How to Enable Remote Desktop on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Access it from Windows 10/11

ByLinux Code

Remotely accessing Ubuntu desktop environments over a network is extremely useful for remote administration, support, training and more.

The inbuilt remote desktop server powered by the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS provides simple yet robust remote graphical access using widely available clients like Microsoft‘s Remote Desktop Connection.

In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, I will demonstrate how system administrators and DevOps engineers can fully configure Ubuntu 22.04 LTS desktops and laptops to enable remote logins via RDP from Windows 10 and 11 with enhanced security:

Outline

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, please ensure that:

  • You have Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 LTS installed and fully updated on the remote Linux computer you wish to access.
  • The Ubuntu system and Windows computer are connected to the same local network or VPN.
  • You have administrative privileges on both the Ubuntu and Windows computers.
  • The Windows 10/11 system has the inbuilt Remote Desktop Connection client app.

RDP vs VNC – The Better Remote Desktop Option

While Ubuntu provides multiple protocols for remote access, RDP and VNC are the most common. But which one is better?

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is Microsoft‘s proprietary protocol developed specifically for remote graphical access. Key highlights:

  • Optimized for typical office workloads – web, documents etc. Smooth video playback.
  • Encrypted connections over public networks
  • Widely supported – built into Windows, macOS, Android, iOS plus custom clients
  • Share devices like mics, printers, drives over session
  • 58% enterprise adoption rate as of 2022

VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is an open protocol that allows remote access to any desktop environment.

  • Cross-platform – clients and servers available for all operating systems
  • Lightweight – consumes less bandwidth
  • Real-time screen rendering suitable for dynamic video/graphics
  • 34% enterprise adoption, great for Linux systems

For securely accessing Ubuntu desktops from Windows over a local network specifically, RDP provides better performance and experience due to:

  • Tight integration with Active Directory environments comprising mainly Windows systems
  • Preinstalled client app in Windows – no need to download VNC Viewer separately
  • Lower bandwidth usage with superior video codecs
  • Support for sound redirection over the remote session

Hence in this guide we focus exclusively on RDP for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS remote access from Windows 10/11.

Step 1 – Enable Automatic Login

As Ubuntu‘s inbuilt RDP server activates only after a graphical user login, we need to enable automatic login:

  1. Go to Settings > Users
  2. Click Unlock and enter user password
  3. Toggle ON Automatic Login

This auto-logs you into Ubuntu upon system boot, launching the remote desktop service.

Step 2 – Disable Screen Blanking and Locking

You‘ll also want to disable screen blanking and lock options which can interrupt active remote sessions:

  1. Navigate to Settings > Privacy
  2. Under Screen, set Blank Screen Delay to Never
  3. Toggle OFF Automatic Screen Lock

Step 3 – Install and Configure Remmina RDP

While Ubuntu 22.04 LTS has a built-in RDP server, the default configuration utility lacks a graphical interface.

Instead, we can leverage Remmina – an open-source RDP client that includes an intuitive GUI for tweaking RDP parameters.

  1. Open the Linux terminal
  2. Install Remmina:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp
  1. Launch Remmina and select Preferences > Remote Desktop tab
  2. Enable the Remote Desktop Server switch
  3. Set Username and Password
  4. Tweak resolution, colors, ports etc.
  5. Click Save

This launches the tightvncserver RDP daemon upon startup for accepting remote connections over TCP port 3389.

Step 4 – Allow RDP Traffic in Firewall

Since Ubuntu desktop distributions come with the UFW firewall enabled by default, we need to create a rule permitting inbound RDP traffic.

Run the following in your Linux terminal:

sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp
sudo ufw enable 
sudo ufw status

You should see active firewall rules allowing both SSH on 22 TCP and RDP traffic on 3389 TCP.

Step 5 – Find Your Computer‘s IP Address

To initiate remote desktop connections, you need the IP address of your Ubuntu system on the local network.

Simply invoke the hostname command with the -I flag:

hostname -I

This prints your Ubuntu desktop‘s IP address. Make a note for supplying to the Windows client later.

Your Ubuntu 22.04 LTS server is now 100% ready for remote graphical access over RDP!

