ZZL's Blog

Setting up multiple user accounts on Linux Ubuntu and enabling multiple users to log in remotely, each with their own GUI desktop interface, involves several steps. Here’s how you can achieve this:

1. Create Multiple User Accounts

First, you need to create user accounts for each user. You can do this from the terminal:

sudo adduser <username>

Replace <username> with the actual username for the new account. Follow the prompts to set up the new user.

2. Install a Desktop Environment

Ensure that your Ubuntu server has a desktop environment installed. If not, you can install one. For example, to install GNOME, you can use:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop

3. Install and Configure SSH Server

To allow remote access, you’ll need to have SSH installed:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openssh-server

Ensure the SSH service is running:

sudo systemctl status ssh

4. Install and Configure a Remote Desktop Server

There are multiple options for setting up a remote desktop server, such as VNC, XRDP, or NoMachine. Here’s how to set up XRDP, which allows remote desktop connections with native Windows Remote Desktop Connection:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install xrdp
sudo systemctl enable xrdp

After installing XRDP, you’ll need to configure it to allow each user to have their own desktop session:

1. Configure XRDP to Use Your Desktop Environment: You might need to configure XRDP to use the desktop environment you’ve installed, by editing the .xsession file in each user’s home directory to start the desktop environment.

2. Set Up XRDP to Support Multiple Sessions: XRDP should support multiple sessions by default, but you might need to adjust settings based on your desktop environment or specific requirements.

5. Configure Users for Remote Desktop

For each user, you may need to configure their session manager. For example, for GNOME, you might have to edit or create the .xsession file in the user’s home directory:

echo "gnome-session" > ~/.xsession

6. Connect Remotely

Each user can now connect to the Ubuntu server using their preferred remote desktop client:

• Windows: Use the built-in Remote Desktop Connection, enter the server’s IP, and log in with their username and password.
• Mac/Linux: Use a VNC client or another RDP client that supports XRDP.

Security Considerations

• Firewall: Ensure your firewall is configured to allow traffic on the ports used by SSH (usually port 22) and your remote desktop server (default is 3389 for XRDP).
• Secure Passwords: Ensure all users have strong passwords, as these accounts will be accessible from the network.
• Updates: Keep your server and software updated to protect against vulnerabilities.

This setup allows each user to log in remotely to their own GUI desktop environment on Ubuntu, making it suitable for teams needing to work on a shared server or for providing remote desktop access to a family of users.