Preferred Remote Desktop solution for Ubuntu 20.04 headless?

Self-Hosted & Services
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I’m curious to hear what people are using to remotely access Ubuntu, especially running headless.

I’ve been using a combination of Teamviewer and Chrome Remote Desktop but I’m not happy with either.

Since I’m running headless I’ve been logging in through an XFCE desktop environment but that has been a hassle since I keep running into permissions limitations that barely allow me to access the file system, so I still end up having to run updates and do any real maintenance in person.

So if you’re using Tailscale, Windows RDP or have gotten XFCE to work with proper permissions I’d love to hear what’s been working or not working for you in regards to remotely accessing the Ubuntu GUI.

I’m pretty close to giving up on a headless setup and popping in an HDMI dummy plug just to sidestep some of the added complexity, but I figured I’d see if anyone else has figured out a system they’re happy with before I surrender.

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If you are running headless, I don’t think you want to install a desktop environment and all the unnecessary dependencies that come along with it.

If all you are wanting to do is remote administer your server, I would recommend Cockpit:

or Webmin:

Cockpit is easier to use, but Webmin is more powerful IMO. Both have plugin that enable terminal access via the web browser, GUI file managers, setting up shares… you know, all the basic thnings.

2 Likes
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Those look like fantastic solutions! Thanks you very much for that info!

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I forgot to mention - you can install both of them and have them running at the same time without issue. This way you can see if you prefer one over the other.

There are certain things I like better about each, so I use them both.