Apache Guacamole

Apache Guacamole is a free and open-source, cross-platform, clientless remote desktop gateway maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. It allows users to control remote computers or virtual machines via a web browser, and allows administrators to dictate how and whether users can connect using an extensible authentication and authorization system. Destination machines can be kept isolated behind Guacamole and need not be reachable over the internet.

Apache Guacamole
Developer(s)Apache Software Foundation
Initial releaseMarch 17, 2010 (2010-03-17)
Stable release
1.5.3 / July 31, 2023 (2023-07-31)[1]
Repository
Written inC and Java (server), JavaScript (client)
Operating system
  • Server: Linux / UNIX
  • Client: Web browsers that support HTML5
TypeRemote Desktop Gateway
LicenseApache License 2.0
WebsiteOfficial Website

Remote access is performed via the guacd component, which uses the RDP, VNC or SSH remote protocols to access resources. Guacamole is clientless and doesn't require an agent to be installed on the resources being accessed. The fact that the client runs on web browsers allows users to connect to their remote desktops without installing a remote desktop client.[2]

Components
Architecture of Apache Guacamole

Guacamole is made up of multiple components: a web application that is served to users, and a backend service ("guacd") that dynamically translates and optimizes[3] native protocols into the Guacamole protocol. The part of Guacamole that a user interacts with is the web application.[4]

Web Application

The web application provides the user interface, authentication, and authorization system. It does not implement any remote desktop protocol, but instead relies on guacd to translate remote desktop protocols into the Guacamole protocol. The server side of the web application is written in Java and runs beneath a servlet container like Apache Tomcat or Jetty. The client side of the web application is written in JavaScript and runs within the web browser.

guacd

guacd services requests to connect to remote desktops from the web application. It dynamically loads support for remote desktop protocols so that neither guacd nor the web application need to understand the specifics of any one remote desktop protocol. guacd and all client plugins use a shared library, libguac, to abstract away the Guacamole protocol and communication with the web application.

History

Guacamole was created in 2010 by Michael Jumper[5] as an HTML5 VNC client leveraging components of a browser-based telnet client called "RealMint".[6] The company Glyptodon LLC formed to support and develop the project,[7] and donated the project to the Apache Software Foundation in 2016 where it entered incubation. In 2017, Guacamole completed incubation and became the Apache Guacamole top-level project.[8]

As an Apache Software Foundation project, Guacamole is licensed under the Apache License and is developed by a community of contributors.[9][10] Development discussions and support take place on the project's mailing lists,[11] and contributions are made through opening pull requests against the project's GitHub repositories. The project follows responsible disclosure practices and provides a private list for reporting and addressing issues with security implications.[12]

Timeline
Version[13] Release date
Current stable version: 1.5.3 2023-07-31
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.5.2 2023-05-25
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.5.1 2023-04-13
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.5.0 2023-02-18
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.4.0 2022-01-01
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.3.0 2021-01-01
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.2.0 2020-06-28
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.1.0 2020-01-29
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.0.0 2019-01-08
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.14 2018-01-18
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.13-incubating 2017-07-30
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.12-incubating 2017-04-01
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.11-incubating 2017-02-02
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.10-incubating 2016-12-29
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.9 2015-12-18
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.8 2015-09-09
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.7 2015-06-10
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.6 2015-03-30
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.5 2015-02-16
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.4 2015-01-06
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.3 2014-09-30
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.2 2014-07-21
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.1 2014-05-23
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.8.4 2014-05-23
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.9.0 2014-03-28
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.8.3 2013-08-28
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.8.2 2013-07-15
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release

Literature

References
  1. Apache Guacamole™: 1.5.3, retrieved 2023-08-06
  2. Kenlon, Seth (6 May 2020). "5 open source tools IT leaders should know about now". enterprisersproject.com. Archived from the original on 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  3. "Performance testing of Guacamole-Apache Mail Archives". lists.apache.org.
  4. "Implementation and architecture — Apache Guacamole Manual v1.5.0". guacamole.apache.org.
  5. "Apache Guacamole - SourceForge.net". SourceForge.net. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
  6. "Introduction - Apache Guacamole Manual v1.5.0". guacamole.apache.org.
  7. "Guacamole - HTML5 Clientless Remote Desktop". guac-dev.org. Archived from the original on 2016-04-05. Retrieved 2023-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. "Guacamole Incubation Status - Apache Incubator". incubator.apache.org.
  9. "Apache Guacamole™: Open Source". guacamole.apache.org.
  10. "Apache Phone Book - Guacamole". apache.org.
  11. "Apache Guacamole™: Help / Support". guacamole.apache.org.
  12. "Apache Guacamole™: Security Reports". guacamole.apache.org.
  13. "Apache Guacamole™: Release Archive". guacamole.apache.org.
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