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Commit 3aadffeb authored by Allan Day's avatar Allan Day
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Improve the user docs 

Expand the user docs to cover the main basic pieces of information
that a new remote desktop user might need.

Fixes #60
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help/C/connect.page
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<title>Connect to another computer</title>
<p><app>Connections</app> can be used to view and access a remote machine.</p>
<p>This page explains how to connect to another desktop using
<app>Connections</app>. Connecting to another desktop makes it possible to
view the screen of that desktop and use it remotely.</p>
<note style="important">
<p>The remote machine should already be configured.</p>
</note>
<section id="prerequisites">
<title>Prerequisites</title>
<p>To connect to another desktop using <app>Connections</app>, there are
two main things that you will need.</p>
<steps>
<item><p>Click <gui style="button">+</gui> in the top left corner to launch
the remote connection creation assistant.</p></item>
<item><p>Enter a URL containing the protocol, IP address and port number of
the remote device or service. For example:</p>
<code>vnc://192.168.122.1:5900</code>
<p>The protocol will be:</p>
<section id="remote-desktop-setup">
<title>1. A desktop with remote desktop enabled</title>
<p>Connecting to another desktop requires having a desktop ready to
connect to. This desktop must have a remote desktop feature enabled,
either through its own built-in remote desktop feature, or through a
remote desktop application that has been installed on it.</p>
<p>If you plan to use a desktop which has not already been prepared to
receive remote desktop connections, then it will need to be set up:</p>
<list>
<item><p>rdp:// to connect to a remote <app>RDP</app> server.</p></item>
<item><p>vnc:// to connect to a remote <app>vino</app> or <app>VNC</app>
server.</p></item>
<item><p>To configure a GNOME desktop to receive remote desktop
connections, see the [desktop sharing guide](Settings > Sharing >
Screen Sharing).</p></item>
<item><p>To configure a Windows desktop to receive remote desktop
connections, see the
<link href="https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/how-to-use-remote-desktop-5fe128d5-8fb1-7a23-3b8a-41e636865e8c">Windows help guide</link>
.</p></item>
</list>
<note style="info">
<p>The address and port number should be available from the
configuration of the device or service on the remote machine.</p>
</note>
</item>
<item><p>Click <gui style="button">Create</gui>.</p></item>
</steps>
<p>The remote machine will open in the collection view.</p>
</section>
<section id="network-address">
<title>2. The network address of the remote desktop</title>
<p>Once the desktop that you want to connect to has had remote desktop
enabled, the next thing you need is its network address. This tells
<app>Connections</app> how to find it.</p>
<p>The network address can be specified in the form of a host name, web
address (DNS), or IP address.</p>
<section id="host-name">
<title>Host name</title>
<p>The host name is often the simplest and easiest way to specify the
network address of the computer you want to connect to. However, it is
usually only appropriate if if the remote desktop is on the same
network as the computer you are connecting from (see
<link xref="technical#network-types">network types</link>).</p>
<p>The host name is the identifying name of the computer that you want
to connect to. It may be any name that someone has given the computer
you are connecting to, but the host name might be similar to
"desktop.local" or "DESKTOP1234".</p>
<p>In GNOME and Windows, the computer's host name is indicated in the
Remote Desktop settings, and can be seen when the remote desktop
feature is turned on.</p>
</section>
<section id="web-address">
<title>Web address (DNS)</title>
<p>If the remote desktop you are connecting to is provided by a service
with its own website, it may have a web address that is provided to
you. This can be used as the desktop's network address.</p>
</section>
<section id="ip-address">
<title>Public IP address</title>
<p>If you are connecting to a remote desktop that
<link xref="technical#network-types">is not on the same network as your
own</link>, and you aren't connecting to a dedicated remote desktop
hosting service, it is likely that you will need to specify the remote
desktop's IP address. The IP address of the remote desktop is expressed
as a string of numbers, like <code>123.1.12.123</code>.</p>
<p>To find the public IP address of the remote desktop, open a website
like <link href="https://whatismyipaddress.com/">whatismyipaddress.com</link>
from the remote desktop that you want to connect to. This should show
the address.</p>
<p>Note that, if you are connecting to a desktop that is not on the
same network as your own, network restrictions may be in place which
could prevent you from connecting. The IP address may also change from
time to time.</p>
<p>Additional information on <link xref="technical#addresses">IP address
options </link> is available.</p>
</section>
</section>
</section>
<section id="how-to-connect">
