As I am getting ready to implement my home server using Fedora 39 WS, I have run into an issue trying to use Remmina for a desktop session. I have ssh without issue and use it, including Cockpit in a web browser from Linux Mint (main client).
But as this is a headless server and will be located far from other machines (for now it is nearby and I have an HDMI connected) I need to be able to get a desktop session for anything I need to do outside of terminal.
I have followed instructions for getting the gnome-desktop-remote setup as well as all the other settings I could find, but if I try to get into preferences within the Remmina app on Fedora, it just closes.
In terminal, I get the following errors when trying to start the service (indicating I may need a service file?) and in Cockpit it says the xrdp daemon failed to start.
@pdecker I ssh to enable cockpit on Linux Mint machine. But that only gives me terminal access (or I can just use terminal ssh outside of cockpit). But that does not give me the desktop on Fedora.
I wondered if it was a Wayland issue, but I installed the kde desktop as part of setting up rdp. BUT, do you think I have to actually switch from Wayland desktop to KDE in order for it to work? I thought they had resolved the issues with Wayland.
Not sure which GUI you are referring to. I have the remmina app GUI and have enabled the gnome remote desktop extension, but not sure what else would be needed.
Yeah, that’s what most of the guides are about…from Windows, or Ubuntu and as I am learning, Fedora is different. But I am going to need to remote into it just for those few instances where terminal is not enough.
Here is what Copilot said about connecting to Fedora using Remmina when using Wayland.
Certainly! Remmina is a versatile remote desktop client that allows you to connect to other machines over the network. To use Remmina to connect to a Fedora computer using Wayland, follow these steps:
Install Remmina:
If you’re using Fedora, you can install Remmina by running the following command:
sudo dnf install -y remmina
For other Linux distributions, you can follow the installation instructions specific to your platform.
Create a Remmina Configuration File:
Launch Remmina from your applications menu or terminal.
Click the button to “create a new desktop file.”
Set up the configuration file with the necessary connection parameters (protocol, server, username, password, etc.).
Save the configuration and quit Remmina.
The configuration file will be located in your user directory (e.g., /home/yourusername/.remmina/something.remmina).
Connect to the Remote Machine:
Open a terminal and execute the following command, replacing the path with the actual location of your configuration file:
Thanks @pdecker . Of course, I already have it installed on Fedora and other machines, but I guess we need to ascertain first why the xrdp daemon is not starting.
sudo systemctl status xrdp
Ă— xrdp.service - xrdp daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/xrdp.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/service.d
└─10-timeout-abort.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2024-02-14 11:34:01 EST; 16s ago
Duration: 32ms
Docs: man:xrdp(8)
man:xrdp.ini(5)
Process: 141618 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/xrdp $XRDP_OPTIONS --nodaemon (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 141618 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
CPU: 9ms
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora systemd[1]: Started xrdp.service - xrdp daemon.
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora (xrdp)[141618]: xrdp.service: Referenced but unset environment variable evaluates to an empty string: XRDP_OPTIONS
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [INFO ] starting xrdp with pid 141618
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [INFO ] address [0.0.0.0] port [3389] mode 1
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [INFO ] listening to port 3389 on 0.0.0.0
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [ERROR] g_tcp_bind(11, 3389) failed bind IPv6 (errno=98) and IPv4 (errno=22).
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [ERROR] trans_listen_address failed
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora xrdp[141618]: [ERROR] xrdp_listen_main_loop: xrdp_listen_get_port failed
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora systemd[1]: xrdp.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 14 11:34:01 fedora systemd[1]: xrdp.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Yes, I am done with this one. What I should have said instead of “it just closes” is the input password just goes away without any message whatsoever. But I opened the log and watched as I input the password (assuming my user password) and it said “wrong password”. Sheesh. You’d think it would have told me that. And what other password would it be?
If you have a simple app suggestion, by all means let me know.
That is why I had asked do I need to switch the desktop to KDE in order to use rdp. I can log in of course. I am currently using the server for this discussion since I have to keep referencing things on it (i.e., screenshots, terminal output etc). But I have never rebooted or logged out since I followed the instructions to install KDE in order to get Remmina working
I guess I need to either a) resolve why Remmina does not work (if it is a Wayland thing) OR b) uninstall all the requirements for it and start working on xrdp or other method.
I am going to see if I can switch desktops to KDE and test that.
Well, regardless of installing (CLI) KDE, my options for logging in did not include KDE. I had about 5 with Gnome Xfce as my current choice to see if that is what makes the difference in rdp.
I check xrdp service:
xrdp.service - xrdp daemon
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/xrdp.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/service.d
└─10-timeout-abort.conf
Active: active (running) since Thu 2024-02-15 08:03:05 EST; 10min ago
Docs: man:xrdp(8)
man:xrdp.ini(5)
Main PID: 1498 (xrdp)
Tasks: 1 (limit: 15364)
Memory: 6.7M
CPU: 474ms
CGroup: /system.slice/xrdp.service
└─1498 /usr/sbin/xrdp --nodaemon
So far, not sure. Maybe I need to understand all these types of rdp connections. Yet the xrdp daemon seems to be working now. And I confirmed that in Cockpit on LM as it is no longer giving the error message xrdp daemon not running.
So on LM, I open Remmina and type in the ip address for the server (now using Xfce). And I opened the debugging window so I could monitor what is happening.
Connection brings up an xrdp window to login to fedora, which I do. But it closes instantly.
Debugging displays:
(remina_rdp_OnChannelDisconnectedEventHandler) - Channel Microsoft::Windows::RDS::DisplayControl has been opened
The screen for XRDP opens and I login and it crashes and debug says the above has been closed.
Why does the xrdp connection talk about Windows? Does it think I am trying to connect o a Windows system and then crashes when it realizes it is not?
I have installed 3 other apps since logging into Gnome Xfce Fedora on server. Thincast did not work. Krdc did not work despite having KDE installed. Finally, no machine worked instantly. Now I will test it using Wayland and see if it fails; if it does, we know that Wayland is the issue.
I should have said Xorg (not Xfce) although there is an option to login with Xfce.
Logging into Waylond session, no machine on LM had a slight delay, but then showed the Fedora desktop on my server.
This is not FOSS and I recall using it years ago on Windows. But since it works, I now have a solution for when it is needed to remote into the headless server sitting downstairs next to my router so it can be connected via ethernet.
One issue resolved for my home server, now onto finalizing everything for the move.
