Installation of a Graphical Desktop with RDP Access for SUSE or Ubuntu

Some installations may require graphical tools to be operated on the target server.

Important dependencies

  • xrdp uses vnc
  • vnc uses X11 and window managers

Software Installation

AWS installations come by default without a GNOME desktop environment. The following commands will install a GNOME desktop and an xrdp service to connect to the systems:

SLES 11 & 12

$ sudo zypper install -t pattern gnome-basic

SLES 15

Use yast and the install pattern "Gnome basic"

  • $ sudo yast
    • Select "Software", enter "tab"
    • Select "Software Management", enter "cr"
    • Move active field to "Filter Search", enter "Shift"+"tab"
    • Use down keyboard key to unfold selection list
    • Select "Patterns"
    • Select "GNOME Desktop Environment (Basic)"
    • Select "Accept"

Ubuntu

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop

Install xRDP

SUSE

$ sudo zypper install xrdp

UBUNTU

sudo apt install xrdp
sudo systemctl status xrdp
# Output
# xrdp.service - xrdp daemon...
sudo adduser xrdp ssl-cert
sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Enable VNC Remote Login

SUSE

  • $ sudo yast
  • Select " Network Services"
  • Select first entry "Remote Administration with VNC"
  • Enable service

SUSE: Configure Window Manager to use Gnome

  • Edit file /etc/sysconfig/windowmanager
  • Change entry DEFAULT_WM="" to DEFAULT_WM="gnome"

Ubuntu: Configure PolKit-Framework

sudo bash -c "cat >/etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/45-allow.colord.pkla" <<EOF
[Allow Colord all Users]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-profile;org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-profile;org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-profile
ResultAny=no
ResultInactive=no
ResultActive=yes
EOF

Startup the RDP service and make it start automatically after Reboot

These commands need to be executed with the sudo command from the ec2-user.

SLES 11

# service xrdp start
# chkconfig --set xrdp on

SLES 12 & 15, Ubuntu

# sudo systemctl start xrdp
# sudo systemctl enable xrdp

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