<title>How to connect</title>
<p>Once you have the two prerequisites that are described above, you can
use Connections to connect to the remote desktop.</p>
<p>To do this:</p>
<steps>
<item><p>Click <gui style="button">+</gui> at the top of the Connections
window to create a new connection.</p></item>
<item>
<p>Enter the network address for the remote desktop that you want to
connect to. As described above, this can be one of the following:</p>
<list>
<item><p>Host name. Example: <code>DESKTOP1234</code></p></item>
<item><p>Web address. Example: <code>https://remotedesktop.com/1234</code></p></item>
<item><p>IP address. Example: <code>123.1.12.123</code></p></item>
</list>
</item>
<item>
<p>Select the connection type. The connection type is determined by the
operating system or remote desktop software that is being used on the
remote desktop that you are connecting to:</p>
<list>
<item><p>If you are connecting to a Windows desktop using the
built-in Windows Remote Desktop feature, select RDP.</p></item>
<item><p>If you are connecting to a GNOME desktop using the built-in
Screen Sharing feature, select VNC.</p></item>
</list>
<p>If the network address includes a
<link xref="technical#prefixes">protocol prefix</link>, such as
<code>vnc://</code>, the connection type will be selected
automatically.</p>
</item>
<item><p>Click <gui style="button">Connect</gui>.</p></item>
</steps>
<p>If a connection can be successfully established, the desktop of the
computer that you are connecting to will be displayed.</p>
</section>
</page>
help/C/technical.page 0 → 100644
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<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
type="topic" style="task"
id="technical">
<info>
<revision pkgversion="3.38" version="0.1" date="2020-10-19" status="candidate"/>
<link type="guide" xref="index#start"/>
<credit type="author copyright">
<name>Allan Day</name>
<email>allanpday@gmail.com</email>
<years>2021</years>
</credit>
<desc>Technical terms and information.</desc>
<include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
</info>
<title>Technical terms and information</title>
<p>This page includes additional technical information for those using
<app>Connections</app>.</p>
<section id="network-types">
<title>Types of network</title>
<p>To connect to a remote desktop, a network identifier is needed for that
computer. The type of network identifier that you can use is often
determined by the type of network being used to connect the two
desktops.</p>
<section id="local-network">
<title>Local networks</title>
<p>If the desktop that is being connected is in the same building, such
as the same home or office, it is likely to be using the same local
network. Computers that are connecting to the network provided by a large
organization may also be using the same local network.</p>
<p>In a local network, the signals between each computer only travel
within that network, and it is relatively easy for computers to "see"
one another. As a result, connecting to a desktop on the same local
network can usually be done with its
<link xref="connect#host-name">host name</link>.</p>
</section>
<section id="internet">
<title>The internet</title>
<p>If the desktop that you are connecting to is in a different location,
such as a different home or office, then you will typically be connecting
to it over the internet.</p>
<p>Computers that are connecting over the internet cannot "see" one
another in the same way as if they are on the same local network, and
must therefore be identified using either a
<link xref="connect#web-address">web address</link> or a
<link xref="connect#ip-address">public IP address</link>.</p>
</section>
</section>
<section id="addresses">
<title>Network addresses</title>
<p>As described in the <link xref="connect">connection guide</link>, when
connecting to a remote desktop, a network identifier for the remote desktop
must be provided. There are several parameters which can be added to these
network identifiers.</p>
<section id="prefixes">
<title>Protocol prefixes</title>
<p>The address may include a prefix which specifies the type of connection
(called the protocol). For example, in <code>vnc://123.1.12.123</code>,
the <code>vnc://</code> prefix has been added before the IP address. This
specifies that the VNC protocol should be used. Supported protocol
prefixes include:</p>
<list>
<item><p><code>vnc://</code> - specifies the VNC protocol</p></item>
<item><p><code>rdp://</code> - specifies the RDP protocol</p></item>
</list>
</section>
<section id="ports">
<title>Port numbers</title>
<p>A number can be appended to the address, to specify which network port
should be used for the connection. This can be useful when a firewall has
been configured to only allow remote desktop connections with a
particular port.</p>
<p>For example, <code>vnc://123.1.12.123:5900</code> specifies that the
connection should use port <code>5900</code>.</p>
</section>
</section>
</page>
help/meson.build
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......@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ help_files = [
'connect.page',
'index.page',
'legal.xml',
'technical.page',
]
help_media = [
......
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