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Daley Mottley
Daley Mottley

Posted on • Edited on

How to Run Cursor AI in the Cloud with Remote Desktop Access

#ai #programming #vibecoding #tutorial

If you want to run Cursor AI on a cloud server and access it via Remote Desktop (RDP) with a full Graphical User Interface (GUI), here’s a complete guide. You’ll be able to edit code with AI assistance from anywhere using just your browser or Remote Desktop client.

This guide will walk you through installing a lightweight desktop environment, configuring XRDP, and setting up the Cursor AI editor on your Ubuntu 24.04 server.

Table of Contents 📑

  1. Step 1: Create a Vultr Server
  2. Step 2: Install a Lightweight Desktop Environment
  3. Step 3: Install and Configure XRDP
  4. Step 4: Setup GNOME Keyring
  5. Step 5: Install Chromium Browser
  6. Step 6: Install Cursor AI
  7. Step 7: Access Your Ubuntu Remote Desktop
  8. Conclusion

🤝 Affiliate Transparency

Note: This guide includes affiliate links. If you use my Vultr link, you’ll receive $300 in free credits (while the promotion is active), and I’ll earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. This helps support the creation of detailed tutorials like this. Thank you for your support 💙🙂👍

Step 1: Create a Vultr Server

  1. Sign up on Vultr using this affiliate link to receive $300 in free credits.
  2. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 (64-bit) as the OS.
  3. Suggested configurations:
    • Minimum: Shared CPU, 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM
    • Ideal: Dedicated CPU, 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM

Step 2: Install a Lightweight Desktop Environment

We'll use Xfce because it's lightweight and fast.

Update packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
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Install Xfce:

sudo apt install -y xfce4 xfce4-goodies
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Step 3: Install and Configure XRDP

XRDP allows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) clients to access your Ubuntu desktop.

Install XRDP:

sudo apt install -y xrdp
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Enable XRDP service:

sudo systemctl enable --now xrdp
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Open RDP port in firewall:

sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp
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Set the default desktop session:

echo "startxfce4" | sudo tee /etc/skel/.xsession
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(Recommended) Create a non-root user:

adduser myuser
usermod -aG sudo myuser
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Step 4: Setup GNOME Keyring

Some apps require a keyring daemon like GNOME Keyring to securely store and retrieve secrets such as passwords, API tokens, and encryption keys. GNOME Keyring runs in the background, encrypts data using your login password, and provides centralized access through APIs. Without it, apps relying on secure credential storage may fail to authenticate or prompt repeatedly for passwords.

Install gnome-keyring:

sudo apt install -y gnome-keyring
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Manually start it after login:

eval $(/usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon --start)
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export SSH_AUTH_SOCK
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Auto-start it via GUI:

  • Go to Settings > Session and Startup
  • Under Application Autostart, click Add
  • Name: GNOME Keyring

  • Command:

     /usr/bin/gnome-keyring-daemon --start --components=pkcs11,secrets,ssh,gpg

Step 5: Install Chromium Browser

Cursor AI may rely on browser-based features.

sudo apt install -y chromium-browser
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Step 6: Access Your Ubuntu Remote Desktop

  1. Launch your RDP client (Windows/macOS/Linux).
  2. Connect using your server's IP and your non-root user credentials.

Step 7: Install Cursor AI

Cursor AI is a powerful AI-based code editor.

Minimum Requirements:

  • Ubuntu 24.04
  • 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU (shared)
  • 3 GB disk space

Recommended Server:

  • Dedicated 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM

Install FUSE (required for AppImage):

sudo apt install -y fuse
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Download Cursor AI from the official site:

Open Chromium and go to https://cursor.com, then download the Linux AppImage.

After downloading:

cd ~/Downloads
chmod +x CursorAI.AppImage
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(Optional) Move to global path:

sudo mv CursorAI.AppImage /opt/CursorAI.AppImage
sudo ln -s /opt/CursorAI.AppImage /usr/local/bin/cursor
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Launch Cursor:

cursor
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Conclusion

Your cloud server is now equipped with a fast desktop environment and the Cursor AI code editor for remote development. Now you can use AI to enhance your code from anywhere in the world!

If you found this guide helpful, consider giving it a like or repost. Thank you for reading and have a great day 😉👍

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