Installing Linux Mint xRDP Server – step-by-step instructions

With xRDP, you can access the desktop of your Linux Mint computer from a Windows PC or any other RDP-capable system. In this guide, I will show you how to install and configure xRDP and solve typical problems. With this script you can install xRDP for Linux Mint fully automatically. All you have to do is execute the following command in the command line:

bash <(wget -qO- https://netguide.io/scripts/Linux/Linux_Mint/install_xrdp.sh)

bash <(wget -qO- https://netguide.io/linux/scripts/Linux/Linux_Mint/install_xrdp.sh

1. update system

Before you get started, bring your system up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install xRDP

Install xRDP and the necessary dependencies:

sudo apt install xrdp xorgxrdp -y

sudo apt install xrdp xorgxrdp -y

Start the xRDP service and activate it for automatic start:

sudo systemctl enable xrdp
sudo systemctl start xrdp
sudo systemctl status xrdp

sudo systemctl enable xrdp
sudo systemctl start xrdp
sudo systemctl status xrdp

3. configure the firewall

Allow RDP connections (default port 3389) in the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp
sudo ufw reload

sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp
sudo ufw reload

4. configure desktop environment (Cinnamon)

To ensure that xRDP runs smoothly with Cinnamon, create an .xsession file:

echo "cinnamon-session" > ~/.xsession
chmod +x ~/.xsession

echo "cinnamon-session" > ~/.xsession
chmod +x ~/.xsession

Then restart the xRDP service:

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

5. find out the IP address

Find out the IP address of your Linux Mint computer:

ip addr show | grep inet

ip addr show | grep inet

It is best to restart the computer once so that all changes take effect:

sudo reboot

sudo reboot

6. establish connection from Windows

1. Open the Remote Desktop Connection(mstsc.exe) on your Windows PC.
2. Enter the IP address of your Linux Mint computer.
3. Click on Connect and log in with your Linux user name and password.

7. important tips & troubleshooting

• Local session: You must log out of your local desktop before using RDP. The computer should remain at the login screen.
• Multiple sessions: Unlike Windows, xRDP does not allow you to have multiple active sessions at the same time. End the current session before connecting from another device.
• Desktop crash: If the desktop crashes after logging in, check the .xsession file. Use cinnamon-session instead of cinnamon-session-cinnamon.
• Display problems: If icons are missing or colors are wrong, make sure the .xsession file is executable and contains exactly cinnamon-session.
• System-wide configuration: Alternatively, you can edit /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh and replace the last two lines with cinnamon-session.

8. advanced configuration (optional)

The xRDP configuration file is located under /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini. Here you can adjust the following, for example:

• max_bpp: Color depth (16, 24, 32)
• port: Standard is 3389
• security_layer: Security level of RDP

Restart xRDP after making changes:

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Conclusion

With this setup, you can easily access your Linux Mint desktop from Windows or any other RDP-enabled system. Ideal if you want to work remotely or simply want to access your computer quickly from another device.