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The guide walks Fedora users through a clean installation of Remmina, beginning with system updates and an optional activation of RPM Fusion to pull in extra plugins such as RDP and VNC. Once the core packages are installed with `dnf`, it explains how to launch the client, create new connections, and configure protocols for Windows and older Linux machines. The article also lists common pitfalls—missing rdp plugin errors or dropped sessions—and offers quick fixes like reinstalling plugins or enabling keep‑alive options. A real‑world anecdote at the end shows how having Remmina ready saved hours when retrieving logs from a problematic Windows server behind a restrictive firewall.



Installing Remmina on Fedora – Quick & Easy Remote Desktop Setup

Got a Windows or macOS machine you need to reach from your Fedora box?

Remmina is the go‑to client for RDP, VNC, SSH and more, and getting it up on Fedora takes just a few clicks (or keystrokes). Below is the exact procedure I use every time—no fluff, no “just try this” nonsense.

Open Terminal & Make Sure Your System Is Fresh

A clean system keeps package conflicts at bay and ensures you pull in the latest security patches that Remmina relies on.

sudo dnf update -y

If your machine complains about “package database is corrupt” or similar, run sudo dnf clean all first.

Enable RPM‑Fusion (Optional but Handy)

A lot of remote‑desktop helpers ship from RPM‑Fusion’s free repo. Without it you might miss out on the RDP plugin that makes Windows connections buttery smooth.

sudo dnf install https://download1.rpmfusion.org/free/fedora/rpmfusion-free-release-$(rpm -E %fedora).noarch.rpm

If you’re running Fedora 38 or later, this command pulls in the right version automatically.

Install Remmina and Core Plugins
sudo dnf install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp remmina-plugin-vnc
  • remmina – The main application.
  • plugin‑rdp – Needed for Microsoft Remote Desktop (RDP) sessions; I’ve seen people lose the ability to send Ctrl+Alt+Del after a driver update if they skip this.
  • plugin‑vnc – For VNC servers that are still popular in older setups.

If you also want SSH tunnels, add remmina-plugin-ssh. Fedora’s default repo already ships with it, but installing explicitly makes the intent clear.

Launch Remmina
remmina &

The first run will create a configuration directory in your home folder and download any extra assets required for certificate handling. After that, just point it at the IP of the machine you want to control.

Quick‑Start: Connecting to a Windows PC

1. Open Remmina – you’ll see a blank connection list.
2. Click New => Choose “RDP (Microsoft)” from the drop‑down.
3. Enter the Server IP, your username, and password.
4. Hit Save & Connect.

The RDP plugin uses libfreerdp under the hood, which is actively maintained. If you skip installing remmina-plugin-rdp, you’ll get a generic “no protocol support” error that’s hard to debug.

Got a VNC Server on an Old Linux Box?
  • Set Protocol to “VNC”.
  • Enter the server’s IP and port (default 5900).
  • If your VNC server uses encryption, you’ll see an option for “Use Encryption.” Turn it off only if absolutely necessary—security is cheap.
Common Hiccups & What to Do
Symptom Fix
“Could not load plugin ‘rdp’” Re‑run sudo dnf install remmina-plugin-rdp or check for missing dependencies (libfreerdp-plugins).
Connection drops after 10 min Some Windows servers have idle‑timeout policies. Use a keep‑alive option in Remmina’s advanced settings.
No audio from the remote session Install remmina-plugin-ssh and enable “Audio” in the RDP connection options, or use a separate ffmpeg pipeline if you’re desperate.
A Real‑World Snapshot

Last week I had to grab logs from a Windows server that was acting like it’d been hit by a driver bug during an update. The RDP session would drop mid‑transfer unless the server’s display driver was patched, but the only way to pull the data was via Remmina because PowerShell remoting was blocked in the corporate firewall. That one install saved me hours.

That’s all there is to it—Fedora 38 and newer are ready out of the box with a single dnf command, plus a few optional plugins to cover every protocol you might need. Now you can hop onto any desktop from your favorite terminal window without hunting for third‑party binaries or compiling anything yourself.