Remote Automation

Okay, this is might take a while to explain. Plus, it can go to like three different boards, so I hope the Networking board it he most suitable. Aaaanyway.

I have an old Dell Inspiron 600m (WinXP Pro) with a dead screen and funky keyboard. After fiddling around with it I managed to get it set up for remote access. Laptop is plugged directly into the router via Cat6. So right now it's like a retarded NAS.

Now, I want to know if it's possible for me to automate tasks, namely downloads via JDownloader, P2P, and Winrar compressions. I know I can tell the download to start once I'm remote accessing it, but as soon as I log off, the tasks stop. I assume that's because the faux-NAS detected that "I" am logging off and thus logs out of my profile... and stops the tasks.


So, yeah. Are there any programs or tweaks that would allow me to automate these kinds of tasks? I'd like to set up a torrent on the Dell (which is in an unoccupied room near the router), turn off my laptop (which is in my room) and then wake up the nest morning to see all my tasks completed. If there's no Windows workaround, would another OS be required?

 

Is fast user switching enabled on the "faux-NAS"? Windows 7 will allow remote connections, and tasks will continue to run without anyone being on the "RDC". Another words, once the user is logged on, you're not logged off until there is a call to specifically log off, and not just terminate the RDC connection. Though I'm not sure about XP Pro. If that makes sense.

 

sounds like illegal stuff going on tsk tsk

 

Ah, hrm. I'd be interested to hear if you get this working under XP. The only way I can think of right now is to setup FreeNas (runs on linux, freebsd distro I think?) but having never actually setup one myself I can't offer much in terms of quick advice. I do know that freenas is done via web interface though and it looked pretty simple when I played with it.

Where do you get all your anime avatars from anyway? I can't even guess where half of them are from and they change monthly-ish

 

Well, in the meanwhile, I do have a desktop with Win7 Pro I'd like to test this out on.

So, if I'm understanding HAL right, if I remote connect to faux-NAS via my laptop, start a task, and then turn off my laptop, the task will still continue? Uh... I'm newb with remote connections, and google is only mildly helpful. Care to give me some pointers?

I know how to enable RDC and add authenticated users, but beyond that it's all Linux to me. (Get it? Get it?)

Unless it's a last resort, I'll try a Windows route first. I'm so unfamiliar with Linux it's not even funny. Although it's free, and I do see that it supports Transmission. Hmm. Now if it only supported Plowshare...

Wait, it does support JDownloader, it looks like. HMMMMM...

My modest collection. Currently it's Rangiku Matsumoto from Bleach. If you ever wonder where my latest comes from you can always PM me, haha.

 

Stupid question for the day, why bother with RDC and the issues with logging off etc and just install something like TightVNC onto the machines?

Provided your duff lappy log's straight on into Windows then all you have to do is just connect via VNC, setup what you want and close the session, no logging off problems at all..

 

And the answer of the day is that I never knew about this. Hmm. Lemme take a look at it. Thanks

 

Here's my usual day... I get to class or work (whichever), I pull out my Latitude or MBP, get RDC up, type in my IP with the :"port", and log into my server. It's really a nice thing. I'll log in, and it's almost like I'm sitting in front of it, -the latency. Locally it works just like I'm sitting in front of it. It is never logged off of my user account, only "Locked" or off. All my tasks continue to run on the server, and I'm able to check anything anywhere I happen to be with 3G. Say I'm at work and I see a new release of Fedora or Ubuntu, I can start the download remotely, and when I walk in the door, it's done and waiting on me. The really awesome thing is that my whole music library is available to me anywhere in the world on any device that supports RDC. Which even my Android phones support RDC.

Personally I don't like TightVNC. RDC tends to be more reliable, IMO, and it's less of a hassle to configure.

 

I'm using TightVNC right now, actually. Everything seems to be going fine. I'll tinker with Win7 RDC at my leisure.

But so I know, I assume, Hal, that you RDC in, start up your Linux DL, tell Windows to enter lock mode, terminate the RDC connection, and when you look into your server it's all ready for you?

Hmm. How would you deal with, say, one of those Windows Updates that require reboot. I have automatic install off, but let's say I do want that update. Do I just accept it and then physically sign onto the remote computer? Or is there a way to bypass the Windows sign-in screen somehow?

Thanks, everyone, for the help.

 

Actually, terminating the RDC automatically locks the terminal without fully logging out, with Windows 7. I'm really not sure about XP, as I haven't used it in like forever, and I don't remember. But yes, that's the jest. I only recently delegated my desktop to total server use. I'm almost never at home, so I figured I'd gear it to be of the most use with that in mind, so I put Windows 7 Pro on it and stuffed it in the network closet.

For ANY kind of machine like my server at home, I ALWAYS disable automatic updates, and BITS (On XP). Windows Updates that automatically install and reboot my machines anger me to no end. That's probably the first thing I do after installing the OS. Once a month, I'll enable it and check for updates and let it do it's thing, but normally that annoyance is OFF. But that's the reason I didn't like VNC or TightVNC. I never could get remote log-on to work right. RDC on the other hand, presents me with the normal Win7 Logon screen and asks for credentials.