Open Source Desktop Sharing Tools

1. xrdp

• What it does: xrdp is an open source Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) server that lets Linux systems be accessed remotely from a Windows RDP client. It is compatible with Microsoft’s RDP protocol, so you can connect from a Windows client to a Linux machine.
• Install: usually available through your Linux package manager, for example on Ubuntu:

  sudo apt install xrdp

2. VNC (Virtual Network Computing)

• What it does: VNC is a graphical desktop sharing system that supports cross-platform remote access. Common open source VNC implementations include:
  • TightVNC: lightweight and performance-oriented.
  • TigerVNC: improved performance and security.
  • RealVNC: offers both a commercial and an open source edition.
• Install: through your package manager (such as apt), or by downloading and building the source.

3. NoMachine

• What it does: NoMachine is an open source remote desktop solution that supports cross-platform remote access. It is high performance with low latency, and supports audio/video streaming and file transfer.
• Install: download the installer straight from the official website, or install the official open source version.

4. Remmina

• What it does: Remmina is a client that speaks several remote desktop protocols, including RDP, VNC and SSH. It is designed with Linux users in mind, but supports other operating systems too.
• Install: available through the package manager on most Linux distributions, for example:

  sudo apt install remmina

5. FreeRDP

• What it does: FreeRDP is an open source implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol that can act as both an RDP client and a server. It supports remote access between Windows and Linux systems, and is very lightweight.
• Install: through your package manager, for example:

  sudo apt install freerdp2-x11

6. WayVNC

• What it does: WayVNC is a VNC server built specifically for Wayland-compatible Linux systems, aimed at machines running a Wayland display server.
• Install: build it from source, or look for a Linux package for it.

7. Guacamole

• What it does: Guacamole is a web-based remote desktop client that supports RDP, VNC and SSH. You can reach and control a machine from your browser; setup is fairly involved and usually requires configuring a web server.
• Install: install Guacamole on the server side and configure the corresponding web server. It supports a variety of operating systems.