How it works

Post by **akatik** » Mon Apr 08, 2019 3:18 pm

USB devices redirection is complicated! If you need to redirect USB flash, specify in configuration file:

disk=usb

Smartcard or USB-token may be redirected only by special smartcard redirection via RDP. Windows won't work with redirected as USB smartcard. Here's the manual about smartcard redirection: https://wtware.com/docs5/smartcard.html

Common USB printer redirection is easier, use one of printer redirection ways: https://wtware.com/docs5/printer.html

USB barcode scanners: http://wtware.com/docs5/config.html#serial

USB scanners: http://wtware.com/docs5/config.html#scanner

USB device redirection is needed for:
* Multifunction devices, scanners and barcode scanners, if there's no driver in WTware for such device
* Canon CAPT printers
* cameras, mobile phones and tablets
* techological devices etc.

VirtualHere allows to redirect one USB device from each thin client for free. VirtualHere is easier and in some cases works better than Windows-embedded USB redirection via RDP.

Attention! We are not VirtualHere developers. We don't know how VirtualHere works and we can't advise on possible ambivalences with redirected devices. Not any USB device may be redirected over network. Before USB redirection of your device on WTware thin client, test how this USB device is redirected via VirtualHere to your terminal server from any other Windows computer.

1. VirtualHere license doesn't allow us to include their server into WTware distribution. You will have to download in manually from developers site. On the page "Linux USB Server" download "Generic VirtualHere USB Server Builds" for needed architecture. WTware works on four architectures: i386, AMD64, ARM, ARM64.

Raspberry Pi 2 and 3 versions are ARM architecture. So for Raspberry Pi 2 and 3 you are to download VirtualHere USB Server for Linux (ARM), file vhusbdarm.

Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 versions are ARM64 architecture. So for Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 you are to download VirtualHere USB Server for Linux (ARM64), file vhusbdarm64.

Common x86-compatible computer may be i386 or AMD64. Boot WTware on needed computer, place mouse in the right bottom corner and look at popup window. If near WTware version you see UEFI word, it's 64-bit WTware, and you are to download VirtualHere USB Server for Linux (AMD64), file vhusbdx86_64.

If there's no UEFI word near WTware version and logo, then WTware for i386 architecture works on this computer. You are to download VirtualHere USB Server for Linux (i386), file vhusbdi386.

2. WTware terminal must receive the file, that you downloaded. If terminal boots by network or from local disk, but downloads configuration files by network, you should save this file into Everyone directory in TFTP server root. By default it's:

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C:\Program Files (x86)\WTware\TFTPDROOT\Everyone

If WTware terminal boots from it's local disk and stores configuration on local disk, open terminal web-interface and place the file into configs directory.

3. In terminal configuration file you are to specify:

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vhusb = on

That's all. Now terminal during boot will download from TFTP/HTTP or from it's local disk the file with VirtualHere and will run it. On Windows terminal server run VirtualHere and specify terminal IP. You will see the list of all terminal USB devices, that may be redirected.

Additional options

You may tell VirtualHere to redirect definite USB device:

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vhusb = 1234:ABCD

USB IDs of all connected to terminal devices you may see on terminal web-interface in USB bus section.

Broadcast messages, in order not to enter terminal IP:

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vhusb = UseAVAHI

VirtualHere license is required to redirect more than one device:

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vhusb_license = 1234050617ea4984,0,CMICDwCbZ6kF1QLfgUwRe/EGQQIPAKnVhp2ED1dcd8CCKXVl
vhusb = 1234:ABCD,1111:2222

Custom config.ini

There are many other options in VirtualHere: https://www.virtualhere.com/configuration_faq To use them you should create your custom configuration file for VirtualHere and in WTware configuration file specify VirtualHere configuration file name:

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vhusb = config:thinclient12vh.ini

Place your file (in example it's name is thinclient12vh.ini) into the same directory, where you placed VitrualHere server binary file above.

WTware loads your thinclient12vh.ini, renames it into config.ini and runs VirtualHere server with your config.