# Connect to a Linux device
Depending on your purpose, you can choose among the following methods to remotely connect to your Linux computer over Meshnet:
* GUI-based remote connection using Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) or Virtual Network Connection (VNC). This method is described further in this article.
* Text-based remote connection using Secure Shell (SSH). For instructions on this method, see the [How to access remote systems over Meshnet using SSH](https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/how-to/remote-access/access-remote-systems-over-ssh) article.
## Before you begin
Ensure that:
* Your remote PC and the device you want to use to access it are [linked over Meshnet](https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/getting-started/how-to-start-using-meshnet).
* Your remote PC is turned on.
## Enable remote access on your PC
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**
For the instructions provided in this guide, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is used as an example.
{% endhint %}
1. Open **Settings**.
2. Navigate to **System** > **Remote desktop**.
3. Turn on the **Desktop sharing** and **Remote control** toggles to allow remote connections and grant them control of the desktop.
4. Under **Login details**, take note of the username and password required to access this computer.
\
You can change the password generated by the app if you wish.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**
**Desktop sharing** settings permit remote connections only when a user account is already logged in. To access the device when no user is active, configure the **Remote Login** options instead.
{% endhint %}
## Connect to your remote PC
Once you have enabled remote access and have your remote desktop credentials, you can connect to your PC using a remote desktop client.
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Windows" %}
### Install Remote Desktop on Windows
To connect to your remote PC from Windows, first install the [Microsoft Remote Desktop](https://apps.microsoft.com/store/detail/microsoft-remote-desktop/9WZDNCRFJ3PS) app, available for free from the Microsoft Store.
{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip**
Alternatively, you can use the built-in Remote Desktop client on Windows, which you can find by typing `Remote Desktop Connection` in the search box on the taskbar.
{% endhint %}
### Add a remote connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
2. Open the **Remote Desktop** app and click **Add** > **PCs**.
3. In the **PC name** field, paste the copied Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
4. Next to **User account**, click the plus (+) button to add a profile.
5. Enter your credentials for the remote computer to save for use with this connection.
* **Username**: your remote PC account name you recorded earlier.
* **Password**: the password for the specified username.\
\
**Example**
6. Optionally, you can give a nickname to your connection in the **Display name** field. It is a way to easily identify your Remote Desktop connections.
7. Click **Save**, and then click **Save** again.
### Access your remote PC
1. Under **Saved PCs**, double-click the connection that you added.
2. You may receive a warning message indicating that it might not be safe to connect to this computer. If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, select the **Don't ask about this certificate again** checkbox.
3. Click **Connect anyway**.
You should now be able to access and control your PC remotely.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Android" %}
### Install Remote Desktop on Android
To connect to your remote PC from Android, first install the [Remote Desktop](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.rdc.androidx) app, available for free from Google Play.
### Add a remote PC connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, go to **Products** > **Meshnet** > **Manage devices**, tap the three-dot menu next to the device you want to access, and copy the device's Nord name or IP address.
2. Launch the **RD Client** app that you installed earlier.
3. From the bottom row, select **Add** > **Add PC**.
4. Under **PC name**, paste the copied Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
5. Under **User account**, select the **Add user account** option.
6. In the **Username** and **Password** fields, enter your credentials for the remote computer to save for use with this connection, and tap **Save**.\
\
**Example**
7. In the upper-right corner, tap **Save**.
### Access your remote PC
1. From the main screen, select the saved connection that you added.
2. You may receive a warning indicating that the digital certificate of the computer you're trying to access cannot be verified. If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, select the **Never ask again for connections to this PC** checkbox.
3. Tap **Connect**.
You should now be able to securely access and control your Linux PC remotely over Meshnet.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="iOS" %}
### Install Windows App on iOS
To connect to the remote PC from iOS, install the [Windows Mobile App](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/windows-app-mobile/id714464092), available for free from the App Store.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**
To install Windows App Mobile, your device must run iOS 17.0 or later.
