Run programs on networked PCs

[reset74]

Hi,
I have a LinkSys Ethernet setup. This lets me access the drives on my networked PCs, but won't let me start a program on one PC while I'm on another. Is this asking for too much? If this kind of program exists whats it called? Any comments appreciated.

[Jon]

Doesn't quite work that way. Only way you can do that is to have an application server which presents a front-end to a client machine in which to access that program. Other choices would be to access a server via a terminal client/server setup in which you're actually only running a "virtual desktop" of the server with the application you want to run installed.

Last option is running a stand-alone EXE file which requires no other installed dependencies (or dependencies which you already have resident on your PC) and run it. The purpose I think you are trying to achieve is defeated, however, as this program will still be running on your PC in a memory space and the program itself will simply reside on the other PC's drive.

[new_novice]

try VNC, do a search for it on google, :) or on this forum, I remembered there were a whole lot of discussion about it.

[reset74]

Thanks for the replys, WinVNC looks interesting:

http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/winvnc.html

Haven't looked at the docs yet so I have no way if it will work on Etherneted Windows PCs, but yeah, thats the kind of program I was looking for so I'll take a look. If it works it seems like a better (and less expensive) alternative to those auto-switchboxs that switch mouse,keyboard, and monitor between multiple PCs.