Ubuntu 18.04: Connect to Xfce desktop environment via XRDP

Install Xfce desktop environment with this.

Install XRDP.

$ sudo apt install -y xrdp
$ sudo sed -e 's/^new_cursors=true/new_cursors=false/g' \
           -i /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
$ sudo systemctl enable xrdp
$ sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Create .xsession and .xsessionrc in home directory of user to be connected.

$ echo "xfce4-session" > ~/.xsession
$ D=/usr/share/xfce4:/usr/share/xubuntu:/usr/local/share
$ D=${D}:/usr/share:/var/lib/snapd/desktop:/usr/share
$ cat <<EOF > ~/.xsessionrc
export XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=xubuntu
export XDG_DATA_DIRS=${D}
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=/etc/xdg/xdg-xubuntu:/etc/xdg:/etc/xdg
EOF

The light-locker causes error when lightdm does not executed. This is because light-locker uses XDG_SESSION_PATH which is set by lightdm. XDG_SESSION_PATH is a dynamic value and cannot be set static.

** (light-locker:2769): ERROR **: 08:09:59.625: Environment variable
XDG_SESSION_PATH not set. Is LightDM running?

This article create a wrapper script which checks if XDG_SESSION_PATH is set or not.

$ sudo cp /usr/bin/light-locker /usr/bin/light-locker.orig
$ cat <<EOF | sudo tee /usr/bin/light-locker
#!/bin/sh

# The light-locker uses XDG_SESSION_PATH provided by lightdm.
if [ ! -z "\${XDG_SESSION_PATH}" ]; then
  /usr/bin/light-locker.orig
else
  # Disable light-locker in XRDP.
  true
fi
EOF
$ sudo chmod a+x /usr/bin/light-locker

Use Xorg as a session type. Windows Remote Desktop Connection is as the following.