{% endhint %}
### Add a remote PC connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, go to **Products** > **Meshnet** > **Manage devices** and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
2. Launch the **Windows** app that you installed.
3. In the upper-right corner, tap the plus (+) button and select **PC**.
4. Tap **PC name** and paste the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
5. Return to the previous menu and tap **Credentials** > **Add credentials**.
6. Enter the following information to save for use with this connection:
* The remote PC account name
* The remote PC account password
* Optionally, tap **Friendly name** to give a nickname to your connection.\
\
**Example**
7. Tap **Save**, return to the previous screen, and tap **Save** again.
The new connection will appear under **Saved devices**. Tap it whenever you want to initiate a remote desktop session.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="macOS" %}
### Install Windows App on macOS
To connect to your remote PC from macOS, first install the [Windows App](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/windows-app/id1295203466?mt=12), available for free from the Mac App Store.
### Add a remote PC connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
2. Open **Microsoft Remote Desktop**, click the plus (+) button, and select **Add PC**.
3. In the **PC name** box, paste the Nord name or Meshnet IP you copied earlier.
4. From the **User account** dropdown list, select **Add credentials**.
5. In the **Username** and **Password** fields, enter your credentials for the remote computer to save for future connections, and click **Add**.\
\
**Example**
6. Optionally, give a nickname to your connection in the **Friendly name** field.
7. Click **Add** to save changes.
### Access your remote PC
1. Under **Saved PCs**, double-click the new connection that you added.
2. You may receive a warning indicating that the digital certificate of the computer you're trying to access cannot be verified. If you don't want to see this dialog in the future, click **Show certificate** and then select the **Always trust** checkbox.
3. If you're connecting to a computer you trust, click **Continue**.
You should now be able to remotely access and control your PC securely.
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Linux" %}
For Linux-to-Linux connections, you can use Remmina , a free remote desktop client available in the default repositories of many Linux distributions.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**
The instructions below use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as an example.
{% endhint %}
### Install Remmina
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Terminal" %}
1. Open **Terminal**.
2. Update the package manager list of available packages by running the following command:\
sudo apt update
3. Install Remmina by entering this command:\
sudo apt install remmina -y
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="App Center" %}
1. Launch **App Center**.
2. In the search bar, enter `remmina` and select the matching result.
3. Click the **Install** button.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
### Add a remote PC connection
1. In the terminal, run the `nordvpn meshnet peer list` command and copy the Nord name of the device you want to access.
2. Launch the **Remmina** app that you installed earlier.
3. Click the **New connection profile** button in the upper-left corner of the app window.
4. In the **Name** field, type in a custom name to identify the connection.
5. Make sure **RDP** — **Remote Desktop Protocol** is selected in the **Protocol** field.
6. Under **Basic**, enter the following information to create a reusable connection:
* In the **Server** field, paste the Nord name you copied earlier.
* In the **Username** field, enter your remote PC account name.
* In the **Password** field, enter the password you use to log in to your remote PC.\
\
**Example**
7. Click **Save**.
### Access your remote PC
1. Double-click the new connection profile you've created.
2. Accept the certificate presented by the server to verify that you trust the computer you are trying to access.
With these steps completed, you should now be connected to your remote Linux PC using Remmina over Meshnet.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
## Alternative remote desktop tools
If you prefer, you can also use other remote access software like NoMachine or AnyDesk to establish a remote connection between your devices.
### Using NoMachine
Once remote access is configured on the target PC, install the [NoMachine](https://www.nomachine.com/) app on *both* your remote and local devices.
Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux using NoMachine
On your local machine:
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the device you want to access.
2. Launch **NoMachine** and select the **Add** button to create a new connection.
3. Fill in the following information and, in the upper-right corner, click **Add**:
* In the **Name** field, enter a custom name to identify the connection.
