In a previous post we discussed how to apply general custom settings to Thinfinity Remote Desktop Server. Today, we will learn how to customize the remote desktop toolbar in depth.
By default, the toolbar displays the wider range of options within reach for the end users. But, as an administrator or integrator, you might want to restrict the end user from accessing some of these options, or all of them. Thinfinity Remote Desktop has a method for applying settings to the toolbar so you can tweak it according to your preferences. These settings will be applied before the connection occurs and will affect all users and all connections in the Thinfinity Remote Desktop server installation.
General remote desktop toolbar customization parameters
The customSettings global variable has two parameters that affect the complete toolbar:
The createToolbar parameter enables the Thinfinity Remote Desktop Toolbar creation. Setting it to false will result in a Thinfinity® Remote Desktop Server connection with no toolbar at all. This might be useful if you want to restrict the user from all the options in the toolbar.
The toolbarVisible parameter defines the initial toolbar visibility. When toolbarVisible is true, the toolbar will appear expanded upon establishing the connection; and when toolbarVisible is false, the toolbar will start collapsed.
Hiding toolbar components
But this is not a black and white world. Maybe you want to hide only some of the toolbar options. For example, when connecting to an application you might want to restrict the user to access the task manager by sending the [CTRL]+[SHIFT]+[ESC] keys. Or, perhaps, you might want to enable file transfer for downloading files without providing access to the file manager.
For all of these cases, you have a way to programmatically define the exact toolbar options that will be excluded.
The toolbarRestrictions customSettings property is an array that contains the full name of all the toolbar options you might want to restrict.
The table below shows the complete option name list:
| Option Full Name | Related button/action |
| actionsMenuBtn | “Actions” menu button |
| actionsMenuBtn.refresh | “Refresh” option of “Action” menu |
| actionsMenuBtn.ssnShareBtn | “Share Session” option of “Action” menu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn | “Send Keys…” submenu option of “Action” menu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.ctrlAltDelBtn | “Ctrl + Alt + Del” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.ctrlEscBtn | “Ctrl + Esc” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.shiftCtrlEscBtn | “Shift + Ctrl + Esc” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.windowsExplorerBtn | “Shell Explore” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| ctionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.runBtn | “Run” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.altTabBtn | “Alt + Tab” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.altShiftTabBtn | “Alt + Shift + Tab” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.altEscBtn | “Alt + Esc” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.leftWinBtn | “Left Win Key” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.rightWinBtn | “Left Win Key” option of “Send Keys…” submenu |
| actionsMenuBtn.takeScreenshotBtn | “Take Screenshot.” option of “Action” menu |
| fileMenuBtn | “File transfer” menu button |
| fileMenuBtn.fileManBtn | “File Manager” option of “File Transfer” menu |
| fileMenuBtn.uploadBtn | “Upload” option of “File Transfer” menu |
| fileMenuBtn.downloadBtn | “Download” option of “File Transfer” menu |
| optionsMenuBtn | “Options” menu button |
| optionsMenuBtn.scaleBtn | “Scale” option of “Options” menu |
| optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn | “Image Quality” submenu option of “Options” menu |
| optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn.imgQHighestBtn | “Highest” option of “Image Quality” submenu |
| optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn.imgQOptimumBtn | “Optimum” option of “Image Quality” submenu |
| optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn.imgQGoodBtn | “Good” option of “Image Quality” submenu |
| optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn.imgQFastestBtn | “Fastest” option of “Image Quality” submenu |
| optionsMenuBtn.keyboardMode | “Disable Shortcuts” option of “Options” menu |
| optionsMenuBtn.fullScreen | “Full Screen” option of “Options” menu |
| disconnectBtn | “Disconnect” menu button |
The following example shows how to create the toolbar so that it starts collapsed and without the “File Manager” menu button, the “Image Quality” submenu, the “Share Session” option or the “[Ctrl]+[ALT]+[DEL]” keystroke option:
var customSettings = {
"createToolbar": true,
"toolbarVisible": false,
"toolbarRestrictions": [
"fileMenuBtn",
"optionsMenuBtn.imgQualityBtn",
"actionsMenuBtn.ssnShareBtn",
"actionsMenuBtn.sendKeysBtn.ctrlAltDelBtn"
]
}
So far we’ve shown you a centralized way to restrict the remote desktop toolbar options for all connections and profiles. But what about a dynamic way to apply the toolbar settings?
A dynamic tweaking of the toolbar is also possible. By using the Thinfinity Remote Desktop Javascript API, you can restrict the toolbar options depending on the user that is accessing.
We will learn how to do this in an upcoming post.