Sophora DeskClient Installation Guide

In this guide we'll run you through the installation of the DeskClient application on your system.

Before you begin

Before installing the DeskClient, please check that you meet the minimum system requirements.

Please also note: With Version 3 we integrated the Chromium-based JxBrowser into the Sophora DeskClient. DeskClient versions 3.0 to 3.6 and versions 4.0 to 4.2 use JavaFX for this integration and therefore these DeskClient versions require a Java Runtime Environment with included JavaFX. If JavaFX is not available, the DeskClient falls back to the SWT browser (the previous default). With DeskClient 3.7 and 4.3 the JxBrowser is still integrated but JavaFX is no longer needed.

Oracle JDK 11 and Oracle OpenJDK 11 do not include JavaFX 11, but you can create a custom JRE for each of your OS by using jlink (see below and section "Custom JDK+JavaFX image" from this JavaFX page).
Other OpenJDKs: Azul ZuluFX and BellSoft Liberica JDK contain JavaFX 11, AdoptOpenJDK not yet (as of 2020-09-17).

On request we deliver the DeskClient also with integrated JRE which includes JavaFX already.

Here is an example batch to create a custom Oracle JRE 11 with JavaFX 11. Note that you must have the JavaFX jmods downloaded for your OS.

set PATH_TO_FX_MODS="C:\Program Files\Java\javafx-jmods-11.0.1"
set JAVA_HOME="C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-11.0.1"
set OUTPUT_DIRECTORY="C:\jdkfx-11.0.1"
%JAVA_HOME%\bin\jlink --module-path %PATH_TO_FX_MODS% --add-modules java.se,javafx.controls,javafx.swing,jdk.httpserver,jdk.jdi,jdk.unsupported,jdk.xml.dom,jdk.management.agent,jdk.localedata,jdk.charsets,jdk.crypto.ec --include-locales en,de --output %OUTPUT_DIRECTORY%

Installing the DeskClient on Windows

1. Download the ZIP archive from the shared download site.

2. Extract the downloaded file to your desired installation directory. This can be done in the File Explorer with the built-in program for unzipping files. Just right-click on the ZIP archive, select Extract All... and follow the instructions. Note that the installation directory must not contain any special characters such as commas.

3. Run the DeskClient application from your installation directory: Enter the DeskClient folder and double-click on the deskclient.exe file.

Note: Virus scanners (such as Windows Defender) may slow down the startup of the DeskClient. As a workaround, you can add the DeskClient root directory to the exclusion list of the virus scanner software.

Note for installation in Citrix environments: The integrated browser needs a registry entry to work properly in Citrix. It is Chromium based and requires an exception for API hooks. See the Citrix website for details. You can put the following lines in a registry file and import it if you already have an entry for "chrome.exe" under "SfrHook". Otherwise you need to add the value "Flag" to "SfrHook" additionally.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\CtxHook\AppInit_Dlls\SfrHook\chromium.exe]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Citrix\CtxHook\AppInit_DLLs\SfrHook\chromium.exe]

Note: If you use multiple displays with a major difference in resolution and move the DeskClient from one monitor to the other, the scaling may not adapt correctly. A possible workaround is to open the settings of the deskclient.exe file and navigate to the Compatibility tab. Here you can change the high DPI settings: Mark the "Override high DPI scaling behaviour" checkbox and select that it will be performed by System.

Installing the DeskClient on macOS

1. Download the signed disk image (DMG) from the shared download site.

2. Extract the downloaded file to your desired installation directory: Double-click on the disk image and drag the DeskClient application from the image to the desired installation location (usually /Applications or user folder). This is important for macOS 10.12 and later, because running a newly-downloaded application from a disk image, archive, or the Downloads directory will cause the system to isolate that application at an unspecified read-only location in the filesystem. This will prevent the application from working correctly. Also note that the installation directory must not contain any special characters such as commas.

3. Run the DeskClient application from your installation directory: Just double-click on the DeskClient.app file.

Next Steps

Learn more about working with Sophora DeskClient in the User Guide section.
If you are an administrator, please also read the additional information on how to customize the DeskClient.

The content of this page is licensed under the CC BY 4.0 License. Code samples are licensed under the MIT License.