Xrdp is an open-source implementation of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that allows you to graphically control a remote system. With RDP, you can log in to the remote machine and create a real desktop session the same as if you had logged in to a local machine.

This tutorial covers how to install and configure Xrdp server on Ubuntu 20.04.

Installing Desktop Environment

Ubuntu servers are managed from the command line and do not have a desktop environment installed by default. If you run the desktop version of Ubuntu, skip this step.

There are various desktop environments available in Ubuntu repositories that you can choose. One option is to install Gnome, which is the default desktop environment in Ubuntu 20.04. Another option is to install Xfce . It is a fast, stable, and lightweight desktop environment, which makes it ideal for usage on a remote server.

Run one of the commands below to install the desktop environment of your choice.

• Install Gnome:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop

• Install Xfce:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xubuntu-desktop

Depending on your system, downloading and installing GUI packages will take some time.

#ubuntu #xrdp