Running remote app (servers)¶
To run an app with Projector, you need to create a server. There are multiple variants available.
| Variant | Supported platforms | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | Linux | Headless |
| Docker | Any | Headless |
| IDE Plugin | Any | GUI |
Mode¶
There are two ways of how the server is run:
- GUI mode – you can see the app where you launch it, and also connect to it remotely at the same time.
- Headless mode – you can't see the app, you only can connect to it remotely.
Differences¶
You may wonder what to choose. Let's describe some differences that should help you decide.
- Currently, headless mode is available only on Linux (or inside Docker) – we have a request to fix it: PRJ-75. On the other hand, GUI mode is available everywhere.
- Headless mode doesn't require Desktop Environment nor X-Server nor virtual framebuffer to be available on the device, while GUI mode in Linux obviously does. This makes Projector be able to run easily on headless machines such as servers in clouds.
- Headless mode can adapt to the connected client machine better, especially when the client has different screen parameters (DPI, resolution).
Installer¶
Installer is a console application that allows to install, configure, and run JetBrains IDEs with Projector. Currently it works on Linux or in WSL. BSD is supported too. The IDE will be run headlessly.
You can find instructions in the corresponding repo: https://github.com/JetBrains/projector-installer.
Docker¶
We have a sample Docker script that allows you to generate Docker images containing JetBrains IDEs and Projector inside. This allows you to run IDEs anywhere where Docker is available. The IDE will be run headlessly and isolated inside Docker.
You can find instructions in the corresponding repo: https://github.com/JetBrains/projector-docker.
IDE Plugin¶
Another way of running Projector is in GUI mode. To perform this with JetBrains IDEs, we have a plugin for IDEs. You need to install the plugin. After that, the plugin will provide controls to start the screen sharing. This can be useful when you have a workstation with GUI, but need to have an option to leave the workplace and resume the work remotely. With IDE plugin that supports GUI, you don't need to restart already opened IDE.
You can find instructions in the corresponding repo: https://github.com/JetBrains/projector-server/tree/master/projector-plugin.