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I've been looking into enabling audio recording in VMware View Desktops. This would be useful as it would allow the use of applications such as Skype and TeamSpeak within VMware View published desktops.
By default, the VMware View Agent which is installed within the desktop operating system installs the VMware Virtual Audio Driver. The VMware Virtual Audio Driver enables audio playback from the View Desktop to be played through the VMware View Client. However, the VMware Virtual Audio Driver does not enable analog audio input from the View Client to the View desktop. With the VMware Virtual Audio Driver, audio recording within the View Desktop from an audio source connected to the View Client, such as a microphone, is not possible and applications that rely on Audio input will not function correctly.
One workaround is to install a USB sound card on the View Client machine and use USB redirection to redirect the USB sound card to the View Desktop. Although this works, I've had mixed results during testing, with problems including poor recording quality and at times, a delay in audio.
After a quick search, I stumbled upond a VMware KB Article that provided me with hope of a better solution than USB redirection. VMware KB Article 2000611 states that in order for audio input to be enabled within View Desktops, an audio driver from Teradici needs to be installed. The Teradici Virtual Audio Driver will enable support for Analog Audio input from the View Client to the View Desktop. The driver can only be downloaded directly from the Teradici support site, although the support site does require registration in order to access the download. Once registered the driver can be downloaded from the following page:
http://techsupport.teradici.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=15164
I've only tested the driver with Windows XP View Desktops. I was quite impressed with the recording audio quality and latency that the driver provides.
Although the driver works very well with VMware View Clients running on Windows, the same cannot be said for the VMware View Client for Linux (Versions 1.5 & 1.6). After going back to the Teradici Support site and reading the driver release notes, my fear that the VMware View Client for Linux does not provide the neccesary audio input functionality required for analog audio inputs to work in View Desktops accessed from Linux. The release notes state:
“Note Linux-based VMware View Clients support audio output, but do not support analog audio input (this requires audio input support in the View Linux client, please contact VMware if you are interested in this capability).”
I would love for this functionality to be included within the VMware View Client for Linux, as I have now updated most of my personal computers at home to run Linux desktops.
