xRDP with xfce4 Configuration

RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is a proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft which provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection. Although RDP uses client-server architecture, the rendering of the graphical environment occurs on the client side and the environment is different from the environment running on the remote computer.

Be sure to connect the following peripherals:

• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Screen (using an HDMI cable)
• Power Plug (of course)

Turn on the Jetson Xavier NX by pressing the POWER button.

Depending on the configuration at the time of installing the operating system, a login screen will appear, or it will automatically log in and skip this.

Once the operating system is ready open the terminal by pressing the key combination Ctrl + Alt + T, or use the applications menu and search for Terminal.

Make sure all packages are up to date by running the command

sudo apt-get update

Install xRDP.

sudo apt install xrdp

Install xfce4.

sudo apt install xfce4

Comment out the last two lines in the file /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

sudo gedit /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

Add the following line

startxfce4

to the file /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh. To open the file type the following command

sudo gedit /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

Restart xRDP service.

sudo service xrdp restart

Finally you need the IP address of the system to know it, type in the terminal.

ifconfig

If you will use the remote connection via wifi look for the wlan0 section and the sequence of numbers after the text inet, for example inet 192.168.56.98. In case of using it by ethernet look for the eth0 section, or by usb usb0.

This IP address and the previously configured password will be the necessary data to perform the remote connection.

In a remote computer with windows is already installed a tool to make remote connections, for that in the start menu look for “Remote Desktop Connection”.

A window like this will appear in which you must type the IP address of the Jetson board.

After entering the IP address a login will appear in which you must enter the user name of your Jetson (in this case xavier) and the password to log in.

Finally you will see a xfce4 graphical environment.

In ubuntu you can use any RPD client of your choice, in this case an example is shown using Remmina.

Add the necessary software repository to the repository list.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next

Update the repositories list:

sudo apt-get update

Install Remmina:

sudo apt-get install remmina

sudo apt-get install remmina-plugin-*

To open remmina type in the terminal.

remmina

A window like this will appear in which you must enter the IP address of your Jetson board.

After entering the IP address a login will appear in which you must enter the user name of your Jetson (in this case xavier) and the password to log in.

Finally you will see a xfce4 graphical environment.

Like Windows or Linux on MacOS you can use any RDP client of your choice, one recommendation is the Microsoft Remote Desktop application.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure that the Jetson and the remote computer are connected to the same network, otherwise it will not work.