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# Opening an RDP connection to the Linux local instance

> Learn how to open an RDP connection to your WSLg Linux instance (Ubuntu) for a full graphical desktop environment. Follow this step-by-step guide to installing and configuring xrdp.

---
![Opening an RDP connection to the Linux local instance](/img/v2/wsl.webp)

> <https://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-enable-wsl2-ubuntu-gui-and-use-rdp-to-remote>
> <https://medium.com/@riley.kao/wsl2-ubuntu20-04-gui-remote-desktop-connection-rdp-2bbd21d2fa71>

**TL;DR**

This article shows how to RDP into a WSL2 Ubuntu instance: installing and starting `xrdp` (on a non-default port like 3390 to avoid conflicts), connecting from Windows via `mstsc.exe`, and installing a full Xfce desktop environment (`xubuntu-desktop`) with `startwm.sh` reconfigured to launch it, so the RDP session shows a full graphical desktop instead of just a console.

When WSLg is enabled, it's possible to access the graphical user interface of your Linux distribution (in my case, it's Ubuntu).

*This gives you the **whole desktop** of your WSL instance, and not just a window here and there. The Docker equivalent, if you'd rather not touch your WSL instance, is [starting a full lubuntu desktop in Docker](/blog/docker-lubuntu).*

## What an RDP session into WSL actually looks like

By default, a WSL instance gives you a bash console. Here is the same instance, in a Windows RDP window, with a complete Xfce desktop:

![Desktop screen](./images/desktop.webp)

Four commands and one configuration file below, and this is what you get.

## Get xrdp running

If you don't have `xrdp` yet, you can install it by running:

```bash
$ sudo apt update && sudo apt -y upgrade
...
$ sudo apt-get install -y xrdp
...
```

Also consider changing the port number to `3390` by running the command below and making a few minor changes. *This seems to be required because, when using the default 3389 port number, you get the 'already in use' error with mstsc.*

```bash
$ (
  sudo cp /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini.bak
  sudo sed -i 's/3389/3390/g' /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
  sudo sed -i 's/max_bpp=32/#max_bpp=32\nmax_bpp=128/g' /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
  sudo sed -i 's/xserverbpp=24/#xserverbpp=24\nxserverbpp=128/g' /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
)
...
```

(see <https://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-enable-wsl2-ubuntu-gui-and-use-rdp-to-remote> for more in-depth information)

Once done, run `sudo service xrdp start` to start the service. You will see the `* Starting Remote Desktop Protocol server` notification in the console.

## Connect from Windows

Go back to your Windows environment and start `mstsc.exe` and set the computer name to `localhost:3390` (or the port number you are using).

![Start the RDP connection](./images/rdp_localhost.webp)

> **Caution:**
>
> The connection is only possible when `xrdp` is started. So, if it does not work, you know what to do (you can also run `sudo service xrdp status` to get detailed information).

![Authentication screen](./images/authentication.webp)

Use your local Linux user and connect.

## Get the desktop environment

At this point, you're connected, but you will just get a bash console and not the desktop illustrated at the top of this article.

If you wish the desktop and all its features, please run `sudo apt-get install -y xubuntu-desktop xfce4 xfce4-goodies`. You will be prompted to make a choice between `gdm3` or `lightdm`; select the first one to get all features.

Also run `sudo nano /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh` to edit the file.

1. Comment out the last two lines:

   **/etc/xrdp/startwm.sh**

   ```bash
   # test -x /etc/X11/Xsession && exec /etc/X11/Xsession
   # exec /bin/sh /etc/X11/Xsession
   ```

2. Add these last two lines:

   **/etc/xrdp/startwm.sh**

   ```bash
   # xfce4
   startxfce4
   ```

Finally enable `dbus`:

```bash
$ (
  sudo systemctl enable dbus
  sudo /etc/init.d/dbus start
  sudo /etc/init.d/xrdp start
  sudo /etc/init.d/xrdp status
)
```

Run `sudo service xrdp restart` to restart the Remote Desktop Protocol Server and start `mstsc.exe` again. Now, you should have the full desktop.

> **Information:**
>
> When you don't need RDP anymore, free up some resources by running `sudo service xrdp stop` in your Linux console.

### Set your keyboard

By default, the keyboard is set to `QWERTY` so go to `Applications` → `Settings` → `Keyboard`.

![Set your keyboard](./images/settings_keyboard.webp)

In the third tab, find your own keyboard setting. If you are using the `Français - Belgique` on Windows, you should set your keyboard to `Belgian (alt.)` on Ubuntu.

![Set your keyboard to Belgian](./images/settings_keyboard_belgian.webp)

## Conclusion

WSLg alone gives you isolated Linux windows floating on your Windows desktop; with `xrdp` and Xfce you get the entire desktop instead, taskbar and settings panel included, in a single RDP window you can minimize like any other.

If a whole desktop is more than you need: [running a single graphical application from a container](/blog/docker-run-linux-gui) is lighter, and if you only want to reach your Linux files, [Open your Linux folder in Windows Explorer](/blog/wsl-windows-explorer) is all it takes.