If you are working from home or are too far away from your Ubuntu PC, then establishing a remote connection will help you a lot. Ubuntu has a built-in remote desktop connection tool, Ubuntu Remote Desktop. This tool gives you full control of your desktop from any other computer or mobile device.
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Remote desktop connection with RDP and VNC support is built into Ubuntu by default. Here’s how to use remote desktop connection software with Ubuntu.
3 ways to control Ubuntu remotely
In general, you have three options for controlling Ubuntu remotely:
- SSH: Secure Shell
- VNC: Virtual Network Computing
- RDP: Remote Desktop Protocol
While many Linux users consider SSH a great remote connection tool, its fatal drawback is the lack of a graphical user interface (GUI).
Usually, these three options are separate. However, thanks to Ubuntu’s built-in remote desktop connection tool, you can use SSH, VNC and RDP in the same application. Linux, Mac and Windows PCs can use other remote connection tools to control Ubuntu, Android and iOS too.
But first, you will have to enable the Remote desktop feature on your system.
Enable Ubuntu Remote Desktop
Enabling Ubuntu Remote Desktop is easy. You don’t need to install anything else because Ubuntu has built-in VNC support. However, you will need to switch to an Ubuntu PC to set it up for the first time.
Click Search and enter desktop sharingthen click Sharing. The system will display a simple window full of options. Along the top edge of the window, toggle the switch to enable the feature. Next, click the button Screen Sharing and again, find the switch on the window and click it to turn it on.
Make sure you have it turned on Allow connections to control the screen. For security purposes, you should also set a password.
As soon as you enable remote connection, the application will display the local name of your Ubuntu device. This is the VNC address — remember it to access Ubuntu later.
Control Ubuntu remotely using VNC
Controlling Ubuntu via VNC is also very easy from another device. Just make sure you have either the client or the VNC app installed. Here’s how to use VNC from another computer.
Remotely control Ubuntu from another Linux device
Ubuntu (and many other Linux distributions) come with a pre-installed remote desktop viewing feature. Once you’ve configured your Ubuntu PC to connect remotely, you can remotely log into it from whatever Linux distribution you’re using to connect to the established machine.
- Click Search and enter remote.
- Select the first result, Remmina.
- Select VNC in the drop-down menu on the left.
- Enter the VNC address (or IP address) you wrote down earlier.
- Press Enter to initiate the connection.
- When prompted, enter the password.
When you add devices, they are saved in a list so you can quickly access them again in the future.
You can also use this tool to control any computer with the VNC client installed.
Connect Ubuntu remotely from Windows
Want to control your Ubuntu computer from your Windows computer? You can use the same VNC address (or your Ubuntu computer’s IP address).
First, however, you will need a VNC client such as VNC Viewer (from VNC Connect) installed on your Windows computer. Then you can connect to your Ubuntu machine by entering VNC or IP address.
What about RDP on Ubuntu?
RDP can also connect to Ubuntu PCs.
Remote Desktop Protocol is a proprietary system developed by Microsoft. It has proven to be very successful as the RDP server and client application are available on most software platforms.
RDP’s authentication system relies on your computer’s username and password, and it’s quick and easy to set up.
Configure Ubuntu RDP Connection
Before connecting to Ubuntu via RDP, you need to know the IP address of the remote computer. The easiest way is to open a terminal and type:
ifconfig
Remember to note the addr inet value that corresponds to the connection type you are using. For example, if the Ubuntu computer uses Ethernet, use the corresponding IP address.
Next you will need to install xrdp. This is an RDP server for Ubuntu (and other Linux devices) and is required before connecting remotely.
Install xrdp with the command:
sudo apt install xrdp
Once installed, launch the server with the command:
sudo systemctl enable xrdp
Once xrdp is running, you are ready to use RDP.
Establish a remote RDP connection with Ubuntu
As noted, RDP clients are available for most platforms. For example, you can use Remmina’s RDP functionality if you are using a Linux computer to access a remote Ubuntu computer. Similarly, RDP is built into Windows.
Use the following steps to use RDP to connect to Ubuntu.
- Ubuntu/Linux: Launch Remmina and select RDP in the drop-down box. Type the IP address of the remote PC and press Enter.
- Windows: Click Start and enter rdp. Find the Remote Desktop Connection app and click Open. Enter the IP address of the Ubuntu computer and click Connect.
- Macs: Start by installing the Microsoft Remote Desktop 10 software from the App Store. Launch the software, click Add Desktopadd the IP address below PC Nameand press Save. Just double-click the connection icon in the application window to initiate the connection.
Using Chrome Remote Desktop with Ubuntu
If you are unable to set up remote desktop access with Ubuntu, there is an almost universal alternative that you can try, Chrome Remote Desktop.
It’s a cross-platform tool for Linux, Windows, macOS and Chrome OS that gives you remote access to your PC. You can also use the Android or iOS mobile app for remote access.
With Chrome Remote Desktop, remote access is managed through your Google account. All you need is an access code for the remote PC.
Can you control Ubuntu away from home?
Want to connect to your Ubuntu machine on the go? This is a bit more complicated but not entirely impossible. You will need a static IP or a dynamic address from a service such as DynDNS. Basically, this will forward a web address to a device running DynDNS on your network.
It’s simpler use Ngrok instead of NAT IP out the Modem, you can use the address provided by Ngork to perform Remote Desktop on Ubuntu.
