Raspberry Pi are mostly used through external peripherals as are the USB monitors, keyboards and mice, but these peripherals are not always at hand.
An alternative to them so that you can manipulate your microcomputer is doing it remotely, namely, via network either through a network connection through a Ethernet cable or WiFi.
Mostly users use this option through the SSH protocol, but the truth of everything is that there are other more pleasant options to achieve this. This is how we will explain here how to install a remote desktop on the Raspberry Pi.
What is XRDP and what is this tool for on my Raspberry Pi?
XRDP is an open source implementation of the protocol of Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP), which allows you to connect to the Linux desktop from any operating system. In this way you will be able to graphically control a remote system. So, if you need to open or redirect the access to your router or firewall, you should bear in mind that XRDP uses the standard port 3389. One of the main advantages is that It can be used without the need to install anything either from Windows or Android.
Also, it should be mentioned that this software is not installed by default in Raspbian, system used in the Raspberry Pi. In this way, with this RDP protocol users will have the opportunity to log in to the Raspberry Pi from another computer with operating system Windows, MacOS or Linux, as well as being able to create a real desktop session in the same way as if you had logged into the local computer. For this to work, the client must be connected to the same network or to the Internet.
What are the main uses for a remote desktop on Raspbarry Pi with XRDP?
The remote desktops have been characterized mainly by their ease of use, and especially because they offer different types of uses such as being able to access one computer from another easily.
This is how below we are going to show you what are the main uses that you can give it from a Raspberry Pi with XRDP:
You are not in local
When these types of remote control programs are used users will have the opportunity to work locally, which means that you can have access to the system from a PC and work on it without even being in front of that team. In this way, users will be able to manage their Raspberry Pi from the main computer or from a mobile device.
However, it must be taken into account that these programs work under a Internet connection, so the experience in it will depend a lot on the speed of upload and download of the network. This means that if you do not have a good network connection when sending information or files, the speed will be quite reduced.
Check equipment
Not only will you have the opportunity to consult remote files, if not that currently all this has been used as a supervisory measure, which means that you can monitor what other equipment is doing. This allows a new parental control mechanism to be created in certain ways. It also allows you to take on many other tasks.
This also allows you to install software that requires physical intervention to indicate some actions or to send an email without having to open it in the web version that each provider has. In this way you can get a lot of possibilities with this tool.
Learn step by step how to install a remote desktop on your Raspberry Pi mini computer from scratch
Can install a remote desktop on your Raspberry It will undoubtedly offer you certain benefits in terms of its use, since this will allow you to use and manage this board easily from any other device. This is how here we are going to explain how to perform this procedure from the different XRDP-compatible operating systems.
To do this, follow each of the methods that we are going to explain below:
Installation
Keep in mind that the XRDP installation it is quite simple that it is available in the original repositories of Raspbian.
So you only need to run the following command to do this:
Sudo apt-get install xrdp
Therefore, XRDP is present on the Raspberry Pi as a service, so you will have the opportunity to handle it with the usual controls if necessary:
Sudo service xrdp start I stop I restart I status
With this in mind, now we explain how to perform this installation from each of the supported operating systems:
From Linux
To be able to connect from a PC with the Linux operating system you’re going to have to use Remmina.
It is provided in the repositories for most distributions and is installed as follows:
Sudo apt-get install remmina
When it has been installed and run, you will have to connect it to the IP address of your Raspberry Pi. Sometimes Ubuntu usually gives the following error: “You have requested a mode GFX h264 for him server 192.168.1.15, but his lib freerdp does not support h264. Please check the color depth settings ”.
If this error appears, then as a solution you will have to add it as a shortcut, the fast connection does not allow you to define the color depth. In this way when selecting GFX RFX in the list, the error will automatically disappear and you will be able to connect.
In the following image we are going to show you the most common options to fill in this procedure:
From Windows
- If you are going to do this installation from Windows, then you need to start the tool “Remote desktop connection” from the start menu and then fill in the computer IP address.
- The next thing will be to click on “Connect” and there you will be sent to the screen of XRDP login.
- When you are here you must enter the credentials and then click on the button “To accept”. You will also have to configure XORD in order to Session If you don’t know what you are doing, the desktop will show you the steps to follow and if you are doing it right.
From Mac OS
For users of this operating system they will have the opportunity to come across multiple RDPs that can be used in the same way. They also have the opportunity to download and use “Microsoft Remote Desktop” from the App Store and in that way to be able to connect it to your Raspberry Pi specifying your IP adress.
From a smartphone
You will also have the opportunity to use the RDP protocol from a smartphone very easily. All this thanks to the app already mentioned “Microsoft Remote Desktop” which is available for mobile devices iOS and Android from their official stores.
List of the best remote desktops that we can install on Raspberry Pi alternatives to XRDP
When configuring or creating a server as in the case of the Raspberry Pi, it’s known that not all the time you will be able to be in front of her to control her, so some alternatives are needed for this.
One of them is the already mentioned XRPD, but luckily today you can get other tools and protocols that will allow connect remotely on your microcomputer. In accordance with all this, here we are going to show you some alternatives of remote Desktop that you can start install on your Raspberry Pi.
To do this, follow in detail the list of the best remote desktops that you can currently find:
SSH
If what you are looking for is to be able to connect remotely to a terminal to use your device in text mode, then the SSH protocol It is one of the best alternatives and the one that can best be adapted to your needs. Mostly in most of the Linux distributions, especially in all those that are designed for remote administration such as Raspbian, operating system of Raspberry Pi, SSH connections they are already enabled by default.
But if for some reason you don’t have them enabled or you want to configure all its parameters, then you will be able to do it in a very simple way, since if something stands out to this protocol is its ease of installation. Now from the client computer from where you are going to connect, if it is another Linux system.
Then you can use the terminal itself to establish a communication, but if it is a question of Windows, then you have to resort to applications like Putty. Keep in mind that this SSH protocol allows what is the use of the SFTP protocol that will allow you to be able to access all the files stored on the server through the FTP protocol in a safe and private way.
VNC
There is no doubt that SSH connections They are very useful for each to connect remotely to a terminal, but if what you are looking for is to be able to use the interface of your computer, then It is necessary to resort to other alternatives that allow using the graphic mode of the equipment, as in the case of VNC.
When this tool is ready, You can connect from anywhere to our server and thus be able to have full control of its desktop. Here you must bear in mind that it is possible to encounter some limitations such as a fairly slow refresh rate which can make it almost impossible to perform certain types of tasks, such as play videos. And finally, one of the most recommended clients to use from the computer where you are going to connect is TightVNC.
Teamviewer
It is a proprietary software very similar to the one mentioned above, so it has a use of remote Desktop quite similar to VNC, but this time it includes some additional features which are much more business oriented. That is how Teamviewer allows to facilitate remote access to a machine in another building or city over the Internet.
In this way there is no need to open a specific port for each computer as if you have to do it with the previous alternatives. Therefore, teamViewer connects in the port 5938, but it also makes use of the ports 80 and 443 if it is not open, this allows it to work natively most of the time.