Remmina: The ultimate remote desktop client for Linux

Introduction

In today's world, where remote work and server management are a daily part of the life of many IT professionals, having a reliable tool to connect to remote equipment is essential. Remmina has been consolidated as one of the most popular options within the Linux ecosystem thanks to its intuitive interface, wide protocol support and open source nature. In this article we will explore what Remmina is, its most outstanding features, how to install it in the main distributions, and some advanced tricks to make the most of it.

What is Remmina?

Remmina is a remote desktop client written on GTK + specifically designed for Linux-based operating systems. Its main objective is to provide a unified experience to connect to Windows, Linux and other devices using protocols such as RDP, VNC, SSH, SPICE and more. Thanks to its modular plugin-based architecture, Remmina allows you to add or remove functionalities according to the user's needs, making it a highly customizable solution.

Main characteristics

• Multi-protocol support: RDP, VNC, SSH, SPICE, NX, XDMCP and HTTP.
• Profile management: allows you to save different connection configurations with a custom name, icon and color.
• Integration with the desktop environment: direct access, notifications and system tray.
• Full screen mode and adjustable window, with scaling and bandwidth compression options.
• Compatibility with authentication of credentials through warehouses such as GNOME Keyring or KWallet.
• The possibility of creating SSH tunnels to encrypt connections that would otherwise be unsafe.
• Frequent updates and active community that keeps plugins and fixes errors.

Installation in popular distributions

Remmina is located in the official repositories of most Linux distributions. Below is the process for some of the most used.

Ubuntu and derivatives

In Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or more recent versions, just run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-vnc remmina-plugin-secret

The remmina-plugin-rdp and remmina-plugin-vnc packages add support for the most common protocols, while remmina-plugin-secret remmina-plugin- allows safe storage of passwords.

Fedora

In Fedora, DNF is used:

sudo dnf install remmina remmina-plugins-rdp remmina-plugins-vnc remmina-plugins-secret

Arch Linux and derivatives

In Arch the packages are in the official repositories:

sudo pacman -S remmina remmina-plugins

The remmina-plugins group includes all available supplements.

openSUSE

In openSUSE you can use Zypper:

sudo zypper install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-vnc remmina-plugin-secret

Basic use

Once installed, launch Remmina from the application menu or run remmina in a terminal. The main window shows a list of saved connections. To create a new connection:

1. Click on the + button or choose New from the File menu.
2. Select the desired protocol in the Protocol drop-down.
3. Enter the server address (IP or host name) and, if necessary, the port.
4. Enter the username and password, or let the credentials manager take care of it.
5. Adjust resolution, color and compression options according to the speed of the connection.
6. Save the profile with a descriptive name and click Connect.

During the session, the Remmina top bar allows you to switch to full screen, send special key combinations (such as Ctrl + Alt + Del) and safely disconnect.

Advanced functions

Remmina is not limited to simple connections; it offers several features that make it useful for more complex scenarios.

SSH Tunes

To access an RDP desktop that is only available within an internal network, you can create an SSH tunnel that encodes all traffic. In the connection configuration, in the SSH tab, the SSH host, user and authentication method (key or password) is indicated. Remmina will establish the tunnel before launching the RDP protocol, protecting the data against possible interceptions.

Share folders and devices

Some plugins, especially RDP, allow for redirecting local units, printers and clipboards. This is activated in the Advanced tab by marking the corresponding boxes, which makes it easier to work with files and peripherals as if they were physically connected to the remote computer.

Multiple monitor management

Remmina supports configurations of several monitors. In the Display section you can choose to use all the monitors detected, a specific one or a custom resolution. This is particularly useful when working with workstations that require large screen space.

Personalization and themes

Remmina allows you to change your appearance by using themes and tool bar settings. From the menuPreferencesyou can select between several predefined themes or create your own by modifying the background and text colors. In addition, it is possible to reorganize the buttons from the top bar by dragging them to the desired position, which makes it easier to access the most used functions.

Registration and problem-solving

To debugging connection problems, Remmina offers a detailed registration mode that is activated fromFile → Enable Debugging. The records are kept in~/.remmina/remmina.logand may include information on the handshake of protocols, response times and authentication errors. When reviewing the registry, it is possible to identify whether the failure is due to an incorrect network configuration, a credentials problem or an incompatible version of the plugin.

Security and good practices

While Remmina facilitates remote access, it is essential to follow certain guidelines to minimize risks:

• Keep the system and plugins up to date to benefit from the latest security patches.
• Prefer the use of SSH plutôt-based authentication that passwords in flat text.
• Always use SSH tunnels when the underlying protocol does not offer strong encryption (e.g. VNC without encryption).
• Review the permissions of the configuration files stored in ~/ .remits and make sure that only the owner can read them.
• Disable password storage in high security environments and depend on an external credentials manager.

Comparative with other customers

Although there are alternatives such as Vinagre, FreeRDP (in command line mode) or TeamViewer, Remmina stands out for its balance between ease of use and advanced functionality. Vinagre is simpler but less extensible; FreeRDP offers excellent RDP performance but lacks a unified graphical interface for multiple protocols; TeamViewer, although multi-platform, owns and can impose limits on the free version. Remmina, being open source and integrated into the GNOME ecosystem, provides a coherent and fully user-controlled experience.

Conclusion

Remmina has earned its place as the reference remote desktop client for Linux users. Its ability to handle various protocols, its friendly interface and its focus on security make it an essential tool for both system managers and users who need to access their machines on an occasional basis. If you have not yet tried it, installing it and exploring its plugins is the first step towards more efficient and secure remote management.