Use Mosh in Remote Desktop Manager through WSL

Mosh is a UDP-based remote shell protocol that utilizes SSH infrastructure for authentication, making it safe to use. It is very useful in scenarios of high latency and bad connectivity, as it will reconnect the session when the connection returns to normal, instead of dropping it.

Keep in mind that Mosh will take up about 3 GB of disk space and download a few hundred MB using the internet connection, as it is essentially a second operating system.

PowerShell should be run as an administrator for this solution.

Steps for installing Mosh

1. Open PowerShell.
2. Install WSL2 itself by using the wsl --install command.

   WSL should now be available in the start menu. It is possible that a reboot is necessary after this install.
3. Install Debian with wsl --install -d debian.

   An assistant may ask you to create a user account during the installation. Debian should now be available in the start menu. It is possible that a reboot is necessary after this install.
4. Download all available software update by using wsl sudo apt update.
5. The WSL image may be outdated and contain outdated software. Input wsl sudo apt full-upgrade.
6. Install mosh with wsl sudo apt install mosh.

Once Mosh is installed, it can be used with the usual command and adding wsl in front (e.g., wsl mosh [e-mail]).

Mosh integration in Remote Desktop Manager 2023 and later

1. Create a Windows Terminal entry, which is under New entry – Miscellaneous.
2. Make certain the Display option is set to Embedded (tabbed).
3. Use the above-mentionned wsl mosh [e-mail] command in the Run field.
4. Click OK to save and close the window.

   Windows 11 users should already have Windows Terminal preinstalled, but Windows 10 users may need to download it through the Microsoft Store.

Mosh integration in Remote Desktop Manager 2022 and earlier

Though it is recommended to update to the latest Remote Desktop Manager version, this method can be used as a workaround with Remote Desktop Manager 2022.

1. Create a Command Line (External Application) entry, which is located under New entry – Miscellaneous.
2. The Display option must be set to Embedded (tabbed).
3. Input C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_1.16.10262.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsTerminal.exe into the Run field.
4. Input C:\Windows\system32\wsl.exe -d Debian mosh [e-mail] into the Arguments field. It is recommended to check the paths to make sure they are accurate in the particular environment.
5. Click OK to save and close the window.

   It is possible that an update to Remote Desktop Manager 2023 will be needed to make this integration work properly.

Tips and tricks

WSL2 does not support IPv6, only IPv4, but it is possible to change it back to WSL1 by using the following command: wsl --set-version Debian 1.

Using Mosh through the additional WSL layer may cause authentication limitations; however there is a workaround.