FastX to ThinLinc Transition
July 30, 2026
Service Announcement

CSE-IT is transitioning our remote desktop software from FastX to Thinlinc. This will affect the way you connect to the remote desktop on your system. Please note that while minor user-facing changes will take place, functionality remains mostly unaffected. No action is required on your part.

We apologize for the abruptness of this requirement but due to delays in licensing this change needs to be implemented immediately.

We will be implementing this change throughout the day tomorrow, July 31st 2026. You may notice FastX being replaced with the new software on your system.

Connecting To Your Remote Desktop

Server Address: Point your browser to https://<fqdn> (this is the hostname+full domain name, e.g., https://cs-example.cs.umn.edu/). Note: you may have been connecting to port 3443 – this is no longer required.

Login Info: The login screen will look slightly different, but is functionally the same. Type in your user name and password, and approve the Duo prompt.

Desktop Environment: Once connected, you may select your desired desktop environment.

  • Xfce (the previous default) and LXDE are available (LXDE may be removed in the future).
  • On Ubuntu versions 24.04 and 22.04, Ubuntu Desktop is also available. This is experimental at this point.


 

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