In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Xrdp Server on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Remote desktop connections have become an essential tool for many users, allowing them to access and manage their systems from anywhere. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, a popular Linux distribution, provides a robust and user-friendly environment for remote desktop connections. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by installing Xrdp, a remote desktop protocol that enables users to connect to their Ubuntu systems from other devices.
This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Xrdp Server on an Ubuntu 20.04 (Bionic Beaver) server.
Prerequisites
- A server running one of the following operating systems: Ubuntu 20.04, 18.04, 16.04, and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.
- It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
- A
non-root sudo useror access to theroot user. We recommend acting as anon-root sudo user, however, as you can harm your system if you’re not careful when acting as the root.
Install Xrdp Server on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa
Step 1. First, make sure that all your system packages are up-to-date by running the following apt commands in the terminal.
sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade
Step 2. Installing the desktop environment on the Ubuntu system.
A desktop environment is crucial for a user-friendly experience. Ubuntu 20.04 LTS comes with several desktop environments to choose from, including Gnome and XFCE. For this guide, we will focus on installing Gnome and XFCE.
- Install Gnome:
sudo apt update sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop
- Install Xfce:
sudo apt update sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop
Step 3. Installing XRDP server on Ubuntu 20.04.
Xrdp is a remote desktop protocol that enables users to connect to their Ubuntu systems from other devices. Now, Run the following command to install Xrdp server on Ubuntu:
sudo apt install xrdp
Once the installation, the Xrdp service will automatically start. You can verify Xrdp using the following command:
sudo systemctl status xrdp
Step 4. Configuring Firewall.
The Xrdp daemon listens on port 3389 on all interfaces. Run this command to allow Xrdp through the local firewall:
sudo ufw allow 3389
Reload the firewall to apply the changes:
sudo ufw reload
Verify the firewall status to ensure that port 3389 is open:
sudo ufw status
Step 5. Connecting to the Xrdp Server.
Now that you have set up your Xrdp server, it is time to open your Xrdp client and connect to the server. I use Remmina to connect from my laptop running Ubuntu. Windows users have an RDP connection application by default on their machine.
Congratulations! You have successfully installed XRDP. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing XRDP open-source remote desktop protocol on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official XRDP website.
