Are you tired of using separate programs to access your different devices remotely? Look no further! Remmina on Ubuntu is the perfect solution to remotely connect and manage VNC, RDP, or SSH servers.
Remmina is a potent open-source tool that will not cost you anything. And in this tutorial, you will learn to install Remmina in different methods to access another machine remotely.
Dive in and say goodbye to juggling multiple programs for remote access and streamlining your workflows!
Prerequisites
This tutorial is a hands-on demonstration. To follow along, be sure you have the following:
- An Ubuntu system – This tutorial uses Ubuntu 20.04, but other versions should work.
- An RPD, SSH, or VNC server to which you wish to connect – This tutorial uses a Windows 10 RPD server.
Installing Remmina on Ubuntu via the Default APT Repositories
Remmina is an effective solution for establishing remote connections to Linux systems like Ubuntu. But since it does not come pre-installed with your system, you first have to install it. The quickest method of installing Remmina is via Ubuntu’s default package manager, APT.
To install Remmina from the default repositories, follow these steps:
1. Open your terminal, and run the below apt update command to update the APT repositories. This command ensures you use the most up-to-date version of Remmina in the default repositories.
sudo apt update -y
2. Once updated, run the following apt install command to install Remina.
This command installs the main remmina package and the following:
rdp– A protocol for remote desktop connection.
secret– A secure storage plugin for saving passwords.
spice– A protocol for virtualized environments.
sudo apt install -y remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-secret remmina-plugin-spice
3. Now, run the below remmina command to launch Remmina from the terminal.
remminaYou will see the main Remmina window appears, as shown. At this point, you are ready to configure and connect to your remote machines.
Installing Remmina on Ubuntu via the PPA Repositories
APT works fine when installing Remmina on Ubuntu. But the version available through APT may be less up-to-date. Why? Ubuntu focuses on providing stable, tested packages for its Long-Term Support (LTS) releases instead.
When you are skeptical about using the default APT repositories to install Remmina, the Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository is a great alternative. This PPA is a repository maintained by the Remmina development team and provides the latest versions of Remmina for Ubuntu.
To install Remmina from the PPA repositories, follow these steps:
1. Run the following add-apt-repository command to add Remmina’s PPA repository to your system’s list of repositories. sudo add-apt-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-nextWhen prompted, press Enter to confirm adding the PPA repositories.
2. Once added, run the below apt update command to update your local package index with the latest package information from all repositories, including the PPA you added.
sudo apt update -y
3. After the update, run the apt-cache command below to verify that the Remmina PPA repository has been added. apt-cache policy remmina
apt-cache policy remminaIf successful, you will see the output below indicating the package is available from the remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next repository, as shown below.
4. Finally, run the following apt install command to install remmina from the PPA repository.
sudo apt install -y remminaWith the PPA repository, you can install the latest version of Remmina, which may include new features and bug fixes that are not yet available in the default repositories. Updates are also frequently pushed, so you receive updates and security patches as soon as they are available.
Installing Remmina on Ubuntu via snap
snap is a universal packaging system for Linux that allows you to install and manage software. Developed by Canonical (the company behind Ubuntu), snap provides a secure and easy-to-use packaging system for developers and users.
snap packages are self-contained, indicating that all their dependencies are isolated from the rest of the system. This feature makes packages not prone to conflicts with other software or changes to the system.
Run the below snap command to install remmina on your system.
sudo snap install remmina
Now, run each command below, which does not produce output but connects remmina to various interfaces and plug-ins the snap system provides.
In the snap system, interfaces are defined as abstractions that allow snaps to access specific resources or functionality provided by the host system or other snaps. For example, the audio-record interface allows a snap to access the audio-recording capabilities of the system.
# Connect Remmina to the "audio-record" interface,
# which allows accessing the audio recording capabilities of the system
sudo snap connect remmina:audio-record :audio-record
# Connect Remmina to the "avahi-observe" interface,
# which allows observing the mDNS (Multicast Domain Name System) services on the network
sudo snap connect remmina:avahi-observe :avahi-observe
# Connect Remmina to the "cups-control" interface,
# which allows controlling the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS) on the system
sudo snap connect remmina:cups-control :cups-control
# Connect Remmina to the "mount-observe" interface,
# which allows observing mount points on the system
sudo snap connect remmina:mount-observe :mount-observe
# Connect Remmina to the "password-manager-service" interface,
# which allows accessing and using the password manager service on the system
sudo snap connect remmina:password-manager-service :password-manager-service
# Connect Remmina to the "ssh-keys" interface,
# which allows accessing the ssh keys on the system
sudo snap connect remmina:ssh-keys :ssh-keys
# Connect Remmina to the "ssh-public-keys" interface,
# which allows accessing the ssh public keys on the system
sudo snap connect remmina:ssh-public-keys :ssh-public-keysInstalling Remmina on Ubuntu via GUI
Perhaps you prefer clicking your way through installing packages. If so, you can install Remmina via Ubuntu’s GUI. With a GUI, you can visualize the software you manage or install on your system.
1. Open the Ubuntu Software application, as shown below.
2. On the Ubuntu Software application, search for remmina, and select Remmina Remote Desktop Client from the results to access Remmina’s overview page.
3. Click Install to begin installing Remmina on your system.
4. When prompted, provide your password, and click Authenticate to authenticate the installation.
The installation process begins, and you will see a progress bar indicating the status of the installation.
5. Once Remmina is installed, look for and launch Remmina from the Ubuntu applications menu.
If Remmina is installed correctly, you will see its main window, as shown below.
Connecting to Remote Machines via Remmina
Regardless of which method you used to install Remmina, remotely connecting to another machine should be within your reach now. Moreover, Remmina supports multiple protocols, including RDP, VNC, SPICE, and SSH.
But in this tutorial, you will connect to another machine via RDP with the following steps:
1. On Remmina, connect to a remote machine with the following:
- Select RDP from the drop-down list of protocols.
- Specify the remote machine’s IP address (i.e., 192.168.1.100) or hostname (i.e., example.com).
- Press Enter to tell Remmina to locate and connect with the specified remote machine.
2. Next, select Yes to trust the certificate.
This digital certificate authenticates the identity of the remote machine and establishes a secure connection between the remote and your local machine.
3. Provide the remote machine’s Username and Password, and click OK to authenticate the remote connection.
You may toggle the Save password button to remember the password, so you do not have to type it each time to connect.
If all goes well, you will get access to the remote machine, as shown below. You can now use the remote machine as if sitting in front of it.
Conclusion
Remmina is a powerful and feature-rich remote desktop client that can access and control various devices. And in this tutorial, you learned how to install Remmina using different methods and remotely access another machine.
Whether you are a casual user or a power user, Remmina has something to offer, and it is worth trying out on your Ubuntu system.
Start exploring the full potential of Remmina and take control of your remote devices today! To keep your remote connection in good shape, why not consider enabling Remmina debugging for a more efficient debugging experience?
