Linux VPS with Remote Desktop: XFCE + xrdp on Ubuntu in 10 Minutes

Short answer: install a lightweight desktop (XFCE) and the xrdp server on your Linux VPS, create a normal user, and connect with any Remote Desktop app to the server's IP on port 3389. On Ubuntu 24.04 it's five commands and about ten minutes. Give it at least 2 GB of RAM, and allow port 3389 only from your own IP address or reach it through an SSH tunnel.

A Linux VPS comes without a screen: you manage it over SSH. That's perfect for servers, but sometimes you want a desktop: a browser that keeps running, a GUI tool, a trading terminal with a Linux build, or simply a remote machine you can click around in. You don't need Windows for that. This guide sets up a full desktop you open with the same Remote Desktop apps people use for Windows servers.

01What You Need

02Step 1: Update the Server

Log in over SSH as root and bring the system up to date:

apt update && apt -y upgrade

03Step 2: Install XFCE and xrdp

XFCE is a fast, simple desktop that works well over Remote Desktop. xrdp is the server that speaks the RDP protocol.

apt install -y xfce4 xfce4-goodies xrdp

If a screen asks which display manager to use, either choice works for xrdp.

04Step 3: Create a Desktop User

Don't use root for the desktop. Create a normal user (replace alex with your name) and give it sudo rights:

adduser alex
usermod -aG sudo alex

Tell xrdp to start XFCE for that user:

echo "xfce4-session" > /home/alex/.xsession
chown alex:alex /home/alex/.xsession

05Step 4: Start xrdp

Let xrdp read its certificate, then start it now and on every boot:

adduser xrdp ssl-cert
systemctl enable --now xrdp
systemctl status xrdp --no-pager

The status should say active (running).

06Step 5: Open Port 3389, but Only for You

An open RDP port gets password-guessing attempts within hours.

The safest simple setup is a firewall that allows SSH for you and RDP only from your own IP address. Find your IP on any "what is my IP" page, then:

ufw allow OpenSSH
ufw allow from YOUR.IP.ADDRESS to any port 3389 proto tcp
ufw enable

Allow SSH before ufw enable, or you'll lock yourself out.

If your IP changes often, use an SSH tunnel instead and don't open 3389 at all:

# on your own computer
ssh -L 3389:localhost:3389 alex@SERVER-IP

Leave that window open, then connect your Remote Desktop app to localhost.

07Step 6: Connect

1. 1Open your Remote Desktop app (mstsc on Windows, Windows App on Mac or phone).
2. 2Enter the server's IP address (or localhost with the SSH tunnel).
3. 3At the xrdp login, keep Xorg selected and enter the user and password from step 3.
4. 4The XFCE desktop appears. For a browser, run sudo snap install firefox on Ubuntu or sudo apt install -y firefox-esr on Debian.

Never used Remote Desktop before? How to Connect to an RDP Server covers each app.

08Troubleshooting

09Debian 12 and Other Distributions

On Debian 12 the commands are identical. On Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux you need the EPEL repository first (dnf install -y epel-release), then dnf groupinstall -y "Xfce" and dnf install -y xrdp, and firewalld instead of ufw.