Table of Contents
Desktop Portal Version Differences
Updated
by Niamh Ferns
Desktop Portal Version Differences
Version 5
Portal v2~v4 was built based on Electron. Electron is a framework to create desktop applications based on an existing web application through Chromium and NodeJS. It is used by many modern desktop applications. A common example being the Microsoft Enterprise version of Teams.
Portal v5 is built based on Microsoft's WebView2, which uses Chromium and C# (.NET). Compared to Electron, WebView2 is more secure. The code for a web application can no longer have access to a target operating system directly with WebView2. This means the only way to communicate between C# managed code and Chromium in WebView2 is through a communication protocol.
See contextIsolation setting.
Pros:
- Highest security. Web apps can no longer talk to your OS directly through NodeJS. They can only communicate via a strict communication channel.
- Native Azure AD support. This is similar to Microsoft Edge. As long as your OS is logged in using your corporate Microsoft 365 account, then you are good to go.
- Better chat integration. When new messages arrive or new chats are initialised, notifications can be broadcast using Windows' native notification system.
- Better notification. V5 uses Windows 10 and 11's native notifications. This allows more capability, like muting notifications from Windows.
- More functionality. When creating a ticket with v5, the application is able to submit detailed device info like your OS version, network IP addresses, and more through an internal note.
- Chromium is always up to date. This means you no longer require v3 to v4 style updates. (WebView2 is installed separately; you can choose to install the evergreen version.)
- Branding is done locally. You no longer have to wait for a branding system to package your installer. You can use the universal installer and attach any branding image you wish.
- Desktop shortcut can be adjusted through the installer, making it easy to repair.
- All this and you get the same existing capability in Portal V3 and V4.
Cons:
- Any bug fixes for the communication protocol used by WebView2 or native logic will require redeployment. (This is true for all desktop portal versions.)
Version 3 & 4
Any pros and cons here are strictly for historical purposes only.
Pros:
- Single install location:
C:\Program Files - Single app inside uninstall application list
- Portal is always up-to-date with Web Portal. The Web Portal is directly embedded into the desktop app rather than bundled with the installer. The web Portal is desktop-aware, so everything still works as you would expect.
- Supports a terminal server
- The application logo will always be up-to-date (fetched during app startup), so there's no need to wait for the auto-update cycle
- Easy to uninstall. Hit uninstall, and everything related to Portal will be removed. (This can easily be done via an RMM.)
- Installation plays well with RMM tools
- Single installer
Cons:
- Desktop shortcut icon, application name, or hotkey combination won't be automatically updated. It will require re-deployment.
- Any fixes or updates to desktop portal-specific features require re-deployment. Such as
- Active Directory login
- ScreenConnect integration
- Sticky notifications
- Screenshot functionality
- Any update to the rendering engine of Portal for Desktop requires re-deployment
Portal v2
Any pros and cons here are strictly for historical purposes only.
Pros:
- Auto-update: Any changes to desktop-specific code (screenshots, AD auth, etc) will be deployed automatically
- Auto-update Branding: Any logo, icon, or hotkey changes will be deployed automatically
Cons:
- Multiple portal installations appear inside the installed app list
- Multiple install locations. There is an application installed inside
C:\Program Filesand the app is installed under%LocalAppData%. - When uninstalling, some leftover data remains that needs to be removed manually.
- Problems can occur with Windows permission restrictions during installations or updates.
- The Desktop Portal is always behind the Web Portal's release cycle
- Terminal Server is not supported (due to the install location being inside Local App Data)
- Multiple installers for the same portal, not easy to figure out which one for which situation
Frequently Asked Questions
"Do I need to uninstall the old portal before installing the new version?"
If the target PC has Portal v3 or v4 installed, you can install the new version directly. It will replace the old Portal. If it is v2 or less, you will need to run our uninstaller.
"Should I deploy v5 now?"
If you are not already using V5, we highly recommend that you move over. V4 and below will not work on most systems moving forward due to not receiving updates. In addition, our product support team will not provide any support for V4 or below.
"What kind of bug v5 could have? Security bug?"
No. Nothing to do with security. Different to Node.JS (JavaScript), C# is managed code, the environment is more strict. If any exception is not handled, the application could crash.
"What is the TECH desktop portal?"
Desktop portal for TECH, similar to the Client Portal, but for your service agents. It allows you to log in with ease. Since it has deep integration with Azure AD. Compared to the Client Portal, it also has support for vertical tabs.
"Version 5 for MacOS is not available. When will DeskDirector release it?"
WebView2 is currently only available for Windows. Microsoft have unfortunately decided not to release it on macOS or Linux. There are some alternatives here.
