Citrix Workspace for Linux: a tool for secure and agile remote work
Citrix Workspace for Linux is a digital workspace that allows employees to securely access company apps and files from a central location. This means that instead of having one device, such as a computer, that has access to a set of applications, and another device with access to a different set of apps, with Citrix Workspace, you have a single interface.
What is Citrix Workspace?
Citrix Workspace is a cloud-based digital workspace. It enables users to access virtual desktops and hosted applications through a central location.
What Is Citrix Workspace Used For?
This workspace is ideal for companies looking to implement a remote working system with employees. With this workspace, employees have access to centralized company apps and files. With the platform, you can allow multiple users to remotely access and operate Microsoft Windows desktops running in a data center or cloud through devices located in many different locations.
For this review, I looked at the included software and features as well as the performance of Citrix Workspace.
My Specs:
- i7 Eight Gen
- 128 GB SSD
- 16 GB DDR4
- NVIDIA GTX 1660 Super
Installation
There are a few different ways that you can install Citrix Workspace on your Linux device. You can do a manual install using either a Debian, Red Hat or Tarbal package.
I decided to use the Debian package, downloaded the necessary files, and started installing via a USB. The installation process was very easy and straightforward, with nothing out of the ordinary. I found the configuration options you have for deploying Citrix to other machines after setting up to be very convenient. You have many customization options for your deployment and settings.
The Citrix Workspace download, installation, and setup also went surprisingly fast. It was faster and more convenient than I expected it to be.
Included Software and Features
Citrix allows businesses to implement remote work by providing employees with remote workstations. Some of the features available are:
- Unified endpoint management
- Cross-platform availability
- Out-of-the-box integrations for IT
- Supports many languages
- Advanced security through access to the application layer
The Workspace platform is easy to use, even by users who aren’t especially technically savvy. This is another reason why this is such a useful platform to use for remote working as it can easily be set up, accessed, and used.
Citrix provides unified endpoint management that will give the company the tools to also promote mobile productivity. Although created for Linux, there is a Citrix Workspace app available for other OS as well. You can get Citrix Workspace for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome, and HTML5.
Citrix also provides simplified IT processes such as the ability to manage security from within the application layer and providing microapp workflows so that IT doesn’t have to build custom API.
Citrix also provides enhanced business security by not relying on multiple VPNs to ensure the security of the platform. Citrix uses an alternative with strict zero-trust security. Workspace allows users to directly access the application layer to securely deliver apps and data. By doing this, the network assets aren’t exposed to external sources.
Citrix has also been linked to a few big names by providing them with cloud-based Workspace solutions. Some of the companies featured on their website include Lucid Tech, eBay, Capita, The University of Sydney, and HDI.
The Citrix Workspace also supports multiple languages, with more being added. Currently, the languages that are supported include English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Polish, Italian, Dutch, Brazilian Portuguese, Danish, Swedish, and Chinese (Simplified and Traditional).
Performance
Citrix Workspace is easy to use and allows users to access the central company system from a variety of locations. While it is easy enough to use and navigate, I did notice some slight lagging while using the app. Upon looking at other user reviews, I noticed that lagging and drops when the internet connections fluctuated were mentioned by others as well.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Citrix is easy to set up and start using the digital workspace. There is also a range of features such as the security and out-of-the-box integration options for IT. If you are in need of a workspace to simplify remote working, then I would recommend giving Citrix a try.
For companies, I guess Citrix Workspace sounds good, but I’m not so trusting of such cloud services, and Citrix has been hacked before, just as so many others have.
For individuals and small companies, there’s Chrome Remote Desktop, which is free.
> A member of my family works in a hospital and is forced to use Citrix for remote work. She comes to me constantly with her frustrations and requests for help.
Sure she does. I can write fiction too.
Best product in market for customized workspace experience. It is very easy to install and browse cloud urls.
> Citrix Workspace is one of the worse products I ever had to support.
No one cares.
Except you.
I agree Citrix is complete garbage. I rather RDP into a physical machine than using any cloud crap with a big overhead.
Citrix Workspace is one of the worse products I ever had to support.
I agree – it’s a terrible product plagued with bugs and has really clunky performance even on good hardware. A member of my family works in a hospital and is forced to use Citrix for remote work. She comes to me constantly with her frustrations and requests for help.
Unfortunately this seems to be the state of affairs with most remote workspace software.
Interesting article, I did not know anything about this. Thanks @shaun! :]