Aggie Virtual Desktop

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Accessing Aggie Virtual Desktop
• Accessing Applications
• Set Preferences
• Install the Horizon client
• File Sharing 
  • File Sharing on Windows
  • File Sharing on macOS

 Overview

The Aggie Virtual Desktop (AVD) allows remote access to applications and virtual computer lab machines. The specific applications and virtual machines you have access to will depend on your affiliation with the university and your course enrollment.

 Accessing Aggie Virtual Desktop

1. Go to https://aggievirtualdesktop.tamu.edu/.
2. Log in with your NetID@tamu.edu and password. You will be prompted for Duo authentication as well.

Once logged into the AVD, you will be on the Apps page.

 Accessing Applications

1. Click the app you want to access. It will open in the default method set in your preferences. If you click the three dots in the app box, you can choose to open the app in either your browser or in the client.
   
    
2. Click allow pop-up windows in your browser if prompted and you have chosen Browser as the default method to launch apps.
   
    
3. Click Open Link to allow the app to launch in the Horizon Client if it is installed and you choose to launch the app in the client.
   

 Set Preferences

1. Click the user icon in the top right corner.
   
    
2. Click Account.
3. Scroll down to Preferences.
4. Select either Default Mode or Dark Mode as your default appearance for the AVD.
5. Select either Horizon Client or Browser for how you would like Horizon apps to be launched. If you select Horizon Client, you will need to install the Horizon client if it is not already installed.
   

 Install the Horizon client

The Horizon client installation can be initiated either through your AVD account preferences or by attempting to launch a Horizon application via the client when it is not installed.

1. Click Install in the Horizon Client default option in your preferences, or click Install the Horizon Client after clicking Launch from Client to open your app. You will be taken to the Horizon Clients download page.
   
    
2. Scroll to the section for your operating system. The Horizon Client is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
3. Click GO TO DOWNLOADS. For Linux and Android operating systems, make sure to select the version that is appropriate for your version of Linux or Android (32-bit, 64-bit, x86, ARM, etc).
   
    
4. Click Download Now. This will download the latest version of the Horizon Client. If you need to install a specific version that is not the latest version due to compatibility issues, click Select Version in the upper left of the downloads screen and select the version you need.
   
    
5. Run the downloaded file to install the Horizon Client.
   • You may need to have administrator access on your machine to install.
   • Follow the instructions given to install the program.
   • The installation details will be slightly different for each operating system.

 File Sharing 

Aggie Virtual Desktop (AVD) offers users a seamless file-sharing capability, enabling easy collaboration and access to shared resources. With this feature, users can securely upload, download, and share files within their virtual environment.

 File Sharing on Windows

1. On the https://aggievirtualdesktop.tamu.edu/ page, click the three dots in the lower right of the virtual desktop you want to access.
2. Select Launch from Client.
   
   
3. Click Allow when, on first launch, a window asking if you want to share your home folder and removable storage pops up.
   
   
    
4. Click the three dots in the Horizon Client bar then select  Settings from the menu once the client has launched.
   
   
    
5. Click on Drive & Folder Sharing in the Horizon Client settings window. By default, your home directory at C:\Users\NetID will be shared, and options for sharing local files in your home directory and to allow access to removable storage will be turned on. If you do not want to share other local drives, you can close the Horizon Client settings window.
   
   
    
6. Click the Add button to share another local folder with the Horizon Client.
7. Navigate to the folder you want to share then click Select Folder.
8. Close the Horizon Client settings window once you done.

 File Sharing on macOS

1. On the https://aggievirtualdesktop.tamu.edu/ page, click the three dots in the lower right of the virtual desktop you want to access.
2. Select Launch from Client.
3. Click Allow when, on first launch, a window asking if you want to share your home folder and removable storage pops up.
   
    
4. Click on Settings from the Horizon Client menu once the Horizon client has launched.
   
    
5. Click Drive Sharing.
   
6. Click on the + icon
7. Select Macintosh HD > Users > Your Username from the drop down menus
8. Click Add
9. Check the following boxes:
   1. Allow access to Your Username
   2. Allow access to removable storage
   3. Do not show dialog when connecting to a desktop or application
10. Click File -> Save As in the application you are in.
11. Select This PC -> Network Drive (Z:) from the application’s save location dialog. This will be your home folder on your local machine. From there, you can select a specific folder such as Downloads, Documents, Desktop, etc. to save the file to locally.