Create a desktop session from Amazon Linux 2 to a windows machine

Question

I need to create a desktop session (using commandline only) from an AL2 linux server to a windows machine. I am trying to use xfreerdp and rdesktop. I have installed them on my AL2 server. I have installed X11. When I run any desktop client (rdesktop) i get this error :

```
rdesktop IP_WINDOWS_MACHINE
Autoselected keyboard map en-us
No protocol specified
ERROR: Failed to open display: :0.0
```
I have tried setting up the the DESKTOP environment variable to `:0`, `:0.0`, `localhost:0`, `localhost:0.0` but nothing seems to work. Is there something I am missing in the setup? Is there a better way to do it?

I have also tried `xhost +` which doesn't seem to work with the same error message.

Answer

What are you specifically trying to RDP for?

You can connect via Remote Desktop using Fleet Manager.
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/systems-manager/latest/userguide/fleet-rdp.html

You can also use Amazon AppStream 2.0 Elastic fleets as bastion hosts
https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/desktop-and-application-streaming/use-elastic-fleets-and-linux-for-inexpensive-secure-bastion-hosts-in-amazon-appstream-2-0/

Create a desktop session from Amazon Linux 2 to a windows machine

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