How to connect to remote a remote Windows Desktop on campus (Ubuntu)

Here is a small tutorial on how to connect to a remote Windows Desktop from your Ubuntu laptop. This tutorial was created by Dominic Baril (Thanks 🎉).

If you are looking to access a remote Windows desktop to using a software that is limited to Windows, you should follow this tutorial.

Setting up your VPN

First, you need to set up your local VPN to connect to the campus network from home. This is not necessary if you are connected on Eduroam or via Ethernet on campus. The procedure to set up your VPN is quite simple and well documented HERE.

The command specified on the website was outdated as of January 2023, use sudo openconnect https://vpn2.ulaval.ca/ instead.

Note that the VPN is different for Windows and Mac so be sure to follow the right one! Also note that if you are late on enlisting to your semester lectures, the VPN will be locked for you!

Updating remmina and installing the RDP

Next, you want to purge remmina from your system and re-install the latest version with the RDP plugin. Write the following commands in your terminal:

sudo apt remove remmina
sudo snap install remmina

It is necessary to do a clean installation to make sure you have the latest remmina features.

Connect to a desktop

Lastly, you will want to follow this procedure and connect to a remote desktop, you now have access to a powerful Windows machine.

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(Optional) Extra : Newer version of Remmina using a APT PPA repository (for advanced users)

As noted on Remmina's website, the Remmina PPA is looking for a maintainer, and it’s not actively updated, as of writing. Yet, the current version of Remmina on Ubuntu 18.04 is Remmina 1.2.0-rcgit-29. To have the latest Remmina version available with aptitude (version 1.4.23 as of writing), we can add the Remmina Next PPA repository to apt :

sudo apt-add-repository ppa:remmina-ppa-team/remmina-next
sudo apt update
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-secret