How to Install Xrdp Server (Remote Desktop) on CentOS 8

Xrdp is an open-source implementation of the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server. It allows you to graphically control a remote machine. Using Xrdp, you can login to remote machine same as Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). This tutorial explains how to install Xrdp (Remote Desktop) on CentOS 8 system.

Installing Desktop Environment#

Typically, Linux servers do not have a desktop environment installed and managed by command line only. First, we will install desktop environment for Xrdp. You can skip this step if you have GUI already on your system.

There are several desktop environments (DE) available. In CentOS, Gnome is the default desktop environment. Run the following command to install Gnome on your remote server as a root or user with sudo privileges:

sudo dnf groupinstall "Server with GUI"

Installing Xrdp#

EPEL software repository includes Xrdp package. If EPEL is not enabled on your system, enable it by typing:

sudo dnf install epel-release

Install the Xrdp package:

sudo dnf install xrdp

Once the installation complete, you need to start the Xrdp service and enable it at boot:

sudo systemctl enable xrdp --now

You can verify that service is running by typing:

sudo systemctl status xrdp

It will show output like below:

● xrdp.service - xrdp daemon
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/xrdp.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
   Active: active (running) since Sun 2020-05-25 11:30:43 UTC; 11s ago
  ...

Configuring Firewall#

If you are running firewall on your CentOS server, you’ll need to open the Xrdp port. By default, the Xrdp listens on port 3389 on all interfaces.

For example to give access to the Xrdp server to a specific IP address or IP range, run the following command:

sudo firewall-cmd --new-zone=xrdp --permanent

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=xrdp --add-port=3389/tcp --permanent

sudo firewall-cmd --zone=xrdp --add-source=192.168.43.0/24 --permanent

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

It’s done. Now you are able to connect your Xrdp server using RDP client on Windows system. If you are running macOS, you can install the Microsoft Remote Desktop application from the Mac App Store. Linux users can use an RDP client such as Remmina or Vinagre.

Conclusion#

In this tutorial shown you how to install xrdp on CentOS 8 system. You can manage your CentOS server from localhost easily through graphic interface from Windows, macOS or Linux system.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free leave a comment below.