Easy Way To Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9 – OrcaCore

This tutorial provides a straightforward guide on how to Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9 (and RHEL 9). TeamViewer is a widely used remote access and remote control software, enabling you to share your desktop screen and control other computers from your own. This is incredibly useful for providing technical support, collaborating on projects, or accessing your own computer remotely.

TeamViewer boasts compatibility across various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux distributions, iOS, and Android. The following steps will guide you through the installation process on AlmaLinux 9, based on the instructions found on the Orcacore website.

Before proceeding, ensure you have access to your AlmaLinux 9 server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. If you haven’t already configured this, you can refer to a guide on Initial Server Setup with AlmaLinux 9 for assistance.

Step 1 – Download TeamViewer RPM Linux Binary Package

First, update your local package index to ensure you have the latest information about available packages. Use the following command in your terminal:

sudo dnf update -y

Next, install the Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository. This repository provides additional packages that are not available in the default AlmaLinux repositories. Install it with the following command:

sudo dnf install epel-release -y

Since the TeamViewer package isn’t directly available in the standard AlmaLinux repositories, you’ll need to download it from the TeamViewer website. Use the wget command to download the RPM package:

sudo wget https://download.teamviewer.com/download/linux/teamviewer.x86_64.rpm

Step 2 – Install TeamViewer on RHEL / AlmaLinux 9

With the TeamViewer RPM package downloaded, you can now proceed to Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9. Use the dnf package manager to install the package. The -y flag automatically confirms the installation:

sudo dnf install ./teamviewer.x86_64.rpm -y

Step 3 – Run TeamViewer on RHEL / AlmaLinux 9

Once the installation is complete, you can access TeamViewer through your application manager. Search for "TeamViewer" and click on its icon to launch the application.

Upon launching TeamViewer for the first time, you’ll be prompted to accept the license agreement. Click "Continue" after reviewing the terms.

teamviewer license agreement — Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9

The TeamViewer application window will now be displayed, showing your unique ID and a temporary password. You can share this information with others to allow them to connect to your computer remotely, or you can use it to connect to other TeamViewer users.

teamviewer app almalinux — Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9

Step 4 – Practical Uses of TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9

TeamViewer provides various remote access and control functionalities, making it a versatile tool. It’s commonly used for technical support, remote meetings, file sharing, and secure computer access.

Here are some practical applications of TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9:

Remote Technical Support: Provide assistance to users experiencing technical difficulties on their computers, regardless of their location.
Remote Collaboration: Work on projects together with colleagues or clients, sharing screens and controlling applications in real-time.
File Sharing: Transfer files between computers securely, eliminating the need for email attachments or cloud storage services.
Remote Access to Your Own Computer: Access your files and applications from anywhere in the world, as if you were sitting in front of your computer.
Attended and Unattended Access: Provide remote support even when no one is physically present at the remote computer (requires configuration).

Step 5 – Start TeamViewer on Remote Linux through SSH

This step outlines how to remotely manage the TeamViewer service on your AlmaLinux 9 server via SSH. This is particularly useful for headless servers without a graphical interface. To Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9 and control remotely via SSH, follow the procedure.

First, locate the TeamViewer installation path using the whereis command:

sudo whereis teamviewer

**Output**
teamviewer: /usr/bin/teamviewer /etc/teamviewer

Next, retrieve TeamViewer information such as version, ID, and service status:

sudo /usr/bin/teamviewer --info

 **Output**
TeamViewer                           15.42.4  (RPM)
 TeamViewer ID:
 teamviewerd status                   – teamviewerd.service - TeamViewer remote control
     Active: active (running)

Note: If you’ve forgotten your TeamViewer password, you can reset it using the following command, replacing <newpassword> with your desired password:

sudo /usr/bin/teamviewer --passwd <newpassword>

Note: If the TeamViewer service is not active, start and enable it using the following commands:

# sudo systemctl enable teamviewerd.service
# sudo systemctl start teamviewerd.service

Verify that connections are being established to the TeamViewer server by checking the network status:

sudo netstat -ntap | grep teamviewer

Now, close your SSH session to your home computer. Keeping the session open may prevent successful remote connections. After closing the session, attempt to connect to your home PC remotely from another device.

