AnyDesk in Linux: Installation, configuration and best practices for secure remote access

Introduction to AnyDesk in Linux

AnyDesk has been consolidated as one of the lighter and fastest solutions for remote access, offering a fluid experience even in limited bandwidth connections. In Linux environments, its compatibility with various distributions and low resource consumption make it an ideal option for system managers, developers and teleworkers who need to control remote machines without installing heavy packages. This article shows how to install, configure and use AnyDesk safely in your favorite distribution.

Previous requirements

Before starting the installation, check that your system meets some basic requirements. You need a modern Linux distribution (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE or Arch) with a recent kernel and access to superuser privileges by sudo. In addition, make sure you have a stable Internet connection to download the package and, optionally, enable the official AnyDesk repository to receive automatic updates.

Step-by-step installation

The easiest way to install AnyDesk in Linux is to use the official repository, which ensures you receive the latest versions and security patches. The process for the most popular distributions is detailed below.

• Ubuntu / Debian: download the .deb file from the official website or add the repository with the commandswget -qO - https://keys.anydesk.com/repos/DEB-GPG-KEY | sudo apt-key add -andecho 'deb http://deb.anydesk.com/ all main' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/anydesk.list. Then runsudo apt updateandsudo apt install anydesk.
• Fedora: install the RPM package withsudo dnf install anydeskafter adding the repository bysudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.anydesk.com/fedora/anydesk.repo.
• openSUSE: use zypper withsudo zypper addrepo https://download.anydesk.com/suse/anydesk.repoand thensudo zypper refreshandsudo zypper install anydesk.
• Arch Linux: the package is available in AUR; install withyay -S anydeskOr your favorite helper.

After installation, start the service withsudo systemctl start anydeskand enable it to start when starting withsudo systemctl enable anydesk. Verify that the daemon is active runningsystemctl status anydesk.

Initial configuration and security

Once installed, it is important to adjust some options to improve safety and performance. AnyDesk allows you to configure access passwords, define session permissions and enable the authentication of two factors through your gateway.

• Open AnyDesk from the application menu or runninganydeskin a terminal.
• In the main window, click on the menu icon (three lines) and selectSettings.
• In the tabSecurity, establishes aaccess passwordthat will be required every time someone tries to connect to your machine.
• Disable optionAllow unsupervised accessif you only want to use the service under your direct supervision.
• ActiveUser input blockso that the keyboard and mouse of the remote computer are disabled for the duration of the session, avoiding interference.
• In the sectionPrivacy, you can hide the device name and public IP address to reduce exposure in unreliable networks.
• If your organization has a gateway AnyDesk, it sets up thesecure connection modeBy entering the gateway ID and activating the end-to-end encryption.

Remember that any change in the configuration requires reboot the daemon to take effect:sudo systemctl restart anydesk. Keep the client up to date to benefit from the latest security patches.

Daily use and productivity tricks

AnyDesk is not only for technical support; it is also a powerful tool for collaborative work and access to remote development environments. Here are some tips to make the most of it.

• Use the function offile transferdragging and releasing documents between the local panel and the remote; the transfer is encrypted and the progress is shown in real time.
• Configurecustom keyboard shortcutsin sectionKeyboardof the configuration to quickly access actions such as lock the screen, restart the remote or change the image quality.
• If you work with multiple sessions, open several AnyDesk instances and different assignmentsconnection profiles(e.g. one for high quality and one for low bandwidth) using the menuProfiles.
• Take advantage of the modesession attendedto provide support without the user having to install anything additional; you only need the AnyDesk ID that you share.
• For developers, combine AnyDesk with tools likesshordockerBy first accessing the remote machine and then launching containers or compiling code directly from the graphic environment.
• Automated tasks program using commandanydesk --id 123456789 --password tuclave --exitin maintenance scripts, making sure you store the credentials in a secure secret manager.

With these practices, AnyDesk becomes a natural extension of your workflow, reducing the need to be physically in front of the team and improving the response to incidents.

Common problem solution

Although AnyDesk is generally stable, permissions, firewalls or incompatible versions may arise. The most common problems and how to solve them are presented below.

• Can't start the service: verify that the daemon is active withsystemctl status anydesk. If it appears failed, check the log withjournalctl -u anydeskand seeks errors from missing dependencies such as libgtk-3 or libpango.
• Connection rejected or timeout: make sure the TCP 7070 port is open on the firewall. In distributions with firewall runssudo firewall-cmd --add-port=7070/tcp --permanentand thensudo firewall-cmd --reload. In ufw usesudo ufw allow 7070/tcp.
• Low image quality or high latency: reduces the color depth in the tabScreenof the configuration to 8 bits and disables the optionTransmit soundIf you don't need it. In addition, check that there are no other applications using bandwidth.
• AnyDesk ID is not shown: this can happen if the service does not have permission to access the audio / video hardware. Runsudo usermod -aG video $USERand restart the session.
• Failed update: if the repository is not updated, clean the cache withsudo apt clean(or the equivalent in your manager) and rerun the update command.

In case the problem persists, visit the official support page of AnyDesk or consult the Linux community forums, where specific solutions are often shared for each distribution.