How to Set Up Xrdp on CentOS 7 for Windows RDP Access

Overview

We often use VNC to manage Linux graphical interfaces remotely; this article introduces Xrdp, an open‑source tool that lets Windows RDP clients (including FreeRDP, rdesktop, and NeutrinoRDP) connect to a Linux desktop.

Experimental Environment

Linux OS: CentOS 7.9

Windows client OS: Windows 10

Xrdp version: xrdp-0.9.19-1.el7.x86_64

Installation Process

1. Install the GNOME desktop environment:

yum groupinstall "X Window System" -y
yum group install "GNOME" -y

2. Install Xrdp: yum install xrdp -y 3. Enable and start the Xrdp service: systemctl enable xrdp --now 4. Verify the service status: systemctl status xrdp The command output should indicate that Xrdp is active and running.

Configure Xrdp

Edit the Xrdp configuration to use GNOME:

sudo vim /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
exec gnome-session

Restart the Xrdp service to apply changes:

sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Firewall Configuration

If a firewall is enabled, open port 3389 (the default Xrdp listening port). For cloud servers (e.g., Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud), adjust the security‑group rules accordingly.

Test Verification

1. Use the built‑in Windows Remote Desktop client to connect to the server’s IP address.

2. Enter the Linux username and password.

3. Successful login displays the GNOME desktop remotely.