To use the remote desktop protocol on a Raspberry Pi, a software piece named XRDP is essential. Through this software, we will learn how to implement RDP.
At the same time, it is essential to understand that this tutorial won’t be of any help if you use a headless system. That means the XRDP software needs X Windows implementation to display the desktop. On the other hand, if your project requires terminal sharing, you will need Tmate software to make things work.
Those unfamiliar with RDP need to know that it is a proprietary protocol developed and owned by Microsoft that uses low bandwidth connections to access your Windows PC.
This tutorial will teach you how to connect to your raspberry pi remotely with the help of the Microsoft Windows remote desktop protocol (RDP).
How to Install the XRDP Server to Set Up the Raspberry Pi remote Desktop?
Before we begin working on the remote desktop, we need to make sure that everything at hand is up to date. The best way to ensure that we are covered in this department is if we run these two commands:
- Sudo apt-get update
- Sudo apt-get upgrade
The next step is installing the XRDP software package on our Raspberry Pi. This will help us establish a remote desktop connection application on the Raspberry Pi.
The XDRP software that we want to install is an open-source program to run the remote desktop server. It uses the same protocol used by most Windows computer installations to connect with and connect. The XDRP software acts as a replica of the RDP so that any remote desktop client can connect to your device, which is Raspberry Pi in this case.
Moreover, this software package is fully compatible with the remote desktop client that is pre-built into Windows.
Once the XRDP remote desktop server is installed on the Raspberry Pi, there isn’t much anything else to do. The installation is optimized so that the best possible remote desktop connection can be established.
In case the Raspberry’s IP address is needed, these are the commands that you need to type in the command line to retrieve it – “hostname -I”
How to Connect the Raspberry Pi over RDP?
Once you are done with the installation, you need to connect to the Raspberry Pi. Overall, you shouldn’t be intimidated by this task as it is not too difficult to connect your Raspberry Pi to the windows operating system.
In this process, the remote desktop connection application is essential. First, you need to open it through your Windows computer. Once the remote desktop connection is established, you will need to enter your username and the password associated with the Raspberry Pi.
If you haven’t made any previous changes, you can most likely log in with the default user credentials. If that’s the case, you need to type “pi” for the username and “raspberry” for the password.
That should do it, and you should be able to access your Raspberry Pi with the help of Windows’s remote desktop tool.
If some issues occur while attempting to connect to the Raspberry Pi remotely, you first need to check whether it is the proper IP address you are using.
In terms of alternatives, you can always give a shot to software solutions such as the TightVNC software and TeamViewer.
How to Remote Connect to a Windows PC From a Raspberry Pi?
Accessing your Raspberry Pi from your Windows desktop is possible. Perhaps you need to access a Windows application installed on your computer or open your email. Whatever the case, remote access is possible via your Raspberry Pi.
Again, the steps to establishing a remote connection are not that difficult. But, you need to follow the procedure so that everything works out. Here is a list of the remote control steps that can help you connect to your Windows PC from your Raspberry Pi:
- Make sure your window is configured to accept a remote desktop service.
- Fetch your Windows IP address.
- Install RDP on Raspbian.
- Connect to your computer from your Raspberry Pi.
The first step, as explained above, is enabling remote assistance connection on your pc. To kick start the remote desktop connection process, you need to open a Windows Explorer, right-click and select properties. From there, you can access the System Window, where the Remote Settings are stored. There you need to check two boxes. The first ones is the Allow Remote Assistance connections box, and the second is the Advanced button.
Next comes finding out your IP address. The most straightforward option is by opening the Windows PowerShell and entering “ipconfig”.
Installing the Raspberry Pi RDP is the next step. For this step, you need to open the terminal and update your Raspbian. The commands that can do that are:
“sudo apt update”
“sudo apt upgrade”
After entering the commands, your Raspbian system will be fully updated. If there are any prompts during that process, you need to follow the on-screen directions. When all is complete, you need to restart the Pi with the following command:
“sudo reboot”
Soon after, the little computer will reboot itself. Afterward, you will open a new Terminal session to install the XRDP package. You can do that with the following command:
“Sudo apt install XRDP”
Again, you need to follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Installing the Raspberry Pi remote desktop protocol is the next step. For this step, you need to open the terminal and update your Raspbian. The commands that can do that are:
“sudo apt update”
“sudo apt upgrade”
After entering the commands, your Raspbian system will be fully updated. If there are any prompts during that process, you need to follow the on-screen directions. When all is complete, you need to restart the Pi with the following command:
“sudo reboot”
Soon after, the little computer will reboot itself. Afterward, you will open a new Terminal session to install the XRDP package. You can do that with the following command:
“Sudo apt install XRDP”
Again, you need to follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation.
Install a remote desktop application
Several Raspberry Pi remote tools are designed for Linux and can handle the protocols needed to control a machine on a remote location.
Nowadays, one of the most popular remote desktop app for raspberry pi is Remmina, as it supports RDP, SPICE, EXEC, SSH, XDMCP, and VHC. Installing Remmina requires typing “sudo apt install remmina”
With that done, you can now connect to your Windows PC via your Raspberry Pi. The UI is fairly intuitive and accessing your windows will be nothing but a pure formality.