Quick Start

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Node.js 18.x or higher (the backend requires Node.js)
npm 11.x or higher (comes with Node.js)
Git for cloning the repository
Active Directory domain controller (optional if using simulation mode)
RD Connection Broker (optional if using simulation mode)

New to RDS? You can start with simulation mode to explore the interface without requiring AD or RDCB infrastructure.

Installation

Clone the repository

Clone the RDSWeb Custom source code to your local machine:

git clone <your-repository-url>
cd rdsweb-custom

Install backend dependencies

Navigate to the backend directory and install dependencies:

cd backend
npm install

This installs the required packages including Express.js, JWT libraries, and AD authentication modules.

Configure the backend

Copy the example environment file and customize it for your environment:

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with your configuration:

backend/.env

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# JWT Settings
JWT_SECRET=your_very_long_random_secret_here
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=8h

# Active Directory Configuration
LDAP_URL=ldap://dc01.yourdomain.local
LDAP_BASE_DN=DC=yourdomain,DC=local
AD_DOMAIN=YOURDOMAIN

# Service Account (read-only permissions)
AD_SERVICE_USER=[email protected]
AD_SERVICE_PASS=YourServiceAccountPassword

# RD Connection Broker
RDCB_SERVER=rdcb.yourdomain.local

# RD Gateway
RDGATEWAY_HOSTNAME=rdgateway.yourdomain.local

# Simulation Mode (set to false for production)
SIMULATION_MODE=true
SIMULATION_USER=testuser
SIMULATION_PASS=TestPass123!

Security: Never commit the .env file to version control. It contains sensitive credentials.

Start the backend server

Launch the Express.js API server:

npm start

For development with auto-reload:

npm run dev

You should see output indicating the server is running:

╔══════════════════════════════════════╗
║       RDWeb-Moderno  Backend         ║
║   Servidor en puerto 3000            ║
║   Modo: SIMULACIÓN 🟡                ║
║   RDCB: SRV-APPS.LAB-MH.LOCAL        ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════╝

API Health: http://localhost:3000/api/health

Install frontend dependencies

Open a new terminal, navigate to the frontend directory, and install dependencies:

cd frontend
npm install

This installs Angular 21, Angular Material, and all required dependencies.

Start the frontend development server

Launch the Angular development server:

npm start

Or explicitly with Angular CLI:

ng serve

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:4200

Access the application

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://localhost:4200

If using simulation mode, log in with:

Username: The value of SIMULATION_USER from your .env file
Password: The value of SIMULATION_PASS from your .env file

Verify Installation

Once both servers are running, verify everything is working:

Check Backend Health

Visit the health check endpoint:

curl http://localhost:3000/api/health

You should receive a response like:

{
  "status": "ok",
  "simulationMode": true,
  "rdcbServer": "SRV-APPS.LAB-MH.LOCAL",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-04T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Test Authentication

Test the login endpoint (simulation mode):

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "username": "testuser",
    "password": "TestPass123!",
    "privateMode": false
  }'

Successful authentication returns user details and sets an HTTP-only cookie.

Configuration Options

Simulation vs. Production Mode

Simulation Mode
Production Mode

Use for: Development, testing, demos

SIMULATION_MODE=true
SIMULATION_USER=testuser
SIMULATION_PASS=TestPass123!

In simulation mode:

No Active Directory connection required
No RD Connection Broker required
Returns mock RemoteApp data
Perfect for frontend development and testing

Use for: Live deployment with real infrastructure

SIMULATION_MODE=false
LDAP_URL=ldap://dc01.yourdomain.local
LDAP_BASE_DN=DC=yourdomain,DC=local
AD_DOMAIN=YOURDOMAIN
AD_SERVICE_USER=[email protected]
AD_SERVICE_PASS=YourServiceAccountPassword
RDCB_SERVER=rdcb.yourdomain.local

In production mode:

Authenticates against Active Directory
Retrieves real RemoteApp catalog from RDCB
Generates functional .rdp files
Requires proper network access to AD and RDCB

