Install X2Go Server and x2goserver-xsession on the VPS, use an X2Go-compatible desktop environment, and connect with X2Go Client over the VPS’s existing SSH port. You normally need to open only SSH (port 22 unless you changed it), not a separate X2Go port.
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What X2Go installs and how the connection works
X2Go is a client-and-server remote desktop system. The VPS runs the applications, desktop session, and X2Go Server; your local computer runs X2Go Client and displays the remote session. PyHoca-GUI and PyHoca-CLI are alternative clients supported by the project.
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The connection is carried by the Linux distribution’s SSH server. SSH therefore supplies both the network transport and the login authorization: users who are allowed to log in through command-line SSH are the users who can normally use X2Go. A normal installation does not require an additional X2Go-specific listening port.
| Component | Where it runs | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| X2Go Server | Linux VPS | Starts and maintains remote desktop sessions and runs applications. |
| Desktop environment | Linux VPS | Provides the graphical shell that X2Go starts for your user. |
| SSH server | Linux VPS | Accepts the encrypted connection and authenticates the user. |
| X2Go Client, PyHoca-GUI, or PyHoca-CLI | Local Linux, Windows, or macOS computer | Connects to SSH and renders the remote session. |
This arrangement differs from a local virtual-machine console: the VPS remains the place where software executes, while the client is principally a display and input interface. If you disconnect, X2Go can preserve the session so that you can reconnect later, provided the session and VPS remain available.
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Prerequisites to check before installing
A reachable VPS
You need a Linux VPS with a public hostname or IP address that is reachable from the computer on which you will run X2Go Client. Record the address and the SSH port. Port 22 is the usual default, but an administrator may have configured another port.
An SSH-enabled account
The VPS must have an SSH server enabled, and the account you plan to use must be permitted to log in through SSH. Use a named, non-root account for the graphical session. Keep root for administration and use sudo when installing packages or changing system settings.
Test ordinary SSH before troubleshooting X2Go. From the same local computer that will run the client, a test might look like this:
ssh [email protected] -p 22Replace the example address, username, and port with the values for your VPS. If this command cannot authenticate or reach the host, an X2Go profile will not work either.
A graphical desktop environment
X2Go needs a desktop environment installed on the VPS. Select one that the X2Go project documents as compatible. The project specifically warns that newer GNOME 3 and Unity versions can have compatibility problems, so do not assume that the desktop selected by a modern server image will work unchanged. MATE and KDE are common choices exposed in X2Go Client’s session list, but the available choices depend on what is installed on the VPS.
Firewall and security-group access
The VPS host firewall and the cloud provider’s security group must allow the selected SSH port from your client network. Because X2Go uses SSH, opening separate X2Go data ports is normally unnecessary and increases exposure.
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Ubuntu: enable the stable repository and install both server packages
On Ubuntu, add the X2Go stable repository, refresh package metadata, and install the server core together with the session integration package:
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sudo add-apt-repository ppa:x2go/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install x2goserver x2goserver-xsessionThe x2goserver package supplies the server-side core. x2goserver-xsession is also required when the VPS has a desktop environment and you want X2Go Client to start a desktop session. Installing only the core package is a common reason for a connection that authenticates but immediately fails to start the desktop.
Debian: enable the X2Go Debian repository, then install
For Debian, first enable the X2Go Debian repository using the project’s current repository procedure for your Debian release. Then refresh package metadata and install the same two packages:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install x2goserver x2goserver-xsessionDo not copy an Ubuntu PPA configuration onto Debian. Repository configuration is release-specific; use the Debian repository intended for the VPS release, then verify that both packages are being installed from available repositories.
Install and verify the desktop session
Install the desktop environment through the package manager and repository for your exact distribution and release. There is no single desktop package name or universal VPS image that applies to every Debian-family system, and the X2Go documentation does not prescribe a CPU, RAM, storage, or bandwidth minimum. After installation, start a new SSH session or reboot if the distribution requires it.
