System Servicesrdpremote-desktopwindowsclientterminal-server

rdesktop

rdesktop is an open source RDP client for connecting to Windows NT/2000 Terminal Servers and Windows Servers. It natively speaks the Remote Desktop Protocol to present the user's Windows desktop without requiring server extensions.

Description

rdesktop is an open source client designed for Windows NT/2000 Terminal Server and Windows Server 2003/2008. It enables users to access and control Windows desktops remotely using the native Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), unlike Citrix ICA which requires server extensions.

The tool is particularly useful for remote administration, testing, and accessing Windows environments from Linux systems like Kali. It supports various connection parameters including user authentication, domain specification, and desktop geometry customization.

Note that rdesktop is currently in need of a new upstream maintainer. For more details, refer to the project's home page at http://www.rdesktop.org/.

How It Works

rdesktop operates by natively implementing the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to communicate with Windows Terminal Servers. It establishes a connection to the specified server:port, authenticates using provided credentials, and renders the remote Windows desktop session locally. The client handles keyboard input, mouse events, and display geometry as specified by user options, without needing any server-side extensions.

Installation

bash
sudo apt install rdesktop

Flags

-uuser name
-ddomain
-sshell / seamless application to start remotely
-cworking directory
-ppassword (- to prompt)
-nclient hostname
-kkeyboard layout on server (en-us, de, sv, etc.)
-gdesktop geometry (WxH[@DPI][+X[+Y]])

Examples

Basic usage: Connect to the specified RDP server on default or custom port
rdesktop server[:port]
Connect specifying the user name for authentication
rdesktop -u username server
Connect using a specific domain for authentication
rdesktop -d DOMAIN server
Connect providing password directly (use -p - to prompt)
rdesktop -p password server
Connect with specific keyboard layout (e.g., en-us)
rdesktop -k en-us server
Connect with custom desktop geometry (width x height)
rdesktop -g 1920x1080 server
Connect specifying custom client hostname
rdesktop -n hostname server
Start a specific shell or seamless application remotely
rdesktop -s application server
Updated 2026-04-16kali.org ↗