How to Install Remmina on Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04

Look no further if you’re searching for a versatile and powerful remote desktop client! Remmina Remote Desktop Client is the perfect tool to meet all your remote access needs. It offers a seamless and user-friendly experience, making it the ideal choice for managing multiple remote connections. In this introduction, we’ll dive into the unique features and capabilities of Remmina that set it apart from other remote desktop clients.

📌 Key Features of Remmina Remote Desktop Client:

• Multi-Protocol Support: Remmina supports various remote desktop protocols, including RDP, VNC, SPICE, NX, XDMCP, and SSH. This wide range of protocols lets you connect to different remote systems easily.
• Profile Management: Create and manage multiple connection profiles, each with its own settings and configurations. This feature lets you quickly switch between different remote sessions without reconfiguring the settings every time.
• Tabbed Interface: Enjoy a clean, organized workspace with Remmina’s tabbed interface. You can open multiple remote connections in separate tabs and easily navigate between them.
• Secure Connections: Remmina emphasizes security by providing built-in support for SSH tunneling and TLS/SSL encryption. You can confidently access your remote systems with the assurance that your data is protected.
• User-Friendly Interface: Remmina’s intuitive interface makes connecting to and managing remote desktop sessions easy for users of all experience levels. The layout is designed to be both functional and visually appealing.
• Scalable Display: With Remmina, you can choose between different display modes, including full-screen, scaled, and custom resolutions. Also, you can adjust the remote desktop quality to suit your network conditions and personal preferences.
• Clipboard Sync: Remmina’s clipboard synchronization allows you to copy and paste text between your local machine and remote desktop sessions, streamlining your workflow and increasing productivity.
• Cross-Platform: Remmina is primarily designed for Linux-based systems but is also available for macOS and Windows, making it a versatile choice for users on different platforms.

Now that you’re familiar with the many advantages of Remmina Remote Desktop Client, it’s time to learn how to install it on your system. Our comprehensive guide will demonstrate how to install Remmina Remote Client on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish or Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa long-term releases, but the same methods can be used on short-term releases of Ubuntu.

Section 1: Install Remmina with APT

Step 1: Update Ubuntu

Before diving into the installation process, it’s important to ensure your Ubuntu system is up-to-date. This prevents potential conflicts during the installation and is a good practice to follow. To update your system, run the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Option 1: Install Remmina with Ubuntu Repository

The first method to install Remmina is by using the default Ubuntu APT repository. This approach provides a stable and secure version of Remmina. However, it may not always have the most recent version compared to alternatives like Flatpak. Despite this, installing from the Ubuntu repository is highly recommended for most users.

To install Remmina using the Ubuntu repository, execute the following command:

sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-secret

Optionally, you can also install the Remmina development package. This package is not necessary for most users, but it is available if needed:

sudo apt install remmina-dev

For those who prefer a more up-to-date version of Remmina, consider using the Remmina PPA as described in the next option.

Option 2: Install Remmina with Remmina PPA

Another popular choice for installing Remmina is using the LaunchPad PPAs provided by the “Remmina PPA Team.” This option allows Ubuntu users to install the latest version of Remmina.

First, you must import one of the two options below. Ideally, most users should use the first option, Remmina Next PPA, while those who prefer bleeding-edge software can opt for the daily development build.

⚠️ Please note that you can only install one Remmina Remote Desktop PPA version at a time. If you import both PPAs, the daily build will be the default version installed.

Import Remmina PPA Next (Recommended)

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

Import Remmina PPA Daily Build

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

Next, update the APT package list to reflect the newly imported PPA:

sudo apt update

Now, install Remmina and its associated plugins with the following command:

sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-secret

As with the Ubuntu repository method, you can also install the Remmina development package if desired:

sudo apt install remmina-dev

Section 2: Install Remmina with Flatpak and Flathub

Flatpak is an innovative package management system that provides a secure, sandboxed application environment. It enables you to install and operate applications in isolation from other apps and system libraries. In this section, we’ll walk you through installing Remmina with the help of Flatpak and the Flathub repository.

Note: If your system does not have Flatpak installed, please refer to the guide “How to Install Flatpak on Ubuntu using the Flatpak Team Official LaunchPAD PPA” for step-by-step instructions on installing the most recent supported version of Flatpak.

Step 1: Integrate the Flathub Repository

Before installing Remmina via Flatpak, you must incorporate the Flathub repository containing the Remmina package. To do so, open the terminal and input the following command:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Step 2: Set up Remmina from Flathub

Once the Flathub repository is integrated into your system, you can install Remmina. Execute the following command in the terminal to begin the installation:

flatpak install flathub org.remmina.Remmina -y

After the installation is complete, Remmina will be available on your Ubuntu system within the secure Flatpak sandboxed environment. This configuration guarantees that Remmina operates safely and independently from other applications and system libraries, ensuring a dependable remote desktop experience.

