Prerequisites
- FreeRDP installed on your system. If you haven’t installed it yet, see the Installation guide.
- A Windows machine (or any host running an RDP server such as xrdp or gnome-remote-desktop) with Remote Desktop enabled.
- The hostname or IP address, a username, and password for the remote machine.
Connect with xfreerdp
Run xfreerdp with your connection details
Replace A window will open showing the remote desktop. If the server presents an unknown certificate, xfreerdp will prompt you to accept or reject it.
hostname, username, and password with your actual values:Common connection flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
/v:host[:port] | Server hostname or IP, with optional port (default: 3389) |
/u:username | Username |
/p:password | Password |
/w:width | Window width in pixels |
/h:height | Window height in pixels |
/f | Start in fullscreen mode |
/cert:ignore | Skip certificate verification |
/sound | Enable audio output redirection |
/drive:name,/local/path | Redirect a local directory to the remote session |
+clipboard | Enable clipboard redirection |
Example: set resolution and enable clipboard
Example: fullscreen with audio
Example: redirect a local drive
Example: connect on a non-default port
Example: domain user
Example: use a saved .rdp file
xfreerdp keyboard shortcuts
Once connected, the following keyboard shortcuts are available inside the xfreerdp window:| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Right Ctrl | Release keyboard and mouse grab |
Ctrl+Alt+Return | Toggle fullscreen |
Ctrl+Alt+M | Minimize the window |
Ctrl+Alt+C | Toggle remote control in a remote assistance session |
xfreerdp vs sdl-freerdp
FreeRDP ships two graphical clients. Both accept the same command-line flags.- xfreerdp
- sdl-freerdp
xfreerdp is the X11 client. It runs on any Linux desktop that provides an X display (including XWayland). It is the most widely used FreeRDP client and is available in most Linux distribution package repositories.
Next steps
Installation
Install pre-built packages for Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS.
Building from source
Compile FreeRDP yourself with custom options.