Before configuring the client, establish the exact session command or desktop choice that the installed environment provides. A desktop can be installed successfully yet still fail if the profile asks for a session type that is absent or uses an incorrect command.
Check the installed packages
On Debian-family systems, you can confirm that the two required packages are installed with:
dpkg -l x2goserver x2goserver-xsessionThe output should show an installed state for both package names. If either package is missing, install it before changing client settings.
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Install X2Go Client on your local computer
Install X2Go Client on the local Linux, Windows, or macOS computer using the project’s client packages or your operating system’s package repository. The client and server are separate installations: installing a graphical desktop on the VPS does not install a client on your workstation, and installing the client locally does not add a server to the VPS.
Keep the client version maintained through the normal update mechanism for your operating system. If you administer several computers, make sure each has the same connection details and an authentication method that is allowed by the VPS’s SSH configuration.
Create the X2Go session profile
Open X2Go Client and create a new session profile. Enter the following values:
- Session name: choose a label that identifies this VPS, such as “Production VPS” or “Development Debian.”
- Host: enter the VPS hostname or IP address. A hostname must resolve correctly on the local computer.
- Login: enter the non-root Linux username that is allowed to log in through SSH.
- SSH port: enter 22 unless the VPS uses a different configured SSH port.
- Authentication: select the password, private-key, or SSH-agent method that works for the same account in a normal SSH test.
- Session type: select the installed desktop environment, such as MATE or KDE, or enter the custom desktop command supplied by that environment.
Save the profile. Start it, accept the server host key only when you recognize the VPS and the key is expected, and authenticate. A successful connection should open the selected remote desktop; applications launched there execute on the VPS.
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Do not troubleshoot X2Go with a different user, key, or port than the one you tested. X2Go inherits SSH’s authorization rules, so a profile that uses an account denied by sshd, a key not present in that account’s authorization file, or the wrong port will fail before the desktop is involved.
Choose a session type deliberately
The session selector is not merely a visual preference. It determines which startup command X2Go invokes. Select a desktop actually installed on the VPS. If the environment is not listed, use its documented custom command rather than guessing a command name.
What to open in the firewall
Allow inbound TCP access to the SSH port used by the VPS. With the default SSH configuration, that is port 22. If SSH was moved to another port, allow that port instead and enter the same value in the X2Go profile.
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| Network item | Required for a standard X2Go setup? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| SSH port (normally TCP 22) | Yes | X2Go carries the session through the Linux SSH server. |
| Separate X2Go data port | No | The documented transport is SSH; no extra X2Go listener is normally needed. |
| Provider security-group rule | Yes | The cloud firewall must permit the same SSH port allowed by the VPS firewall. |
For a stronger perimeter, restrict the SSH rule to trusted office, home, or VPN source addresses where that fits your access pattern. If you change the SSH port, update the provider rule, host firewall, client profile, and any operational documentation together so that the change does not lock out administrators.
Secure and maintain the installation
- Use a named non-root account for graphical work; use
sudofor administration. - Prefer key-based authentication and limit SSH access to the users who need it.
- Restrict the allowed SSH source networks in the VPS firewall or cloud security group when practical.
- Keep the operating system, SSH daemon, desktop environment, X2Go Server packages, and local client updated through their normal update channels.
- Do not expose an additional X2Go-specific port unless another component explicitly requires one.
- Review which applications are allowed to run on the VPS under the graphical account, especially on a shared server.
Remember that X2Go’s graphical access follows the VPS’s SSH policy. If an account is removed from SSH access, it should no longer be treated as an available X2Go user; if SSH is exposed broadly, the graphical service is exposed through the same path.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Reconnect to an existing session
X2Go is useful when a session must survive a laptop sleep, a client restart, or a temporary network interruption. Reopen the saved profile and authenticate with the same account. If the session is still present, the client can reconnect to it rather than creating a completely new desktop. A session that was explicitly logged out, terminated by an administrator, or lost because the VPS was stopped cannot be resumed.
