backed vscode-server over ssh - remote workspace
  4. using ~/.ssh/config "shortcut definition" like: 
     Host vdd51

          HostName vdesk.ufal.mff.cuni.cz

          User <username>

          Port 2251

       and then: ssh vdd51 or ssh -Y vdd51 (for grapghics tunneling)

 

 

Notes:

 Please, don't use ssh keys without strong password!