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

1. Open the device from the Devices list (or jump in from a ticket's "…" menu, Phase 6).
2. On the device detail page, click Remote Control (top right).
3. 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.

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

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.