Step 1 – Connect via RDP

Your server’s IP address and root password are shown in the Server Information section on the Overview tab of your server in the client portal. The same credentials are used for RDP, SSH and the Console in the client portal.

Use any RDP client to connect to your desktop:

Connection settings:

• Host: your.server.ip
• Port: 3389 (default)
• Username: root
• Password: from the client portal

The connection is encrypted with TLS. On the first connection your RDP client warns that the server’s certificate cannot be verified: each server creates its own self-signed certificate on first boot. Accept it (in Windows Remote Desktop you can tick “Don’t ask me again for connections to this computer”). The XFCE desktop opens after login.

If you placed the server behind a VyOS router on a private network, either forward ports 22 (SSH) and 3389 (RDP) to the server on the router’s Configuration tab (Port forwarding), or reach the desktop on the server’s private IP through a VPN on the router (WireGuard or OpenVPN, on the router’s Configuration tab). A VPN is safer: an RDP port open to the internet attracts password guessing.

Step 2 – Connect via SSH (Optional)

For command-line access, connect via SSH:

ssh root@your.server.ip

Root Login Warning

When you log in via RDP or SSH, you may see a warning about running as root. This is expected – all our templates use root access by default for convenience so you can configure the server immediately. You can create a regular user account later if needed.

Installing Additional Software

Install software using apt from the terminal or from the XFCE application menu:

# Install Chromium browser
apt update && apt install -y chromium-browser

# Install LibreOffice
apt install -y libreoffice

# Install VS Code
snap install code --classic

OS Updates

To update the system manually:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Fail2Ban – Brute-Force Protection

Your server comes with Fail2Ban pre-configured to protect both SSH and RDP from brute-force attacks.

Useful commands:

# Check banned IPs
fail2ban-client status xrdp
fail2ban-client status sshd

# Unban an IP
fail2ban-client set xrdp unbanip 1.2.3.4

If you accidentally lock yourself out, open the Console on your server’s Overview tab in the client portal and unban your IP.

Service Management

xrdp runs via systemd. Common commands:

# Check RDP service status
systemctl status xrdp

# Restart RDP
systemctl restart xrdp

# View xrdp logs (connections and failed logins)
tail -n 100 /var/log/xrdp.log
tail -n 100 /var/log/xrdp-sesman.log

What’s Pre-Configured

• Dual desktops: XFCE for RDP (lightweight, fast) and Gnome for the Console in the client portal (emergency fallback)
• Display mode: X11 (Wayland is not compatible with RDP on Ubuntu 24.04 – causes black screens)
• Desktop update protection: core desktop packages (display server, login manager, xrdp, XFCE) are excluded from automatic updates to prevent RDP breakage. Security updates for other packages continue normally

Software Included

• XFCE Documentation: docs.xfce.org
• Ubuntu Desktop: ubuntu.com/desktop