Once you’ve finished your remote session, you can reconnect to your home computer using SSH again.

Conclusion

This tutorial has demonstrated how to Install TeamViewer on AlmaLinux 9 / RHEL 9, launch the application, and start using it. As an optional step, you also learned how to manage TeamViewer remotely through SSH.

Hopefully, you found this guide helpful. You might also be interested in these related articles:

WineHQ Installation in Ubuntu 22.04

Install Etherpad on AlmaLinux 9

Install and Use Webmin on Rocky Linux 9

Alternative Solutions for Remote Access on AlmaLinux 9

While TeamViewer is a popular choice for remote access, several other options are available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Here are two alternative approaches to achieving remote access on AlmaLinux 9:

1. Using VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

VNC is a graphical desktop sharing system that allows you to remotely control another computer’s desktop interface. Unlike TeamViewer, VNC is an open-source protocol, and several free and open-source VNC server and client implementations are available.

Explanation:

VNC works by having a VNC server running on the remote machine (AlmaLinux 9 in this case) and a VNC client running on the local machine (the machine you’re connecting from). The VNC server captures the desktop’s framebuffer and sends it to the VNC client, which displays it on the local machine. User input (keyboard and mouse) is then sent from the client to the server, which simulates the input on the remote machine.

Installation and Configuration:

Install a VNC Server: A popular choice is TigerVNC. Install it using dnf:
```
sudo dnf install tigervnc-server tigervnc-server-module -y
```
Configure VNC Server: Set a VNC password for the user:
```
vncpasswd
```
This will prompt you to enter and verify a password.

Configure the VNC Server for a specific user: Create or edit the ~/.vnc/xstartup file for the user you want to connect to. This script is executed when the VNC server starts. A basic xstartup file might look like this:

#!/bin/sh
unset SESSION_MANAGER
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
[ -x /etc/vnc/xstartup ] && exec /etc/vnc/xstartup
xrdb $HOME/.Xresources
xsetroot -solid grey
vncconfig -iconic &
dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session &

Make sure the script is executable:

chmod +x ~/.vnc/xstartup

Start the VNC Server: Start the VNC server for the user. You can specify the display number (e.g., :1 for display number 1):
```
vncserver :1
```
Open Firewall Ports: Allow VNC traffic through the firewall. By default, VNC uses port 5900 + display number (e.g., 5901 for display :1):
```
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=5901/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
```
Connect with a VNC Client: On your local machine, install a VNC client (e.g., TigerVNC Viewer, RealVNC Viewer). Connect to your AlmaLinux 9 server using the IP address or hostname, followed by the display number (e.g., 192.168.1.100:1).

Advantages:

Open-source and free.
Lightweight.
Cross-platform compatibility.

Disadvantages:

Can be less user-friendly to set up than TeamViewer.
Requires more manual configuration.
May not perform as well as TeamViewer over low-bandwidth connections.
Security can be a concern if not configured properly (consider using SSH tunneling for secure connections).

2. Using SSH Port Forwarding with X11

This method leverages the security of SSH to forward graphical applications from the remote AlmaLinux 9 server to your local machine. This is different from VNC because it doesn’t forward the entire desktop, only individual applications.

Explanation:

X11 is the windowing system used by most Linux distributions. SSH can forward X11 connections, allowing you to run graphical applications on the remote server and display them on your local machine as if they were running locally.

Configuration:

Ensure X11 Forwarding is Enabled: On your local machine, ensure that X11 forwarding is enabled in your SSH client configuration. For OpenSSH, this is typically done by adding ForwardX11 yes to your ~/.ssh/config file for the specific host, or by using the -X or -Y flag when connecting via SSH. The -Y flag is more permissive and allows forwarding of untrusted X11 connections.
Connect via SSH with X11 Forwarding: Connect to your AlmaLinux 9 server using SSH with the -X or -Y flag:
```
ssh -Y user@almalinux9.example.com
```
Run Graphical Applications: Once connected, you can run any graphical application on the remote server, and it will be displayed on your local machine. For example:
```
firefox
```