This suite of build and management scripts makes setting up a secure Guacamole jump server a breeze. It supports TLS reverse proxy (self-signed or Let's Encrypt), Active Directory integration, multi-factor authentication, Quick Connect & History Recording Storage UI enhancements, a custom UI theme creation template (with dark mode as default), auto database backup, O365 email alerts, internal security hardening options, and a fail2ban policy for defense against brute force attacks. The suite also includes code for enterprise deployment similar to Amazon's Guacamole Bastion Cluster.
π To start building your Guacamole appliance, paste the below link into a terminal & follow the prompts (do NOT rus as sudo, script will prompt for sudo):
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/itiligent/Guacamole-Install/main/1-setup.sh && chmod +x 1-setup.sh && ./1-setup.sh
π Before diving in, make sure you have:
- A compatible OS (with sudo & wget packages installed):
- Debian: 12.x, 11.x, 10.x
- Ubuntu LTS variants: 24.04, 23.04, 22.04, 20.04
- Raspbian Buster or Bullseye
- Official vendor cloud images equivalent to the above versions.
- (if your cloud image uses an IP of 127.0.1.1, see here to use TLS with Nginx)
- 1 CPU core + 2GB RAM for every 25 users (plus minimum RAM & disk space for your selected OS).
- Open TCP ports: 22, 80, and 443 (no other services using 80, 8080 & 443)
- If selecting either of the TLS reverse proxy options, you must create an internal DNS record for the internal proxy site, and an additional public DNS record if selecting the Let's Encrypt option.
- Sudo papckage installed
- The username running the 1-setup.sh script must have sudo permissions
π§ The main 1-setup.sh script guides you through the installation options in the following steps:
- Sets up the system hostname and local DNS name (Local DNS must be consistent for TLS proxy).
- Select either a local MySQL install or use a pre-existing local or remote MySQL instance.
- Pick your authentication extension: DUO, TOTP, LDAP/Active Directory, or none.
- Select optional console features: Quick Connect & History Recorded Storage UI integrations.
- Decide on the Guacamole front end: Nginx reverse proxy (HTTP or HTTPS) or use only the native Guacamole interface on port 8080.
- If you opt to install Nginx with self-signed TLS:
- New server and client browser certificates are saved to
$HOME/guac-setup/tls-certs/[date-time]
. - Follow on-screen instructions for client certificate import (no more browser warnings).
- New server and client browser certificates are saved to
- If you opt to install Nginx with self-signed TLS:
βοΈ If you want to customize the available script options:
- Exit
1-setup.sh
at the first prompt (Typically this will have been download to$HOME/guac-setup
). - All configurable script options are noted at the start of
1-setup.sh
under Silent setup options. Re-run the edited setup script (locally, not from the web link) after making your changes. - Certain combinations of the Silent setup options allow for a fully unattended install (making mass deployment or build of a customized docker containers much simpler).
Other useful custom install notes:
- Caution: Re-running the auto-installer re-downloads the suite of scripts and this will overwrite your script edits. Run setup locally after editing the setup script. If any other scripts are edited, their corresponding download links in the setup script must also be commented out in the main setup script.
- Many scripts are automatically adjusted with your chosen installation settings at 1st install to create a matched set that allows for application upgrades or extra feature additions in future without fiddly configuration tasks.
- Nginx reverse proxy is configured to default to at least TLS 1.2. To revert, see commented sections of the
/etc/nginx/nginx.conf
file after install. - A daily MySQL backup job is automatically configured under the script owner's crontab.
- Security note: The Quick Connect option brings some extra security implications, be aware of potential risks in your environment.
Post-install hardening script options available:
add-fail2ban.sh
: Adds a lockdown policy for Guacamole to guard against brute force password attacks.add-tls-guac-daemon.sh
: Wraps internal traffic between the guac server & guac application in TLS.add-auth-ldap.sh
: Template script for simplified Active Directory SSO integration.add-smtp-relay-o365.sh
: Template script for email alert integration with MSO65 (BYO app password).
π¨ Want to give Guacamole your own personal touch? Follow the theme and branding instructions here. To revert to the default theme, after install simply delete the branding.jar file from /etc/guacamole/extensions
, clear your browser cache, and run:
TOMCAT=$(ls /etc/ | grep tomcat) && sudo systemctl restart ${TOMCAT} && sudo systemctl restart guacd && sudo systemctl restart nginx
To renew self-signed certificates or change the reverse proxy local DNS name/IP address:
- Re-run
4a-install-tls-self-signed-nginx.sh
to create a new certificate for Nginx (accompanying browser client certificates will also be updated). Refer to the script's comments for further command line options and always clear your browser cache after changing certificates.
π Need help with Active Directory integration & SSO authentication? Check here.
π To upgrade Guacamole, edit upgrade-guac.sh
to reflect the latest versions of Guacamole & MySQL connector/J before running. This script will also automatically update TOTP, DUO, LDAP, Quick Connect, and History Recorded Storage extensions if present.
π Did you know that Guacamole can run in a load-balanced high availability farm with layered physical/virtual separation between front end, application, and database layers?
- For a separate DATABASE layer: Use the
install-mysql-backend-only.sh
here to install a standalone instance of the Guacamole MySQL database. - For a separate APPLICATION layer: Run the main installer to point new installations to your separate/remote backend database. Say no to the "Install MySQL locally" option and any other local reverse proxy install options.
- For a separate WEB layer: Use the included Nginx installer scripts to build the basis of a separate TLS front end layer, and apply your preferred Nginx load balancing technique. Note that there are too many load balancing strategies to list here, but as an example HA Proxy generally provides superior session persistence/affinity under load-balanced conditions compared to Open Source Nginx.
π¦ The autorun link downloads these repo files into $HOME/guac-setup
:
1-setup.sh
: The parent main installation script.2-install-guacamole.sh
: Guacamole source build & installer script.3-install-nginx.sh
: Nginx installation script.4a-install-tls-self-signed-nginx.sh
: Install/refresh self-signed TLS certificates script.4b-install-tls-letsencrypt-nginx.sh
: Let's Encrypt for Nginx installer script.add-auth-duo.sh
: Duo MFA extension install script.add-auth-ldap.sh
: Active Directory extension installer template script.add-auth-totp.sh
: TOTP MFA extension installer script.add-xtra-quickconnect.sh
: Quick Connect console extension installer script.add-xtra-histrecstore.sh
: History Recorded Storage extension installer script.add-smtp-relay-o365.sh
: Script for O365 SMTP auth relay setup (BYO app password).add-tls-guac-daemon.sh
: Wraps internal traffic between guacd server & Guacamole web app in TLS.add-fail2ban.sh
: Fail2ban (& Guacamole protection policy) installer script.backup-guacamole.sh
: MySQL backup setup script.upgrade-guac.sh
: Guacamole application, extension, and MySQL connector upgrade script.branding.jar
: Base template for customizing Guacamole's UI theme.
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