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Ubuntu Server 22.04 with lightdm and GNOME. RDP only works while a monitor is attached to the host. Doesn't RDP initiate a whole other separate session (like in Windows Server), or is this basically remote control into the physical console? Having to have a monitor attached to a server that's not going to be physically touched defeats the purpose of even needing RDP. What gives?

Edward A. Ludwig
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  • Possible settings: https://askubuntu.com/questions/1407444/ubuntu-22-04-remote-desktop-headless – Terrance Feb 09 '23 at 15:11
  • Definitely not an authentication issue.

    Feb 9 10:23:36 edsitvmsvr01 gnome-remote-de[5898]: Failed to record monitor: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Failed: Unknown monitor Feb 9 10:23:36 edsitvmsvr01 gnome-remote-desktop-daemon[5898]: [10:23:36:002] [5898:6710] [INFO][com.freerd[10:23:36:017] [5898:5898] [ERROR][com.freerdp.core] - rdp_set_error_info:freerdp_set_last_>Feb 9 10:23:36 edsitvmsvr01 gnome-shell[2095]: Failed to store clipboard: Remote selection transfer was cancelled

     – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 15:25
  • You will need to configure a dummy monitor then: https://askubuntu.com/questions/453109/add-fake-display-when-no-monitor-is-plugged-in – Terrance Feb 09 '23 at 15:40
  • I've seen and reviewed many posts about doing this, and they all say that once you do this, you can't use a physical monitor. I might be abandoning Ubuntu and going back to Windows. This is one of the most basic necessities for administering a system, and it doesn't work...LOL Why would anyone choose this OS on purpose? – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 15:48
  • So, you don't or do want a monitor on your server? – Terrance Feb 09 '23 at 15:56
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    Honestly, there really isn't a reason for a monitor or a GUI on a server system. There are many other ways of configuring a server. One is using webmin that allows you to configure and monitor a server through a web interface. You also have command line configurations through SSH. I have a video server here that runs Plex and it also is my OpeVPN connection into my house and there is no monitor on it as I don't need one. – Terrance Feb 09 '23 at 16:01
  • I want the option of remoting in (this will be 90% of the time), or logging into the physical console when (the other 10%). Just like I could/would do with any other OS. – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 16:49
  • You have your options. You need to decide then why exactly you want to use Linux / Ubuntu as your server. Either A) you plug in a monitor to the system so that the GUI has dimensions you can use. B) use a "fake" monitor to give dimensions to the desktop. One thing you need to remember is that Linux is Free in both Freedom to do what you want with it, but you do need to learn it, and it is also Free as in no charge to you. Comparing it to Windows or the Mac OS are wrong because they are closed OSes with paid people. Linux is very much community driven by many people that are not paid. – Terrance Feb 09 '23 at 17:00
  • I realize Linux is free, but with the amount of Linux fanboying I see EVERYWHERE I thought it was actually something I might switch over to. I have a crappy old monitor plugged into it now. I wanted to use my HDMI switch to be able to switch over to the physical console, but I guess that's out of the question. – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 20:08
  • 20 years ago I played with Linux, and honestly, stuff like this worked better. I remember using Hummingbird Exceed and and it was amazing...and I didn't have to jump thru hoops to get it working. I'm going to try to hang in there with it. I went with Ubuntu because of it's popularity, and figured getting help would be easier than other distros. I guess the buggy bloat of Ubuntu maybe negates that ease. – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 20:08
  • Had to break comments up because of the txt chr limits, even the Forum Software is annoying. – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 20:08
  • RE: "Honestly, there really isn't a reason for a monitor or a GUI on a server system."

    Try creating a VM from scratch using vboxmanage from the command line and then tell me no GUI is needed. I tried no GUI for 2 week before giving in. All RemoteBox did for me was crash my system. So I abandoned that.

     – Edward A. Ludwig Feb 09 '23 at 20:11
  • This is for headless installs: https://askubuntu.com/questions/13106/how-can-i-install-ubuntu-on-a-headless-machine It is totally possible. That is how I setup my PiHole on my Raspberry Pi without a monitor. You can always use other systems or console connections to go through installs. By the way, I have worked in Data Centers for the last 13 years now and all of our server installs are done headless. – Terrance Feb 11 '23 at 01:32
  • @terrance: Here is one use case: If my KVM switch is set to use another computer, I'd still like to be able to use RDP to log in to my headless-at-the-moment server. – Peter V. Mørch Sep 04 '23 at 13:45
  • @EdwardA.Ludwig: I totally agree with Terrance though, that if this really is a server, without normally having a user actually physically sitting in from it if, you definitely don't want a desktop environment running. command-line (CLI) will be your new best friend. Insisting on having a desktop environment on a linux server is like a bird with a parachute. Not needed. The easiest way to play with one is to create a cheap one on e.g. DigitalOcean and delete it when you're done. – Peter V. Mørch Sep 04 '23 at 13:45
  • Could'nt keep myself from commenting in, but this, guys, is what sometimes keeping people from leaving windows server and moving to ubuntu as server - you can do what the guy wants on windows and cannot on ubuntu. The functionality in this exact case is inferior for Ubuntu, simple as that. Btw I came here because of exact same reason, and I also feel what the dude felt. It should not work like this. My reason for gui and rdp with no monitor - I'm a noob, so I prefer using gui. But I want to setup an http server and gitlab with it. Unfortunately noone provides a gitlab host setup on Windows. – R3VAN Mar 21 '24 at 03:41
  • So I bought myself a mini PC with SoC in it and installed Ubuntu on it. Just when I was getting it ready to be tucked away in some quiet corner, I decided to test it "power supply in - only" for the last time. And couldn't rdp into it. Niice. Now I gotta put some red in my eyes, just like old previous time when I tried Linux before, some things never change. Sorry for offtopic, and please if someone finds a solution that doesn't require chopping off other functionality like dummy monitor way does it - pls ping me, I would be really grateful. – R3VAN Mar 21 '24 at 03:46

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