How to Remote Desktop from Linux to Windows

Remote Desktop is a Microsoft-created protocol, but that does not mean you can't use it on Linux to connect to Windows hosts. This quick guide will show you how to RDP from Linux to Windows in just a minute or two using an open-source client. We'll also answer any pressing questions you might have about RDP between Linux and Windows.

How to remote desktop from Linux to Windows using Remmina

There are dozens of RDP clients for Linux, and we plan to round them all up for you in another blog. For now, though, know that Remmina is considered the "standard" and works perfectly fine. Here's how to use to to RDP to a Windows host.

Install Remmina: You can do so using your distrbution's package manager/app store or using the command-line:

sudo apt install remmina

Note: apt is the Ubuntu/Debian package manager. You'll want to use the relevant manager for your distribution. For example, Yum for CentOS.

2. If you're connecting from a different network, get the IP address of your Windows host PC. The easiest way to do this is by Googling "What is my IP".

3. If you are connecting over your local network, search for "System Information" in your Start Menu and find the "System Name" entry near the top. Note it down.

4. On your Linux machine, open Remmina and press the "+" icon in the top-left corner. Enter your information in the following fields:

Server: Type your Windows machine's IP address or system name, depending on wheter you are connecting remotely or over LAN.

Username: Enter the username you use to log in to Windows. For most Windows 11 users, this will be your Microsoft account email. You can check this by opening the Settings app and looking under your profile picture in the top left corner.

Password: Enter the password you use to log in to Windows (note: not your PIN). For most Windows 11 users, this will be your Microsoft account password.

5. Press "Save and Connect". A Window will pop-up, and your Windows desktop should appear after a few seconds.

Troubleshooting and common questions

Why am I getting a 'cant connect to the remote computer' error?

Aside from the obvious stuff mentioned in the error, the most common reasons for this are:

You have entered the details incorrectly
You need to allow remote connections from external sources on your Windows host (Advanced System Settings > Remote > Allow remote connections to this computer).
Your firewall or router is blocking RDP traffic to your machine.
You have previously changed your RDP port and did not specify it (i.e. `96.212.65.20:2120`)

If all else fails, try using a different RDP client, such as XRDP or TightVNC. This will help you to determine if is a problem with your configuration or the app.

How can I secure my RDP connection?

There are several ways you can secure your RDP to to mitigate common security risks:

Ensure "Only allow connections from computers running Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication (NLA)" in Windows.
Make sure your RDP connection is encrypted using SSL
Use a secure user password and forbid default usernames (root, administrator, etc.)
Change your RDP port from the default. Attackers often target port 3398 with automated attacks.
Consider configuring your firewall to only allow RDP traffic from specific IP addresses or IP address ranges.
Set up a VPN

Can't I just use VNC instead of RDP?

While you can use VNC, it's significantly less secure than RDP, so we do not recommend it unless you have no other option.

Is RDP wrapper safe to use?

RDP wrapper violates Microsoft's EULA and introduces and constitutes license infringement. It may also introduce additional security vulnerabilites and, as the authors don't provide instructions to build its files from source, it could patch your system files with pretty much anything.