How to enable desktop Sharing on Ubuntu and Linux Mint

Summary: Desktop Sharing is the technology for remote access and remote collaboration through a graphical terminal emulator on a computer desktop. Desktop Sharing allows two or more computer users connected to the network to operate on the same file in different locations. In this article, I'll show you how to enable desktop Sharing in Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and show some important security features.

Desktop Sharing is the technology for remote access and remote collaboration on a computer desktop through a graphical terminal emulator. Desktop Sharing allows two or more computer users connected to the network to operate on the same file in different locations.

In this article, I'll show you how to enable desktop Sharing in Ubuntu and Linux Mint, and show some important security features.

Enable desktop Sharing on Ubuntu and Linux Mint

1, in the Ubuntu Dash or Linux Mint menu, like the following search desktop sharing , search to later, open it.

Search for Desktop sharing in Ubuntu

2. After you open desktop sharing, there are three options for desktop Sharing settings: Sharing, security, and notification settings.

Under Sharing options, select the option allow other users to view the desktop to enable desktop Sharing. Alternatively, you can check the option "Allow other users to control your desktop" to allow other users to control your desktop remotely.

Desktop Sharing preferences

3. Next, in the "Security" section, you can manually confirm each remote connection by ticking the option "you must confirm any access to this computer".

In addition, another useful security feature is to create a certain shared password by using the option "Require user to enter a password." This way, users need to know and enter a password every time they want to access your desktop.

4. For notifications, you can check the remote connection only when someone is connected, so that you can view it in the notification area each time someone remotely connects to your desktop.

Configure Desktop Sharing settings

When all of the desktop sharing options are set, click "Close". Now you've successfully enabled desktop sharing on your Ubuntu or Linux Mint.

Test Remote Desktop Sharing for Ubuntu

You can test by using a remote connection app to ensure that desktop sharing is available. In this example, I will show how some of the options set above work.

5. I will use the VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocol to connect to my Ubuntu PC via the Remmina remote connection application.

Remmina Desktop Sharing Tool

6, after clicking on the Ubuntu PC, the following interface will appear to configure the connection settings,

Remmina Desktop Sharing Preferences

7. When all settings are executed, click Connect. Then, give the username an SSH password and click OK.

Enter the SSH user password

After clicking OK, the following black screen appears, because the connection is not confirmed on the remote machine.

Black screen before connection confirmation

8. Now, on the remote machine, I need to click on a screen as shown below Allow to accept the remote access request.

Allow Remote Desktop Sharing

9. After accepting the request, I successfully connected to the desktop of the remote Ubuntu machine.

Remote Ubuntu Desktop

Original Date: 2017-04-15

This article comes from the cloud community partner "Linux China"

How to enable desktop Sharing on Ubuntu and Linux Mint