Remote Desktop Connection from Mac to Ubuntu

Introduction

Remote connection has multiple practical use cases, such as providing technical support and accessing business files and applications when working from home. GUI sharing systems and protocols, such as RDP and VNC, allow users to access their machines remotely regardless of their operating system.

This article will show you how to access an Ubuntu machine from Mac and vice versa.

Prerequisites

To connect to Ubuntu from Mac:

• Ubuntu IP address or domain name.
• Microsoft Remote Desktop installed on macOS.

To connect to Mac from Ubuntu:

• macOS IP address or domain name.
• Remmina Desktop Client installed on Ubuntu.

Establish Remote Desktop Connection to Ubuntu From Mac

The easiest way to connect to a remote Ubuntu machine using a macOS computer is via the Remote Desktop protocol developed by Microsoft. Before connecting with the Remote Desktop client on macOS, ensure that your Ubuntu system has remote desktop sharing enabled.

Set up Ubuntu to be Accessed Remotely

Use Settings to enable remote desktop sharing on Ubuntu. Follow the steps below to make the necessary adjustments to the system:

1. Select the Activities button in the upper-left corner of the screen.

2. Type sharing in the search box and select Sharing in the search results.

3. Activate sharing in the upper-right corner of the Settings window.

4. Select the Remote Desktop option.

The Remote Desktop dialog appears.

5. Enable Remote Desktop and Remote Control.

6. Scroll down to the Authentication section. Make a note of the User Name and Password fields. The password is automatically generated, but you can replace it with a custom one.

The Ubuntu system is now ready to accept remote connections.

Use RDP to Access Ubuntu from Mac

Creating a remote connection from a Mac via the Microsoft Remote Desktop application requires:

• The domain or IP address of the remote machine.
• User credentials.

Follow the steps below to connect to a remote Ubuntu machine from a Mac:

1. Press Command and Space to activate Spotlight Search.

2. Start typing Microsoft Remote Desktop and select the app when it appears in the search results.

3. Select the Add PC button in Microsoft Remote Desktop.

4. Type the remote computer’s domain or IP address in the PC name field.

5. Choose a User account. Alternatively, leave the Ask when required option to enter the credentials later.

6. Select Add to create the remote connection.

The new connection appears in Microsoft Remote Desktop’s main window.

7. Select the connection.

8. Type in the Ubuntu credentials and select Continue.

Ubuntu desktop appears in a window.

Establish Remote Desktop Connection to Mac From Ubuntu

macOS uses the VNC protocol to allow remote connections. To connect a Mac to Ubuntu, enable the sharing option in macOS and use Remmina to create a connection.

Set up Mac to be Accessed Remotely

Sharing in macOS is not allowed by default. To enable it from System Settings, follow the steps below:

1. Select System Settings from the Apple logo menu.

2. Select General in the menu on the left side, then go to the Sharing section.

3. Select the (i) icon next to the Remote Management option.

4. Activate the remote management switch in the upper-right corner of the dialog.

5. Activate the VNC viewers may control screen with password option.

6. Select Done.

The macOS system can now accept remote connections.

Use VNC to Access Mac from Ubuntu

Remmina is a simple open source remote desktop client for Linux. The section below explains how to use it to access a macOS system remotely.

1. Select the Activities button in the upper-left corner of the Ubuntu desktop.

2. Type Remmina in the search box and select the application from the search results.

3. Select the VNC protocol from the drop-down list.

4. Type the domain or IP address of the remote macOS machine in the text field and press Enter.

5. Enter the credentials in the dialog.

A remote macOS session appears in the window.

Conclusion

After reading this tutorial, you know how to connect to a Ubuntu machine using macOS and how to connect to a Mac from Ubuntu. In both cases, the article explained the necessary procedure on the server and client side.

If you do not need a graphical interface, you can also learn to use SSH to connect to a remote server.