Session Timeout Settings

The application supports two session modes:

Standard Mode: 20-minute session timeout
Private Mode: 240-minute (4-hour) session timeout

Users can select private mode during login. This setting affects:

JWT token expiration (backend/src/routes/auth.js:30)
Cookie max-age (backend/src/routes/auth.js:35)
RDP session timeout (backend/src/services/rdpService.js:14)

CORS Configuration

By default, the backend accepts requests from:

http://localhost:4200 (Angular default port)
http://localhost:4300 (alternative port)

To add additional origins, edit backend/src/index.js:21:

cors({
    origin: ['http://localhost:4200', 'https://rdweb.yourdomain.com'],
    credentials: true,
    methods: ['GET', 'POST', 'OPTIONS'],
    allowedHeaders: ['Content-Type', 'Authorization'],
})

Building for Production

Backend

The backend runs directly with Node.js:

cd backend
NODE_ENV=production npm start

For production deployments, consider:

Using a process manager like PM2 or systemd
Running behind a reverse proxy (nginx, Apache)
Enabling HTTPS with proper certificates

Frontend

Build the Angular application for production:

cd frontend
npm run build

This creates optimized static files in frontend/dist/. Serve these files with:

Nginx or Apache
Azure Static Web Apps
AWS S3 + CloudFront
Any static hosting service

API Endpoint: Update the frontend’s API endpoint configuration in frontend/src/environments/environment.prod.ts to point to your production backend URL.

Troubleshooting

Backend won't start - LDAP connection error

If you see LDAP connection errors:

Verify your Domain Controller is reachable: ping dc01.yourdomain.local
Check LDAP port is open: telnet dc01.yourdomain.local 389
Verify service account credentials in .env
Temporarily enable SIMULATION_MODE=true to isolate the issue

Frontend can't connect to backend

If you see CORS or connection errors:

Verify backend is running: curl http://localhost:3000/api/health
Check the frontend API URL in frontend/src/environments/environment.ts
Ensure CORS origins in backend/src/index.js include your frontend URL
Check browser console for specific error messages

Authentication works but no apps appear

If users can log in but see no RemoteApps:

Verify RDCB_SERVER in .env points to your Connection Broker
Check network connectivity to the RDCB server
Ensure the user has RemoteApp permissions in AD groups
Review backend logs for RDCB connection errors
Test with SIMULATION_MODE=true to see mock apps

RDP files download but don't connect

If .rdp files are generated but fail to connect:

Open the .rdp file in a text editor and verify server addresses
Check RDGATEWAY_HOSTNAME is correct and reachable
Ensure RD Gateway is properly configured
Verify the user has permissions to access the RemoteApp
Test connectivity to the RD Gateway: telnet rdgateway.yourdomain.local 443

Next Steps

Now that you have RDSWeb Custom running:

Configure Active Directory

Set up AD service accounts and group permissions

Learn About Features

Explore authentication, RemoteApp catalog, and more

Deploy to Production

Learn how to deploy securely to your environment

API Reference

Explore the backend API endpoints

Get Started

Deployment

Features

Administration

Prerequisites

Installation

Verify Installation

Check Backend Health

Test Authentication

Configuration Options

Simulation vs. Production Mode

Session Timeout Settings

CORS Configuration

Building for Production

Backend

Frontend

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Configure Active Directory

Learn About Features

Deploy to Production

API Reference

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Deployment

Features

Administration

​Prerequisites

​Installation

​Verify Installation

​Check Backend Health

​Test Authentication

​Configuration Options

​Simulation vs. Production Mode

​Session Timeout Settings

​CORS Configuration

​Building for Production

​Backend

​Frontend

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

Configure Active Directory

Learn About Features

Deploy to Production

API Reference

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Prerequisites

Installation

Verify Installation

Check Backend Health

Test Authentication

Configuration Options

Simulation vs. Production Mode

Session Timeout Settings

CORS Configuration

Building for Production

Backend

Frontend

Troubleshooting

Next Steps