Discussion on: Linux on Windows: WSL with Desktop Environment via RDP

[Muhammad Ridwan Hakim]

In Ubuntu WSL:
sudo apt-get purge xrdp

then

sudo apt-get install xrdp
sudo apt-get install xfce4
sudo apt-get install xfce4-goodies

configure :
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
echo xfce4-session > ~/.xsession

sudo nano /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh
comment these lines to:
#test -x /etc/X11/Xsession && exec /etc/X11/Xsession
#exec /bin/sh /etc/X11/Xsession

add these lines:
# xfce
startxfce4

sudo /etc/init.d/xrdp start

Now in Windows, use Remote Desktop Connection
localhost:3390
then login with Xorg, fill in your username and password.

[r33]

Those instructions did the trick for me. :)
Thank you very much.

[Mark Cheshire]

I was stuck on this for the longest time. After starting the RDP session I would just be return to the intital RDP screen after entering my credentials. I could not find the startwm.sh file, so I kept looking. All troubleshooting paths kept pointing to this solution. Finally I found the hint hidden in log files. On my Fedora system this file is located at: /usr/libexec/xrdp/startwm.sh. Once I had the right file I could comment out # . /etc/X11/xinit/Xsession and add:
# xfce
startxfce4
Then everything was fine. Thanks so much.

[wenrei]

Superb, thanks! Editing the startwm.sh file solves the problem of closing the rdp session after entering the login credentials.
FYI: It only works on Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 18 wouldn't work for me

[Myron]

Thank-you. Worked perfectly. :-)

[Vinicius Martins]

Thaaaanks! It Worked

[Mohammad Abubakar Atiq]

I just change the port to 3400 i hope it dont effect the server but this error is coming up. Any recommendations?

[Muhammad Ridwan Hakim]

which error?

[Ravil Nugmanov]

Hi,
First I followed original instructions, but after connecting over RDP and entering login credentials, it was closing the RDP session immediately.
Then I run all commands from Ridwan's post, and now it works well!
Thank you Robin and Ridwan!
PS: I have Ubuntu 20.04 installed in WSL 2.

[Robin Kretzschmar]

It seems like newer versions of wsl are having this behavior, good that Ridwan shared his solution and you got it working with it 😊

[bagoes]

I have run Ubuntu with xfce on WSL1 using VcXsrv, but can't use the browser. I tried to update Windows to be able to try WSL2, it turns out that xfce could not run due to display problems. Finally here I found the solution by Ridwan, of courser Robin also who made the tutorial thread, as well as other commentators. Thanks.

[S.P.]

Thanks, @rescenic ! I had the same problem, you solution works