Guide on Installing XRDP on Ubuntu, CentOS

VPTS Team Content has been moderated

Published date:20/5/2026 Update:19/6/2026 Views:159 Reviews: 5.0/5555reviews

XRDP is a service that allows users to access the graphical user interface of a Linux server via Remote Desktop Protocol. With XRDP, you can connect from Windows using the built-in Remote...

Guide

XRDP is a service that allows users to access the graphical user interface of a Linux server via Remote Desktop Protocol. With XRDP, you can connect from Windows using the built-in Remote Desktop tool without installing complex third-party software.

In this article,VPTSwill provide detailed instructions on installing XRDP on CentOS and Ubuntu, while sharing essential configuration steps for stable Remote Desktop operation on Linux VPS.

1. What Is XRDP?

XRDP is an open-source RDP server for Linux. Once installed, users can remotely connect to a Linux VPS or server featuring a graphical user interface, similar to controlling a remote Windows machine.

XRDP is commonly used in cases such as:

Manage Linux VPS with a graphical user interface.
Install software that requires a visual interface.
Remote customer support.
Easier server management for users unfamiliar with the command line.

2. Install XRDP on Ubuntu

Step 1: First, update the system:

Copy

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies xorg dbus-x11 x11-xserver-utils

Install XRDP:

Copy

sudo apt install xrdp

Check statusXrdpis running using the command:

Copy

sudo systemctl status xrdp

If you see the status active (running), it means XRDP is operating normally.

Step 2: Add the XRDP user to the ssl-cert group

By default, XRDP requires permission to read SSL certificates. On Ubuntu, you should add the user

xrdp

into group

ssl-cert

Copy

sudo adduser xrdp ssl-cert

Returned result ->

has been successfully installed on the system.

Step 3: Xrdp Configuration File

XRDP configuration files are typically located in the directory:/etc/xrdp
The main configuration file is:/etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini

Typically, for a basic XRDP connection, you do not need to edit this configuration file. XRDP will use the XFCE desktop configured in the previous step.

If there are changes to the XRDP configuration, you need to restart the service:

Copy

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Step 4: Configure firewall

If using firewalld:

Copy

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=3389/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

If using iptables:

Copy

sudo iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 3389 -j ACCEPT

Step 5: Connect Remote Desktop from Windows

On a Windows machine, open the toolRemote Desktop Connection

Enter VPS IP address
Then clickConnect.

On the XRDP login screen, enter:

Username: Linux account
Password: Linux account password

After logging in successfully, you will see the Linux Desktop interface.

2. Install XRDP on CentOS

**IMPORTANT NOTE:

For CentOS 7 VPS instances that have not updated the Vault repo, run the command below before installation to avoid package download errors. VPTS's Vietnam VPS instances come with pre-configured repos, so you can skip this step.

Copy

sed -i 's/mirrorlist/#mirrorlist/g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-*.repo
sed -i 's|#baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org|baseurl=http://vault.centos.org|g' /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-*.repo

Step 1: Update server

Before installing XRDP, you should refresh package lists and update the system to prevent dependency errors during installation.

Copy

yum clean all
yum update -y

After updating is complete, you should restart the server so all changes take full effect.

Copy

reboot

Step 2: Enable the EPEL software repository

Certain packages required for XRDP are not available in CentOS default repositories, so enabling the EPEL Repository is required.

Copy

rpm -Uvh --nosignature https://archives.fedoraproject.org/pub/archive/epel/7/x86_64/Packages/e/epel-release-7-14.noarch.rpm
rpm -Uvh --replacepkgs http://li.nux.ro/download/nux/dextop/el7/x86_64/nux-dextop-release-0-1.el7.nux.noarch.rpm

Certain packages required for XRDP are not available in CentOS default repositories, so enabling the EPEL Repository is required.

Step 3: Install a graphical user interface (GUI) for the server

By default, many CentOS VPSs only come with a command-line interface. For Remote Desktop to work, the server needs a desktop environment.

You can install the full GUI using the command:

Copy

yum groupinstall -y "Server with GUI"

Then set the default boot target to the graphical interface:

Copy

systemctl set-default graphical.target

Step 4: Install XRDP and supporting packages

After fully configuring the supporting repo information, finally you just need to install Xrdp and you're done:

Copy

yum -y install xrdp tigervnc-server

Step 5: Start and enable XRDP on boot

After finishing XRDP installation, start the service with the command:

Copy

systemctl start xrdp.service

Enable XRDP to start automatically on server reboot:

Copy

systemctl enable xrdp.service

Check service status:

Copy

systemctl status xrdp.service

If you see the status active (running), it means XRDP is operating normally.

Step 6: Check port 3389

Copy

netstat -lntp | grep 3389

You need to open port 3389/tcp so external computers can establish a Remote Desktop connection to the server.

Copy

firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=3389/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

If you use iptables, create rules as follows:

Copy

iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 3389 -j ACCEPT

Step 7: Check Remote Desktop connection

On a Windows computer, open

Remote Desktop Connection

and log in

When the XRDP login screen appears, enter your Linux account credentials

Username: Linux account
Password: Linux password

If the result displays the interface below, you have connected successfully.

See more:

Guide to Installing and Using OpenSSH Server for Remote Connection to Windows

VPTS team contact information:

Website: https://vpts.shop
Hotline: 0328 812 674
Facebook: https://facebook.com/VPSTTT
Zalo OA: https://zalo.me/vpstttgroup

CONCLUSION

Thus, with just a few basic configuration steps, you can install and use XRDP on CentOS or Ubuntu to easily connect Remote Desktop from Windows to a Linux VPS. Using XRDP makes server administration more convenient, especially for users who prefer graphical interfaces over command-line SSH.

During the installation process, make sure to thoroughly check all components such as GUI interface, XRDP service, firewall, and login session configuration to keep the system running stably. If you encounter login errors or cannot connect, check the XRDP service, port 3389, and system logs to identify the cause.

VPTS

recommends using a dedicated user account for remote access, regularly updating the system, and restricting access permissions to ensure security for your VPS or Server during operation.

VPTS – Comprehensive Digital Infrastructure Solutions Provider

VPTS is a digital infrastructure solution provider in Vietnam, serving deployment, operation, and data storage needs for individuals, developers, and enterprises. The service ecosystem includesVietnam VPS, International VPS, VPS Anti DDoS, Hosting cPanel, dedicated server, Rack rental, Proxy IPv4/IPv6, S3 MinIOandCloud Storage.

Besides providing infrastructure resources, VPTS also focuses on assisting customers with deployment, configuration, and practical troubleshooting. Content on the VPTS Blog is drawn from common scenarios in operating VPS, servers, and online systems, helping readers understand root causes and apply clear solutions.

VPTS – Stable infrastructure, flexible solutions, and continuous partnership throughout operations.