How to Connect to Windows RDP from Linux (Remmina and FreeRDP)

Linux has excellent RDP clients. The two most useful are Remmina, which has a graphical interface, and FreeRDP, a command-line client that Remmina itself uses. Either one connects to any Windows RDP server.

Option 1: Remmina (graphical)

Install it from your package manager:

# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp

# Fedora
sudo dnf install remmina remmina-plugins-rdp

# Arch
sudo pacman -S remmina freerdp

Then open Remmina and create a connection:

1. Click the plus button to add a new profile.
2. Set Protocol to RDP.
3. Enter the server's IP address as Server, Administrator as Username and your password.
4. Set the colour depth and resolution you want, then click Save and Connect.

Option 2: FreeRDP on the command line

The client is called xfreerdp (X11) or wlfreerdp / sdl-freerdp on newer systems, depending on the version. A typical connection looks like this:

xfreerdp /v:SERVER_IP /u:Administrator /p:'YOUR_PASSWORD' /size:1920x1080 +clipboard /cert:ignore

Useful flags:

• /dynamic-resolution resizes the remote desktop when you resize the window.
• /drive:share,/home/you/share exposes a local folder to the server.
• /gfx enables the newer graphics pipeline for smoother video.
• /cert:ignore skips the certificate prompt. Use it only for a server you just created and trust.

Avoid typing the password on the command line on a shared machine, because it appears in your shell history. Use /p without a value to be prompted instead where your version supports it, or use Remmina.

Troubleshooting

• Connection refused or timeout: check the IP, that the server is running, and that your network allows outgoing port 3389.
• Authentication failed: check the Administrator password. The username is case-insensitive but the password is not.
• Black screen: see our RDP black screen guide.