Keep long-running work inside the remote session, but do not treat session persistence as a substitute for application-level saving or backups. A VPS reboot, package maintenance, desktop crash, or provider outage can still end the session and any unsaved work.
Troubleshoot a failed connection in the right order
1. Test SSH from the same computer
ssh [email protected] -p 22Confirm that DNS resolution, routing, the firewall, the SSH port, the username, and the chosen password or key all work. If this test fails, fix that failure first; X2Go cannot bypass an SSH problem.
2. Check both firewall layers
Verify the VPS’s local firewall and the provider’s security group. The allowed port must match the port in the working SSH command and the X2Go profile. A timeout usually points to routing or filtering, while an immediate authentication error generally points to credentials or SSH policy.
3. Compare every profile field with the working SSH command
- Hostname or IP address must be the same reachable endpoint.
- Username must be the account that successfully logged in through SSH.
- Port must match the SSH daemon’s configured port.
- Private key, password, or SSH-agent selection must identify the same credential that SSH accepted.
4. Confirm both server packages
On Debian, Raspbian, and Ubuntu systems with a desktop environment, verify that x2goserver and x2goserver-xsession are installed. The second package is needed for the client to initiate a remote desktop X2Go session.
5. Verify the desktop and startup command
Check that the selected desktop environment is installed for the VPS release and that the profile’s session type matches it. If the session disconnects immediately after authentication, an absent desktop, an invalid custom command, or an incompatible desktop is more likely than a network-port problem.
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If the VPS uses a newer GNOME 3 or Unity release and the session repeatedly fails, switch to a desktop environment with documented X2Go compatibility rather than repeatedly changing passwords or firewall rules. The X2Go project flags compatibility issues with those newer environments.
7. Inspect logs after reproducing the failure
Reproduce the problem once, then review X2Go client and server logs. Log locations vary by operating system and package, so use the locations provided by your distribution’s package documentation. Look for whether the failure occurred during SSH authentication, session startup, desktop command execution, or display initialization; that distinction determines the next fix.
Plan VPS resources around the workload
The X2Go documentation reviewed for this setup publishes no universal minimum for CPU, RAM, storage, or bandwidth. A light administrative desktop and a development environment running several graphical applications have very different requirements. Size the VPS for the applications and number of concurrent sessions you expect, then monitor actual CPU, memory, disk, and network use.
- CPU: interactive compilation, media work, and multiple users require more processing capacity than a single lightweight terminal-oriented desktop.
- Memory: browsers, IDEs, databases, and several simultaneous sessions can consume substantially more RAM than an otherwise idle desktop.
- Storage: allocate space for the operating system, desktop packages, user profiles, application data, logs, and updates.
- Bandwidth and latency: the client must maintain a usable path to the SSH port; responsiveness depends on the workload and network conditions, not on a published universal speed figure.
Start with the provider’s smallest practical instance only when the workload is known to be light, and leave headroom for updates and concurrent applications. Increase resources based on observed pressure rather than treating an undocumented baseline as a guarantee.
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- Public hostname or IP recorded and reachable.
- SSH server enabled and tested from the intended client computer.
- Non-root graphical user allowed to log in through SSH.
- Compatible desktop environment installed on the VPS.
x2goserverandx2goserver-xsessioninstalled on the Debian-family server.- Provider security group and VPS firewall allow the selected SSH port.
- No unnecessary X2Go-specific ports exposed.
- Client profile contains the correct host, username, port, authentication method, and desktop session.
- Host key verified before accepting it.
- Operating system, SSH, desktop, X2Go packages, and client kept current.
When X2Go is the right fit
X2Go is a sensible choice when you want a persistent Linux desktop while keeping the network surface centered on SSH, and when the VPS can run a compatible desktop environment. It is less suitable if your chosen desktop depends on a combination that X2Go does not support, if your account cannot use SSH, or if the workload needs resources the VPS cannot provide. In those cases, solve the compatibility, authorization, or capacity constraint first rather than opening unrelated ports or changing client settings at random.
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