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===== Accessing the UWP using the Citrix Workspace App =====

The virtual workspace can also be accessed using the Citrix Workspace app. Using the app has some advantages compared to using the browser. It mainly gives you the option to make your local data directly available for the virtual environment and its software, but it also provides some more advantages concerning the general performance. 

To be able to use the Citrix workspace app, you first need to install it on your local device(s). If it is not yet present on your system, you can use one of the [[https://www.citrix.com/downloads/workspace-app/|Citrix installers]] which are provided for all major operating systems (Windows, Mac, and Linux). 

The example in this section and the screenshots will assume you are using the Windows version. Depending on the OS that you are using and the version of the current Citrix app installed on your device(s), you might find that certain aspects might be slightly different from what is shown in the screenshots here. If you find any major discrepancies to what we show, please consider contacting us about it at [[dcc@rug.nl|dcc@rug.nl]].

After you finished installing the Citrix app, you do not need to configure it further locally. The [[https://uwp.rug.nl/|web portal of the virtual workspace]] will pass on any relevant configuration options to the Citrix app directly when you open a workspace session. 

To start such a session in the Citrix Workspace app, first open [[https://uwp.rug.nl/|uwp.rug.nl]] again in a web browser and authenticate with your UG credentials. After login, **do not directly start** a virtual session **if this is your first time using the Citrix app**. Instead open your account settings via the cogwheel button at the top-right corner, then select "Settings" to open your user settings (see screenshot below).

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In your settings, you will find an option at the bottom that reads //Change Citrix Workspace app//. Click on this option to open a new window where you can choose how to use the Citrix Workspace app.

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In the window shown in the screenshot below, click on either //Use full version// or //Use light version//. If you select the **light version**, then your virtual session will be opened **in the browser**. If you select the **full version**, then your session will be opened with the **Citrix Workspace app**. The text specifies which version you have currently selected. Be sure that it says that you are using the full version, then continue with the next steps.

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Once you made sure that you have the full version selected, go back to //DESKTOPS// and then start a new virtual sessions via the "Workspace Desktop" button. This will now download a ''*.ica'' file, instead of starting your session in a browser window. 

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This ''*.ica'' file contains all the info that the Citrix app needs to start your virtual session. If you have the Citrix Workspace app installed, clicking on the file **once** will start your virtual session in the app. 

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The Citrix Workspace app will ask you if you want to give the application permissions to your local file system and attached devices during startup. If you want to make use of the full functionality of the app, we recommend you enable both features. Ultimately, however, it is up to you to decide what you need and what permissions to grant based on your use case. You can always adjust the different settings later on, should you change your mind. To change settings, click on the Citrix menu at the top of your current session to reveal it, then select the "Preferences" tab to open the preferences of the app. 

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The preference provide you with the following important adjustments:
  * **File Access**: This setting allows you to define how the Citrix app is able to interact with your local file system. To be able to access local data to work with software in the virtual environment (see below), you should at least assign it "Read only" permissions. If you also want to write from your virtual environment to your local system, "Read and write" should be assigned here.
  * **Connections**: Here you can select if the Citrix app should have access to some local devices, for example webcams and printers.
  * **Display**: You can adjust the settings about how the virtual display should behave/scale. The recommended option here is "Best resolution".
  * **Monitor layout**: You can fine-tune the layout of your virtual session, if needed. 

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=== Accessing local Data with Citrix Workspace App ===

One of the special features of the Citrix Workspace is its ability to directly interact with your local file system. This basically means that you can access your local files from the virtual environment as if they were available in the environment itself. You can also use it to easily transfer data between your local system and the virtual environment, or more precisely, the UG-provided storage solutions (mainly X:/Y: drive). 

In this example, we assume that you assigned "Read and write" access when the Citrix Workspace app asked for it. If you did not grant "Read and write" permission on startup, please read above how to change this setting.

If you now open the //Windows File Explorer// in your Citrix session, you should see that you do not just have the UG network drives, but also (at least one) "Local Disk". This is your local hard drive. In the example provided by the screenshot below, it is the disk labelled ''C:'' under the section //Devices and Drives//. 

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If you can see at least one device or drive in the //Explorer//, then you can transfer data between your virtual session and your local machine. You can do this directly in the virtual session by using normal Windows file operation, like for example via copy/paste or drag and drop. As in your normal Windows environment, you can move/copy/manage both files and folders in either your virtual environment and/or your local machine.

If you have at least "Read" access to your local file system, then you can even start software in the virtual environment and access data that is stored in your local system, without the need to transfer the data beforehand. This is a great feature if you want to work remotely on your data with software that is available for you in the virtual workspace! 

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