Implementing extended functionality for an HTML5 client for remote desktops

Abstract: The rising demand to be able to work and use applications wherever you go dictates the need to be able to connect remotely to desktops. This challenge is addressed by so called remote desktop applications that allow the user to locally view and control a remote computer. Such a solution requires installation of specialized software on both the remote computer and the local computer. The software on the local computer is the client software. Most implementations of such client software are native clients which are software packages installed on the client machine. A logical evolution path for remote desktop clients is the shift to a web browser version that will not require the installation of any specific software.HTML5 is an upcoming standard and markup language for the world wide web. HTML5 brings new features which open up new possibilities for web developers. The potential of HTML5 technologies draw remote desktop developers' attention. New HTML5 versions of remote desktop clients have started to appear due to this.However, these new realizations are limited and far from being powerful enough to replace native clients. Thus, it is still completely unknown whether an HTML5-based remote desktop client has possibilities to replace native remote desktop clients. This thesis aims to address this knowledge gap. Essential technical features such as audio and local printing for remote desktop solutions were investigated in the context of an HTML5 client. Functionality was implemented and tested, and future development was evaluated.The resulting features that were implemented along with the evaluated future features were subject to some limitations inherited by the HTML5 platform. As a result of this work, it was concluded that it is not possible to achieve features with the same level of functionality as the features seen in the native clients. In order to accomplish this, the browsers would have to implement specific interfaces for the required hardware and systems. These limitations prevent complete replacement of native remote desktop clients with a HTML5 based client in the near future. However, the HTML5 client has a dedicated area where its features suit their purpose. The HTML5 client is available where the native clients are not. The browser platform brings unprecedented accessibility advantages.