Help with Ubuntu & Windows RDP


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Hey guys,

So am looking for a bit of help / guidance here. Please note, i am a total Linux n00b :)

 

I have a vm of Ubuntu setup (20.04) ... and have RDP setup, using xrdp (as all my google searching told me to do) and has been working fairly well for a few weeks, but some annoyances i am struggling with.

The RDP functionality, just seems odd to me, and if there is a better way than using xrdp, PLEASE let me know, i am using Remote Desktop Manager to RDP to the vm, and i dont much like VNC....

 

Issues:

* RDP desktop is vastly different to when i console in, and have to input my password a fair number of times (repository update, colour something, opening web browser, keychain ....)

* I dont have the same look and feel as the console, same shortcuts for example, and no side bar, I have to click on Activities to see my shortcuts

 

Appreciate any guidance, and please use dummies speak if you are going to suggest commands to run, etc...... again... Linux Id10T here :)

 

Thanks in advance!!!!

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2 hours ago, Sulphy said:

Hey guys,

So am looking for a bit of help / guidance here. Please note, i am a total Linux n00b :)

 

I have a vm of Ubuntu setup (20.04) ... and have RDP setup, using xrdp (as all my google searching told me to do) and has been working fairly well for a few weeks, but some annoyances i am struggling with.

The RDP functionality, just seems odd to me, and if there is a better way than using xrdp, PLEASE let me know, i am using Remote Desktop Manager to RDP to the vm, and i dont much like VNC....

 

Issues:

* RDP desktop is vastly different to when i console in, and have to input my password a fair number of times (repository update, colour something, opening web browser, keychain ....)

* I dont have the same look and feel as the console, same shortcuts for example, and no side bar, I have to click on Activities to see my shortcuts

 

Appreciate any guidance, and please use dummies speak if you are going to suggest commands to run, etc...... again... Linux Id10T here :)

 

Thanks in advance!!!!

I am not entirely sure what you mean by “console”. 
To address your first point, GNU/Linux is designed that way, as your account is not a root account. You really don’t want to run as root either. 
For the second point, xRDP is a separate logon session, and can even use a different Windows manager than your typical login. Is that what you are referring to? If so, you should be able to change the windows manager that xRDP uses. 

33 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

I am not entirely sure what you mean by “console”. 
To address your first point, GNU/Linux is designed that way, as your account is not a root account. You really don’t want to run as root either. 
For the second point, xRDP is a separate logon session, and can even use a different Windows manager than your typical login. Is that what you are referring to? If so, you should be able to change the windows manager that xRDP uses. 

Thanks for replying!! Sorry, by console i mean the console for the vm. So i use Virtualbox as the hypervisor... so, when i power the ubuntu vm on, I start it up headless, then rdp to it. 

Thanks for the explanation on root account, and design of linux...

So, i guess is there a way to rdp to my own account session? think of it as a windows rdp environment, i want to try get as close to that if possible... if it isnt possible... that sucks, but is fine... i can live with it :)

 

I just hoped there was a different way to remote onto my ubuntu vm. I have a number of other windows vm's, as well as my work laptop... all under a single RDP manager for simplicity, so i have them all open in tabs.

 

Thanks again!!

45 minutes ago, Sulphy said:

Thanks for replying!! Sorry, by console i mean the console for the vm. So i use Virtualbox as the hypervisor... so, when i power the ubuntu vm on, I start it up headless, then rdp to it. 

Thanks for the explanation on root account, and design of linux...

So, i guess is there a way to rdp to my own account session? think of it as a windows rdp environment, i want to try get as close to that if possible... if it isnt possible... that sucks, but is fine... i can live with it :)

 

I just hoped there was a different way to remote onto my ubuntu vm. I have a number of other windows vm's, as well as my work laptop... all under a single RDP manager for simplicity, so i have them all open in tabs.

 

Thanks again!!

Honestly, I'm not sure. I have a similar setup as you with a Android OS build VM and have the same questions. Though to be fair, I never looked into it much :D

I think you can set the desktop environment via a config file: /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

 

https://askubuntu.com/questions/760198/how-to-use-xrdp-with-unity-on-ubuntu-16-04-lts

Edited by adrynalyne
3 minutes ago, adrynalyne said:

Honestly, I'm not sure. I have a similar setup as you with a Android OS build VM and have the same questions. Though to be fair, I never looked into it much :D

 

Bah, just my luck :D

Quite some time ago, when i took my first crack at pihole, i have no clue how i set it up, but i was able to login without the silly xrdp logon screen. Just double clicked the rdp session, and boom, on the desktop. Since i changed my pihole, i have that 90's windows 95 blue background and old school logon prompt again.... 

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