Hyper-V Session Mode

When configuring Ubuntu inside Hyper-V, use Basic Session. Enhanced Session is incompatible with XRDP and causes display errors.

System Preparation

Refresh package indexes and install upgrades:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

If apt update times out, replace the contents of /etc/apt/sources.list with the following archive entries for Ubuntu 20.04:

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security main restricted universe multiverse

Then rerun the update command.

Install XRDP:

sudo apt install xrdp -y

XRDP Startup Configuration

To prevent the black-screen or immediate-disconnect issue, modify /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh:

sudoedit /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

Replace the file with the following script:

#!/bin/bash
unset DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS
unset XDG_RUNTIME_DIR

export XDG_CACHE_HOME="$HOME/.cache"
export XDG_CONFIG_HOME="$HOME/.config"
mkdir -p "$XDG_CACHE_HOME" "$XDG_CONFIG_HOME"

exec startxfce4

Save and close the editor.

Service Permissions

Grant the XRDP daemon access to SSL certificate files:

sudo usermod --append --groups ssl-cert xrdp

Enable the service to start on boot and restart it immediately:

sudo systemctl enable xrdp
sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Confirm the daemon state:

sudo systemctl status xrdp

A control process exited error usual resolves after a full system reboot.

Firewall Configuration

Allow port 3389 through UFW. For unrestrictde access:

sudo ufw allow 3389/tcp

For a restricted LAN segment (example: 192.168.1.0/24):

sudo ufw allow proto tcp from 192.168.1.0/24 to any port 3389
sudo ufw reload

Windows Client Connection

On the Windows machine, launch the Remote Desktop client:

mstsc

Connect to the Ubuntu guest IP. On first contact, accept the unknown-host warning. At the authentication prompt, enter a valid Ubuntu local account.

If the login is rejected, open the Ubuntu desktop, go to Settings > Sharing > Remote Desktop, and reconfigure the access password.

Optional Desktop Environment Installation

If no GUI is present, install a desktop environment before setting up XRDP:

sudo apt install tasksel
sudo tasksel
# Choose Ubuntu Desktop in the interface
sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target
sudo reboot

After the guest restarts, complete the XRDP configuration steps above.