RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

terryr · 2025-06-08 23:07

I have a question, or possibly needing some guidance would be a better description.

I am very inexperienced with 'Nix systems, although I've dabbled a small amount over the years. I use "Calibre" ebook app for both the wife and myself. Whenever the wife needs a new book loaded on her ereader I have to get the laptop with it on up and running, connect her ereader and download the book. What I'd prefer to do is have the Calibre app available whenever she wants to change out books. Calibre offers a "web service" and the H/W I'm using is old (Intel CPU 1007U w 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD) so I looked for a "liteweight" Linux system and found Q4OS.

My first foray into testing it was mostly a success. I installed Q4OS, created an account which "auto" logins and "auto" starts the Calibre app. Settings in Calibre allow the web service to "auto" start when Calibre starts up.

My issue occurs when I try to RDP (from Windows) to the Q4OS system as the same account which has "auto" logged in. It does allow me to login (connect?) but the Calibre app isn't showing. I did run a command in Terminal (sorry forgot name) which suggested there was only 1 session on the system.

I've since searched on the web and an article I found suggested the "Trinity" desktop doesn't not fully support a RDP connection, hence why possibly the app wasn't showing. It went on to mention the KDE desktop. I have installed it but at this point I have much the same issue, not seeing the already logged in session. Some of the references on the web suggest I may be connecting to a "virtual" desktop, not the actual "console" desktop where the app is running.

So it seems that KDE is a "heavy" desktop whereas the "Trinity" would be a more ideal setup for me. I just need to confirm that either I should be able to see the Calibre app on the already logged in account running when RDping to it (with the right settings), or failing that some direction on what would be a suitable setup that will work for me.

Thanks in advance.
Terry

terryr · 2025-06-09 23:16

So I haven't been sitting idle after posting my question. I've been continuing with my quest to have this operate preferably with Windows RDP client and the xrdp service on the Q4OS PC, this being the simplest setup.

Further testing suggests it isn't a Calibre app issue per se, rather how Q4OS/XRDP allows a remote session to interact with what is already running. I had the "console" auto-start Calibre. When a RDP session is logged in I see nothing, not even a Terminal window which is also running on the console. When I attempt to run Calibre (a 2nd time) it doesn't show. This means it can already identify that it IS running. The web service is accessible via the remotely logged in session (via 127.0.0.1:8080) and also remotely using only a web browser to connect.

I can also RDP to the Q4OS system, start Calibre (making sure it not already running as local session logged out), disconnect the RDP, then re-connect and it will restablish the same session. So if the app is started via a remote session it will continue to be available throughout successive re-connects from the remote system under RDP. Unfortunately this doesn't help me as I need the auto-logon and subsequent auto-start of Calibre as the system won't necessarily be in an easy to reach location for any administration work.

So it appears to be either a XRDP or Trinity issue (maybe both). Does anyone have any ideas on if XRDP can be configured to show the "already logged in session". So far I haven't seen anything suggesting there is such a configuration setting.

My next step is to look at X2GO and see if it allows a proper re-connect to existing session. At least if it does I know Trinity is not the cause of the problem, rather how the RDP protocol has been implemented in XDRP. If not then likely I will need to change "desktop environment".

Terry

q4osteam · 2025-06-10 11:02

terryr wrote:

My next step is to look at X2GO and see if it allows a proper re-connect to existing session

X2Go is far better then RDP, it definitely supports suspend and re-connect to an existing session.

terryr · 2025-06-10 21:40

So at the moment my tests suggests that neither X2Go nor RDP will allow me to remote-connect to the currently logged in account (if that session was initiated locally).

I can initiate a login via the X2Go and RDP connects, run the app, disconnect and then later on re-connect and the app is still visual and is still interacted with, however that doesn't solve my issue.

As stated earlier, I need to be able to turn on the laptop, have the auto login initiate the session and auto start the application (locally on the laptop). I then need to be able to (later on) connect via RDP or X2Go and see (and interact with) the logged in session. That doesn't seem possible currently.

From my perspective it seems that the local login session is "out of phase" with a remotely initiated session. Sort of a "real" display vs an "imaginary" display. The remote connect can determine that the app is running but cannot see or interact with it.

And feedback, info welcome.

Terry

Last edited by terryr (2025-06-10 21:41)

Oconcal · 2025-06-10 22:18

terryr wrote:

So at the moment my tests suggests that neither X2Go nor RDP will allow me to remote-connect to the currently logged in account (if that session was initiated locally).
I can initiate a login via the X2Go and RDP connects, run the app, disconnect and then later on re-connect and the app is still visual and is still interacted with, however that doesn't solve my issue.
As stated earlier, I need to be able to turn on the laptop, have the auto login initiate the session and auto start the application (locally on the laptop). I then need to be able to (later on) connect via RDP or X2Go and see (and interact with) the logged in session. That doesn't seem possible currently.
From my perspective it seems that the local login session is "out of phase" with a remotely initiated session. Sort of a "real" display vs an "imaginary" display. The remote connect can determine that the app is running but cannot see or interact with it.
And feedback, info welcome.
Terry

Well you have to create a RDP seat with that username
otherwise it will just create a new RDP session.

terryr · 2025-06-10 22:33

Well you have to create a RDP seat with that username
otherwise it will just create a new RDP session.

Any more clues than this "small" snippet? As I said I'm not familiar with Linux although dabbled over the years. I am however well versed in the Windows" environment.

This suggests there may be a method of having the locally logged in account "tagged" as being equivalent to a remotely logged in version of the same account. However I've found nothing else on the web that helps/backs up this new information.

Terry

terryr · 2025-06-11 02:21

Well, further revelations. This post is 4+ years old, although since it is the only piece of evidence thus far I have no reason to discount it.
https://github.com/neutrinolabs/xrdp/issues/960
Mentions that a remote session will load "xorgxrdp" logging in, but that a local session (console) doesn't need this, thus it stops the ability to remotely connect to the existing local session.

Windows RDP seems to be a "dumb" version of what XRDP can achieve, but for all it's bells and whistles, it effectively stopped the one thing I needed. So which is the "dumb" remote protocol now?

The post also mentions use of VNC, so if I want my setup, it looks like I have to make a compromise.

Terry

Oconcal · Yesterday 21:54

terryr wrote:

Mentions that a remote session will load "xorgxrdp" logging in, but that a local session (console) doesn't need this, thus it stops the ability to remotely connect to the existing local session.

Terry

go into xrdp.ini in the xrdp directory, find the remote connect heading and change the port entry to ask-1

Then it will prompt the user to switch to it or new remote session.

it should look like this:

 [xrdp1]
name=customsessionname
lib=libvnc.so
username=myusername
password=ask
ip=127.0.0.1
port=ask-1

problem has been for a long time is lack of documentation with it and they should of had this option as default IMHO.

Last edited by Oconcal (Yesterday 22:05)

Q4OS Forum

#1 2025-06-08 23:07

RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#2 2025-06-09 23:16

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#3 2025-06-10 11:02

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#4 2025-06-10 21:40

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#5 2025-06-10 22:18

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#6 2025-06-10 22:33

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#7 2025-06-11 02:21

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

#8 Yesterday 21:54

Re: RDPing to Trinity desktop with app already running

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