Reviewed 02/10/2025
Remote Control Overview
Phase 7 — Remote Access · OpenFrame Onboarding
Sometimes you just need to be on the machine — see the screen, move the mouse, fix the thing. OpenFrame's Remote Control gives you a full remote desktop session right in your browser, no separate client to install. This guide covers when to use it, how to start a session, and the controls you get once you're in.
When to use it
Remote Control is for hands-on, see-the-screen work: walking a user through something, fixing a GUI app, checking what's actually on screen. For quick command-line work, the Remote Shell is faster (see Using the Remote Shell); for moving files, use the File Manager (see Using the File Manager). Reach for Remote Control when you need eyes on the desktop.
Online vs. offline — the one prerequisite
The device has to be ONLINE. Remote Control connects live to the machine, so if a device shows OFFLINE, the remote actions are unavailable (greyed out). Check the device's status badge first — green ONLINE means you're good. If it's offline, you'll need to get it back on the network (or wake it) before you can connect.
Starting a session
- Open the device from the Devices list (or jump in from a ticket's "…" menu, Phase 6).
- On the device detail page, click Remote Control (top right).
- You'll land on the remote desktop view — it shows "Connecting to desktop…" and then the live screen appears.
That's it. You're looking at the actual machine.
The session controls
Across the top of the remote view:
- Settings (gear) — tune the session: Quality (e.g. Balanced 50%), Scaling, Frame Rate (e.g. Medium 10 FPS), plus Invert Scroll Direction, Swap Mouse Buttons, and Use Remote Keyboard Map. Drop the quality/frame rate on a slow connection; raise them when you need detail.
- Fullscreen (expand) — go full-screen for a roomier view.
- "…" menu — the session toolbox:
- Apply Shortcut — send key combos your browser would otherwise eat (Alt+Ctrl+Del, Win+L, Win+R, etc.).
- Wake up / Sleep / Reboot / Shut Down — power actions on the remote machine.
- Enable Input — toggle whether your keyboard/mouse actually control the remote.
- Clipboard Sharing — share copy/paste between your machine and the remote.
- Turn on Auto-hide Toolbar in Settings to tuck the toolbar away during a session, windowed or full-screen. It's off by default and remembered per browser.
The input and clipboard pieces have their own quirks worth knowing — see Clipboard & Input Sharing During Remote Sessions.
Company wide controls
- Customers — Select Customer: Customer Device Gaurdrails
Change Default Remote Access Permission:
- Notify Only
- Approval Required
- Silent Access
- Deny Access
A single device can differ from this. In Edit Device, Remote Access Permission offers the same options plus Customer default, which follows the setting for that device's customer.
##Session recordings
Recorded sessions are under Devices → Remote Sessions. Open one to play it back. The Session Events list beside the player logs what happened (input, shortcuts, Ctrl+Alt+Del, monitor switches), and each event is marked on the timeline so you can jump to it. Link the recording to the tickets it relates to from the same page. Use Keep to stop a recording from expiring; you're notified if someone else releases your Keep, and when recordings are about to expire or storage runs low.
Quick checklist
- Confirmed the device is ONLINE
- Opened the device and clicked Remote Control
- Waited for "Connecting to desktop…" to resolve into the live screen
- Adjusted Quality / Frame Rate to match your connection
- Know where the "…" menu (shortcuts, power, input, clipboard) lives
What's next
For command-line work instead of the full desktop, see Using the Remote Shell. To move files to or from the machine, see Using the File Manager. And for the copy-paste and keyboard gotchas, see Clipboard & Input Sharing During Remote Sessions.
Based on OpenFrame v0.9.19. Remote Control requires an online device and is actively evolving — what's in your console wins.