Section 3: Launch Remmina Remote Desktop

Now that Remmina is installed on your system, you can launch the application in several ways, depending on your preference. Here, we’ll explore both Command Line Interface (CLI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) methods for starting Remmina.

CLI Method

Option 1: Launch Remmina Using the Standard Command

First, you can launch the application immediately by typing the following command in your terminal.

remmina

Option 2: Launch Remmina for Flatpak Users

For those who installed Remmina using Flatpak, you can launch the application by running the following command in the terminal:

flatpak run org.remmina.Remmina

GUI Method

While using the terminal to launch Remmina is an option, most users prefer to start the application using the desktop environment. To open Remmina through the GUI, follow the path below:

Activities > Show Applications > Remmina

Example of Remmina Application icon on Ubuntu desktop:

Section 4: Getting Started with Remmina on Ubuntu Linux

Now that you have installed and launched Remmina Remote Desktop Client on your Ubuntu Linux system, it’s time to explore some tips and tricks to enhance your remote desktop experience. This section will discuss various aspects of using Remmina, including general tips, customizations, and other helpful advice.

General Tips

• Create a New Connection: To establish a new remote desktop connection, click on the “+” icon in the upper-left corner of the Remmina main window. Choose the desired protocol (RDP, VNC, SSH, etc.), and enter the required details such as server address, username, and password.
• Save Connection Profiles: Remmina allows you to save connection profiles for easy access in the future. After setting up a new connection, click the Save button in the connection window to store the profile. These profiles will appear on the main screen for quick access.
• Manage Multiple Connections: Remmina supports managing multiple remote desktop connections simultaneously. You can open different connections in separate tabs or separate windows by right-clicking a connection profile and choosing Open in New Tab or Open in New Window.

Customizations

• Customize Connection Settings: You can customize various settings for each connection, such as display resolution, color depth, keyboard layout, and sound. To access these settings, edit the connection profile and explore the available options under the Advanced and SSH Tunnel tabs.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Remmina offers several keyboard shortcuts to make your remote desktop experience more efficient. For instance, you can use Ctrl+Alt+F to switch between fullscreen and windowed mode or Ctrl+Alt+T to open the Remmina toolbar. To view the complete list of keyboard shortcuts, navigate to Edit > Preferences > Keyboard.
• Change Appearance: If you want to modify the appearance of Remmina, head to Edit > Preferences > Appearance. You can choose between different color schemes and icon themes to personalize the look of the application.

Other Tips

• Clipboard Sharing: Remmina supports clipboard sharing between the local and remote systems. This feature allows you to copy and paste text between your local machine and the remote desktop. To enable clipboard sharing, edit the connection profile and check the Share clipboard option under the Advanced tab.
• Secure Your Connections: To ensure secure remote desktop connections, consider using SSH tunneling or enabling Network Level Authentication (NLA) for RDP connections. You can find these options under the SSH Tunnel and Advanced tabs, respectively, when editing a connection profile.

Example of Remmina client once installed and opened on Ubuntu:

Section 5: Additional Commands for Remmina on Ubuntu

In this section, we will cover additional commands that can be helpful when managing Remmina on your Ubuntu system, including updating and removing the application.

Updating Remmina

Although updates for Remmina should appear in notifications, there may be instances when they don’t show up. In such cases, checking for updates manually using the terminal is recommended. Depending on your installation method, use one of the following commands to check for updates:

APT Method

sudo apt update

Flatpak Method

flatpak update

Removing Remmina

If you no longer require Remmina, you can remove it from your system using the appropriate command based on your installation method:

APT Remove Method

sudo apt autoremove remmina* --purge -y

Note: The autoremove command will also delete unused packages associated with Remmina and other leftovers from previous applications. Most of the time, this is safe and should be done to prevent system bloat.

If you installed Remmina using one of the two listed PPAs, remove the PPA using the following command with the --remove flag added to the original command:

Remove Remmina PPA Next

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

Remove Remmina PPA Daily Build

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next-daily -y

Flatpak Remove Method

flatpak remove  --delete-data org.remmina.Remmina -y

Conclusion: Installing Remmina on Ubuntu

This guide covered installing the Remmina Remote Desktop Client on Ubuntu Linux using different methods such as APT, PPA, and Flatpak. Following the steps outlined, you can efficiently manage your remote connections and enjoy a seamless experience using Remmina on your Ubuntu system.

Additional Resources and Links

To help you learn more about Remmina and explore its features, here’s a list of official resources and documentation:

• Official Remmina Website: The main website for the Remmina project, where you can find news, updates, and general information about the application.
• Remmina GitHub Repository: The official source code repository includes the latest updates and development progress.
• Remmina Wiki: The official wiki provides extensive documentation, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides to help you get the most out of Remmina.