remote desktop from Win7 to Ubuntu

Any ssh client will do.  If you want graphical apps to run on your windows 7 system from the Ubuntu system, you need to install X-windowing system such as xming, or you can use cygwyn .

Putty and xming are simpler to setup and do not take as much as Cygwin which is a Unix like system running within window.

Ion e xming is running, putty/ssh client needs to be configured for X11 forwarding pointing to localhost:x.y that matches the info on the xming takbar item, likely 127.0.01:0.0
Once the ssh connection is established, you can confirm by issuing echo $DISPLAY
Which must be set (you can not manually set it in hopes of making it work) for any X/graphical windows/tool to be sent through the ssh connected tunnel to xming for display.

What do I have to allow on the Ubuntu side.  I am not real familiar with that the Linux, but I can use Putty for the connection.  What command do I have to run to allow the ssh for the putty?  I am not totally following your instructions.
Thank you.

there is a much more easy way. Use xrdp. Install it includint all dependencies. Then allow it in the firewall its the well known RPD port 3389 TCP.

Afterwards just ude remote esktop client on any windows box to connect to the ubuntu box.

For ssh on ubuntu, you may have to install ssh server.  Apt-get or apttitude install ssh-server.  Ubuntu starts with just the client.  You should already have X insatlled.

It's about the same or similar complexity as installing xrdp.

putty starts without X forwarding tunneling enabled.  You just have to configure it by going to the checkbox.  Once that's done, if you're running Xming, you'll get access to X.

I haven't used xrdp, but I have used nomachine, that's another one to try out too.

I think I played with LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) a couple years back and it was pretty cool.
http://www.ltsp.org/

Have installed xrdp.  having trouble creating the .xsession in the home folder.  Can not get command to work.  Then there is a little bit of problem with the next command
chkconfig --levels 5 xrdp on

So I am stuck

Here is a nice tutorial how to set up xrdp on ubuntu.

http://c-nergy.be/blog/?p=5305

thank you checking this out, this might do it

That xrdp tutorial actually looks more involved then tunneling X over putty or setting up nomachine.

this is your post serialband

For ssh on ubuntu, you may have to install ssh server.  Apt-get or aptitude install ssh-server.  Ubuntu starts with just the client.  You should already have X installed.  (What do you mean by this?)

 It's about the same or similar complexity as installing xrdp. (my problem with this is getting the .xsession file to work in the home directory)  (Maybe you have some suggestions about that?)

putty starts without X forwarding tunneling enabled.  You just have to configure it by going to the checkbox.  Once that's done, if you're running Xming, you'll get access to X.

Will be back tomorrow morning...

The advantage of Xrdp is that you need to install it only once, putty and xming need to be active on every device you want to connect from.

RDP-client is out of the box in any recent windows, even there are some apps for phones and tablets.

Furthermore ssh with x tunneling needs a decent connection to the server. over a domestic ADSL od cable connection it can be troublesome to use.
RDP is much faster on slow links.

Nomachine ive no experience.

thank you. will be back to this when I return from vacation.