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RDM on Windows <-> Linux feature parity

RDM on Windows <-> Linux feature parity

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RDMTinkerer

Dear RDM team,

I'm reviving the topic on RDM for Linux feature parity when compared to RDM for Windows.

RDM has become the only tool that prevents me from migrating off Windows to Linux, which I'm planning for quite some time already.

I appreciate that you released native RDM for Linux, but its features are... incomplete.

Because of that I tried running RDM for Windows in a Windows virtual machine on Linux, but the virtualization/hardware emulation so that Windows runs great on Linux is... less than ideal. It's slow, and RDM, being quite a big app is even slower. And... having Remote Desktop within a VM screen, inside my primary display is also not going to be working well, no matter what.

I would like you to somehow rearchitect your development process so that most or all features added to RDM on Windows also end up in RDM on Linux. That would provide Linux community with the best remote management tool that ever existed on Linux so far, with the greatest features and versatility.

As for my priorities it would be remote management entries, such as RDP, SSH, Web, maybe Mikrotik Winbox (they now have Winbox 4 multi platform); credentials entries, and handling Hub. I don't care about VPN entries that much. But to be able to launch the above entries with doubleclick, having credentials entered, just like in RDM on Windows, is a must have. Great SSH agent, password generator and other shared tools would be nice, too.

There's business justification to that as well. I think fully-featured RDM on Linux would attract many Linux-only users (of which majority are technically skilled, working in IT industry), and certainly some of them can become paying customers.

Please think about that. Thanks in advance!

All Comments (6)

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Carl Marien

Hello RDMTinkerer,

Thanks for reviving this topic and for laying out your priorities so clearly, especially the day-to-day workflow expectations. That kind of detail is exactly what helps.

To make sure we fully understand your point of view and how you’re using RDM today (and what’s blocking a full move to Linux), I’d like to set up a short remote session with you and one of our developers. The goal is to see your workflow, what “feature parity” means in practice for you, and which gaps have the biggest impact.

I’ll send you an email with a scheduling link so you can pick a time that works best.

Thanks again looking forward to learning more from your setup and feedback.

Best regards,

Carl Marien

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RDMTinkerer

Hello!

Thank you! I'd be happy to meet! I've picked a slot and I'm hoping for a great discussion.

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Carl Marien

Hello,

Thanks again for the time during our long support session and thank you so much for all your input and the detailed examples you shared. It really helped us capture the requests clearly.

Based on what we reviewed together, I went ahead and created Feature Improvement posts on the Devolutions Feature Request forum so everything is centralized and easy to track. You can follow the discussions, add any extra details, and keep an eye on progress using the links below:


Also, just to clarify: the two items below will be handled as internal bug reports (rather than feature requests), so they’ll be tracked and worked internally:

  • RDM Linux: Prevent session focus stealing when right-clicking entries (auto-focus inconsistent)
  • RDM Linux: Terminal font override does not retain/apply font “variant” (condensed, etc.)


As mentioned during the session, I will close this forum thread.

Thanks you again :)

Best regards,

Carl Marien

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RDMTinkerer

Thank you, it was really great to talk to you. Fingers crossed for new stuff coming to RDM!

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alexanderwien

I thought it was ready by now, but actually seems like i made a severe mistake.
On first glance you would think that this is near the Windows version. Then you want to connect to your customers and notice that still it is impossible to use VPN entries.
A basic essential feature just completely missing with no technical reason at all.

Is there some hope that more time will be spent to make this less useless or should i just go back to Windows?

Maybe it would be best to refer to the Linux Version as Alpha or Beta to make clear that those are not ready for use yet.

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Erica Poirier

Hi Alexander,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback — we genuinely appreciate it, and we understand your frustration.

You're right that the Linux version of Remote Desktop Manager is not yet at the same feature level as the Windows version, and we want to be transparent about why. RDM for Windows has been in active development for over 15 years. RDM for Linux, by comparison, is only about 5 years old. Our Linux development team is working hard to close that gap, but it takes time to reach the same depth and maturity — especially since new features continue to be introduced with every minor Windows release, so the target is always moving.

We hear you on VPN support — it's clearly an important part of your workflow, and we want to make sure we prioritize the right integrations. Could you let us know which specific VPN solution(s) you rely on? That information goes directly to our development team and helps us plan accordingly.

We're not ready to give up on Linux, and neither should you. Every release moves things forward, and your feedback is a real part of what shapes our roadmap.

Thank you again for your patience and for sticking with us.

Best regards,

Érica Poirier

Closed