Connecting via RDP

Once your session shows status RUNNING, open its detail page. You'll see a "Connect via RDP" section with credentials and a download link.

Option 1: download the .rdp file (recommended)

Click "Download .rdp" and open the file. It pre-fills the host, port, and username so you only need to paste the password.

• Mac: install Microsoft Remote Desktop from the App Store. Double-click the .rdp.
• Windows: Microsoft Remote Desktop is preinstalled (Win+R, type mstsc). Double-click the .rdp.
• Linux: install remmina or freerdp. Open the .rdp directly with remmina, or run xfreerdp /v:<ip> /u:<user> /p:<pass>.

Option 2: manual connection

• Host: public IP shown on the session page, port 3389
• Username: Administrator for Windows, deskboot for Linux
• Password: shown once on the session page. Copy it somewhere safe — it's view-once.

Linux RDP under the hood

Linux sessions install xrdp + a minimal Xfce desktop at first boot. When you RDP in you land in an Xfce session, not a TTY. From there you can launch a terminal, Chrome, Firefox, file manager, etc.

Common issues

RDP client says "host unreachable"

The session might still be provisioning. Check the status — if it's PROVISIONING, give it another 2-3 minutes. If it's RUNNING but RDP fails, your network may be blocking outbound port 3389. Try from a different network or use SSH instead (Linux only).

"Authentication failed" on Linux RDP

Make sure you're using the username deskboot, not root or ubuntu. The bootstrap script creates the deskboot user with the password shown on the session page; the default Linux users have no password set.

Black screen after Windows RDP login

The instance is still finishing first-boot setup. Disconnect, wait 90 seconds, reconnect. If it persists, click "Reboot" on the session page.