Team Viewer Notes

Russell Bateman
February 2022
last update:

Installation

Here's how the installation of TeamViewer goes on Linux Mint (Ubuntu/Debian).

To reach the Linux package you need, go to TeamViewer download page.
Pick the package appropriate to your Linux distribution. I'm picking the package for the Debian package manager because I run Linux Mint (Ubuntu).
Download the package into ~/Downloads.

Use dpkg to install it. This will fail because you'll be missing some software, but follow what I do here. You'll add that missing software to your distribution and install TeamViewer successfully afterward:

russ@tirion ~/Downloads $ sudo dpkg --install teamviewer_15.26.4_amd64.deb
Selecting previously unselected package teamviewer.
(Reading database ... 443567 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack teamviewer_15.26.4_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking teamviewer (15.26.4) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of teamviewer:
 teamviewer depends on libminizip1; however:
  Package libminizip1 is not installed.

dpkg: error processing package teamviewer (--install):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24+linuxmint1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.16-2ubuntu2.1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 teamviewer
russ@tirion ~/Downloads $ sudo apt-get install -f
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Correcting dependencies... Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
  linux-headers-5.4.0-94 linux-headers-5.4.0-94-generic linux-image-5.4.0-94-generic linux-modules-5.4.0-94-generic
  linux-modules-extra-5.4.0-94-generic
Use 'sudo apt autoremove' to remove them.
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libminizip1
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libminizip1
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
Need to get 20.2 kB of archives.
After this operation, 60.4 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/universe amd64 libminizip1 amd64 1.1-8build1 [20.2 kB]
Fetched 20.2 kB in 0s (42.2 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libminizip1:amd64.
(Reading database ... 444014 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libminizip1_1.1-8build1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libminizip1:amd64 (1.1-8build1) ...
Setting up libminizip1:amd64 (1.1-8build1) ...
Setting up teamviewer (15.26.4) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.31-0ubuntu9.3) ...
russ@tirion ~/Downloads $ sudo dpkg --install teamviewer_15.26.4_amd64.deb
(Reading database ... 444019 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack teamviewer_15.26.4_amd64.deb ...
Removed /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/teamviewerd.service.
Unpacking teamviewer (15.26.4) over (15.26.4) ...
Setting up teamviewer (15.26.4) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.36.0-1ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.24+linuxmint1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.64ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.12.16-2ubuntu2.1) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.17-2) ...

On Windows...

Go to the same download page, but click on Windows.
Download the Windows installation excutable.
Run that executable which will likely do everything needed on Windows.
Launch TeamViewer on Windows and skip the Linux launch instructions here.

And, here's how to launch it

Launch TeamViewer. for example, on Linux Mint, it's Menu → Internet → TeamViewer.
Click I accept the EULA and the DPA (first-time use only). Click Continue.

What you do next depends on what you're using TeamViewer for.

Here's how to use it You're the managed desktop... ...that will be managed by someone remote from you. This would be the case if you're grandson is going to come into your Windows machine to fix something broken. Tell your ID and password to the managing person on the remote desktop. You're the managing (or observing) desktop... Ask the machine you're going to manage what its ID and password are. Type the ID you're given into the Partner ID field in the Team Viewer window pane at the right. Click Connect. Type the password into the password dialog. Click Log on Observe that the other desktop launches in a new window. Anything you do on that desktop will be done there just as if it were being done by its user. More notes... If the managed computer has two monitors, only the main one (with task bar, etc.) will be seen by the managing desktop.