Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a familiar way to connect and access remotely running Windows using another Windows system. However, Linux users can also do the same but with the help of a software called “Remmina”.
In the open source category, Remmina is quite a useful remote desktop client application to connect remotely running systems not only using the RDP but also other protocols such as VNC, SPICE, SSH, VNC, X2Go, and HTTP/HTTPS. The supported protocols can be added to Remmina with the help of different plugins available for it.
Well, although the installation of Remmina is quite easy, some new users may not know how to add support for plugins in it such as RDP. In this tutorial, we learn about that.
Installing Plugins for Remmina
Command to install RDP and other plugins on Remmina is similar the difference between them is very little, it is just the package name.
Make sure you have this Remote desktop client
We first need to ensure that our current Linux distribution already has the Remmina installed to use plugins. Well, most of the Linux distro’s official repository offers this remote desktop application and we don’t need to add any third-party repo. Here is an example of commands to install Remmina on popular Linux systems.
For Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, MX Linux, and Debian-Based Distributions:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install remminaWhereas, similarly for Fedora and RHEL-based Linux distros:
sudo dnf update
sudo dnf install remminaInstalling RDP Plugin
RDP plugin enables the Remote Desktop protocol feature on Remmina so that the users can access the Windows PC via this protocol on their Linux desktops. It allows us to take control of the remote system like we have physical access to it. For adding RDP to Remmina, execute the given command on your Linux terminal as per the distro:
Ubuntu and Debian-based Linux systems:
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-rdpFedora and other RHEL-based systems:
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-rdpInstall EXEC plugin for Remmina
EXEC plugin in Remmina is used to execute local commands or scripts before or after starting a remote desktop session. It can be useful for network or system admins to perform a few tasks automatically such as mounting network drives or cleaning up the system after the remote desktop sessions end.
For Ubuntu and Debian-based systems:
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-execFor RHEL-based systems:
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-execInstall Kiosk plugin for Remmina
Apart from just using Remmina for accessing the remote desktop, we can turn it to use as a Kiosk application with the help of a plugin known as Kiosk. It connects the predefined remote desktop in full-screen mode in public terminals, banks, or institutions, where there is no need to change the connection settings frequently.
For Debian-based Linux:
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-kioskFor Rhel based Linux:
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-kioskInstall KWallet plugin for Remmina
To enhance the security of Remmina for storing connection passwords and other data, we can use the KWallet Plugin on Remmina that integrates the KDE Wallet Manager (KWallet) to this remote desktop client.
Ubuntu and Debian-based systems can go for this command:
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-kwalletRHEL and similar systems can use this:
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-kwalletGet Python support for Remmina
Using the Python plugin we can extend the functionality of Remmina using the custom Python scripts. This means this allows users to create scripts and add some third-party service to Remmina, to automate tasks or simply to improve any current feature Remmina.
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-python or
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-python
Installing the Secret plugin for Remmina
The Secret Plugin of Remmina is used to integrate with GNOME’s Secret Service API on Linux systems to give security for storing passwords and other data just like the KWallet plugin but especially for Linux distors having GNOME desktop environments.
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-secretor
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-secretVNC plugin for Remmina
Like RDP, the VNC plugin on Remmina integrates the support for VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocol. This allows users to access the remote desktop or shared desktop sessions. VNC can be used to connect a wide range of network devices and embedded systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS systems.
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-vncor
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-vncWWW plugin for Remmina
WWW plugin as its name suggests, enables a simple browser in Remmina to enable admins to access, in case it is urgent, web-based management interface or network devices or server without leaving the Remmina during remote sessions.
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-wwwor
sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-wwwX2Go or NX plugin for Remmina
Like RDP and VNC, the X2Go plugin on Remmina is also used to access the remote Linux desktop securely and quickly. For those, who don’t know X2Go, it is also an open-source software that uses NX technology and allows virtual desktops over SSH only which makes it different from RDP or VNC. Using this X2Go plugin, the users can use the Remmina to connect to X2Go servers over low-bandwidth connections.
Command to install for Debian-based systems:
sudo apt install remmina-plugin-x2goCommand to install for RHEL-based systems:
sudo dnf install remmina-pluign-x2goThese were a few plugins offered by Remmina to extend its functionalities from secure password management to support for various remote desktop protocols and automation capabilities. Although RDP is quite popular, the rest of the plugins are also used by different users to carry out various kinds of advanced operations using Remmina as a Remote desktop client.
instead of x2go, I’d suggest to try nomachine which is the most recent version of legacy nx technology.