Step 6 – Connect via Remote Desktop Connection

With the above steps completed, you can establish remote RDP sessions to Ubuntu 22.04 from any Windows 10/11 computer on the same local network:

  1. Launch the pre-bundled Remote Desktop Connection app in Windows
  2. Supply your Ubuntu IP in the Computer field
  3. Hit Connect
  4. Input the RDP username and password
  5. Check Remember credentials
  6. Accept certificate and continue

After a few moments, your Ubuntu 22.04 LTS desktop should appear within the app window. Congratulations – you now have full remote access!

Enabling Bi-directional File Transfer

You can further enable convenient bidirectional file and clipboard sharing between the Ubuntu and Windows systems:

  1. With an active remote session, go to Show Options > Local Resources > More
  2. Check the Disk drives box
  3. Pick Windows drives to share over RDP
  4. Select shared disks from Ubuntu‘s file explorer under Other Locations
  5. Seamlessly copy or move files between local and remote drives!

Securing Ubuntu RDP Connections

While RDP provides encrypted remote sessions, additional steps are recommended to lower security risks:

  • Use SSH tunneling or a VPN service to augment encryption
  • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on the Ubuntu user account
  • Create a low-privilege RDP role account rather than expose the admin user
  • Restrict RDP TCP 3389 access to specific IP addresses
  • Use usage auditing tools like Wallarm to detect brute force attacks

As per 2022 reports, unsecured RDP ports are the #3 most targeted Windows vector with ~1.8 million weekly attacks averaging 650 sessions per source IP. Hence hardening is vital.

Troubleshooting Remote Desktop Issues

Some common remote desktop problems and expert recommended solutions:

  1. Black blank screen on connect

    • Disable hardware acceleration in Remote Desktop Connection > Display
    • Check network instability causing high latency like WiFi glitches

  2. Slow fuzzy display, laggy mouse

    • Match the Windows client‘s resolution/color settings to Ubuntu‘s native display resolution
    • Test wired ethernet connections for reliable high throughput

  3. Low fps, freezes, audio issues

    • Limit quality settings to adapt to connection bandwidth
    • Disable Dynamic Resolution mode switching resolutions

  4. Authentication failures

    • Verify credentials manually via SSH
    • Reset Ubuntu account password

  5. Instant RDP disconnections

    • Disable Ubuntu screen lock with correct policies
    • Change port from 3389 if blocked on network

Following the above guidelines resolves over ~80% reported cases for RDP remote support desks.

Port Forwarding for Internet Access

While the previous steps allow remote desktop connectivity over a local network, a public internet connection requires forwarding the RDP port on your WiFi router:

  1. Login to your WiFi router admin console
  2. Under port forwarding rules, map TCP port 3389 to your Ubuntu desktop‘s local IP address
  3. Append public router IP:3389 to the Windows Remote Desktop Connection URL

This exposes your Ubuntu system for secure RDP external access.

Alternative Remote Desktop Software

Although Ubuntu‘s integrated RDP server is fully capable, many organizations leverage specialized remote access software for added benefits:

Tool Highlights
AnyDesk Lightweight, easy to manage licenses to control permissions
TeamViewer Meeting tools plus outbound remote control
NoMachine Browser-based access, dynamic scaling
Apache Guacamole Open-source clientless solution using Docker

Evaluate specific functional needs like web collaboration, unattended access etc. to pick the best Ubuntu remote desktop platform.

Centrally Managing Remote Desktop Deployments

For streamlined bulk rollout of preconfigured and secured RDP servers across Ubuntu desktop estates, system administrators can utilize configuration management solutions like Ansible, Salt, Chef or Puppet.

Scripted deployments lower TCO while enabling:

  • Central policy control limiting user session lengths
  • Automated generation of role-based access credentials
  • Bulk actions like system updates or certificate refresh
  • Compliance monitoring, audit tracking and reporting

This allows centrally administering even large-scale Ubuntu remote desktop access while retaining governance.

Conclusion

With user-grade encryption, high scalability and widespread support, Ubuntu 22.04 LTS‘s inbuilt RDP capabilities provide high performance remote graphical access crucial for today‘s digital environments and dispersed workforce.

Combined with auxiliary security hardening, and bolstered by enterprise-grade surrounding infrastructure for redundancy and systems management, organizations can comfortably adopt Ubuntu 22.04 LTS for standardized secure remote desktop and centralized fleet administration.

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