Automatic rdesktop logon (Linux)

So when you want to test the connection to multiple Windows boxes from your Linux workstation, you have to go through this boring process every time:

- Bring up the rdesktop session
- Type in the user name
- Type in the password
- Hit OK

To automatise this, you can obviously go with:

rdesktop 10.1.1.10 -u Username -p Password

And this will work. But if you have to accept a legal notice prior to being able to type in your creds, you'll notice that the password on the command line won't work. Not easy to script. Also you would have noticed that copy/pasting in the password fields is disabled.

Here is how to automate this using xdotool. Add this function to the end of your ~/.bashrc:

function rdesktop_autologin()
{
 if [ $# != 3 ]; then
  echo "usage: $0 <hostname/ip> <username> <password>"
  return
 fi
 
 IP=$1
 USER=$2
 PASS=$3

 Xaxis=$(xdpyinfo | grep dimensions | awk '{print $2}' | cut -dx -f1)
 Yaxis=$(xdpyinfo | grep dimensions | awk '{print $2}' | cut -dx -f2)
 MaxRes=$Xaxis"x"$(($Yaxis-50))

 /usr/bin/rdesktop -T "$IP" "$IP" -g $MaxRes -u "$USER" -r disk:home=${HOME} -r disk:tmp=/tmp -r clipboard:PRIMARYCLIPBOARD -D -K &
 sleep 3

 WINDOWID=$(xwininfo  -root -tree | grep rdesktop | grep "$IP" | awk '{print $1}')

 if [ "$WINDOWID" == "" ]; then
  echo no window found
  exit
 fi

 echo attaching to $WINDOWID...
 xdotool windowactivate $WINDOWID
 xdotool windowfocus $WINDOWID
 sleep 1

 xdotool key "Return"
 xdotool key "Return"
 xdotool type "$PASS"
 xdotool key "Return"
}

And then just run:

source ~/.bashrc
rdesktop_autologin 10.1.1.10 Username Password

It makes my life so easier. That said, legal notices are here to be read. Heh.