* In the **Host** field, paste the copied Nord name of the device you want to access.\
\
**Example**
4. Double-click the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
5. If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select **OK** to proceed.
6. Enter your remote desktop credentials and select **OK**.
* **Username:** your remote PC account name
* **Password:** the password you use to log in to your remote PC\
\
**Example**
**Y**ou should now be able to securely access and control your PC remotely.
Connect from Android or iPhone/iPad using NoMachine
On your mobile device, perform the following steps to add a remote PC connection:
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
2. Open **NoMachine** and select the **Add** button in the upper-left corner to create a new connection.
3. Ensure that **NX** is selected as the protocol and tap **Continue**.
4. In the **Host** field, enter either the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the computer you want to access, and then select **Continue**.
5. Keep the default options for **Authentication** and **Proxy**.
6. Optionally, in the **Name** field, provide a custom name for the connection and tap **Done**.
To access your remote PC:
1. On the **NoMachine** main screen, double-tap the newly created connection to initiate the remote connection.
2. If a warning appears indicating that the host's authenticity cannot be confirmed, select **OK** to proceed.
3. Enter your remote desktop credentials and select **OK**.
* **Username:** your remote PC account name
* **Password:** the password you use to log in to your remote PC\
\
**Example**
You should now be able to securely access and control your PC remotely.
### Using AnyDesk
Once remote access is configured on the target PC, install the [AnyDesk](https://anydesk.com/en/downloads/linux) app on *both* the PC and the device you're connecting from.
For this setup, you won't need remote PC account credentials. Instead, you can use either manual approval on the remote PC or set up a dedicated unattended access password.
Optional: Enable unattended access with AnyDesk
By default, AnyDesk needs manual approval for incoming connections. To bypass this, you can enable the app’s [Unattended access feature](https://support.anydesk.com/knowledge/unattended-access):
1. On the *remote* computer, open **Terminal**.
2. Run the following command to open AnyDesk security settings:\
sudo anydesk --admin-settings
3. From the **Permission profile** dropdown list, choose **Unattended access**.
4. Select the **Enable unattended access** option.
5. Enter and confirm a secure password that will be used for authentication. Then, click **OK**.
After applying the changes, connect to the device without manual approval by following the platform-specific instructions below.
Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux using AnyDesk
On your local machine:
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP address of the device you want to access.
2. Launch **AnyDesk** you installed earlier.
3. In the remote address field at the top, enter either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote PC and click **Connect**.
If you set up an unattended password on the remote PC:
1. In the **Authorization** dialog that appears, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC.
2. Optionally, you can select the **Log in automatically from now on** checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
3. Click **OK**.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote device to accept the connection request manually.
Connect from Android or iPhone/iPad using AnyDesk
On your mobile device:
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
2. Open **AnyDesk** you installed earlier.
3. In the remote address field, paste either the Nord name or the Meshnet IP address of the remote PC and tap the arrow button to connect.
If you set up an unattended password on the remote PC:
1. In the **Authorization** dialog, enter the password you created for unattended access on the remote PC.
2. Optionally, you can select the **Log in automatically from now on** checkbox to avoid entering the password again for subsequent connections.
3. Tap **OK**.
If you haven't set up an unattended password, wait for the user at the remote device to accept the connection request manually.
## Checklist for a successful connection
If you encounter issues while attempting to connect, check that:
* [ ] Both devices are linked over Meshnet.
* [ ] Both devices see each other as active in the Meshnet peer list.
* [ ] The [Remote access](https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/features/explaining-permissions/remote-access-permissions) permission is enabled in Meshnet for the connecting device.
* [ ] The remote PC is turned on and not in sleep or hibernate mode.
* [ ] The remote PC’s network settings allow for incoming Remote Desktop connections.
* [ ] The correct Nord name or Meshnet IP address is being used for the connection.
* [ ] You are logging in with the correct remote PC account credentials.
* [ ] Any firewall or antivirus software is not blocking the connection.
## See also
* [Connect to a macOS device](https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/how-to/remote-access/log-in-to-pc-remotely/connect-to-macos)
* [Connect to a Windows device](https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/how-to/remote-access/log-in-to-pc-remotely/connect-to-windows)
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://meshnet.nordvpn.com/how-to/remote-access/log-in-to-pc-remotely/connect-to-linux.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
app, available for free from the Microsoft Store.
{% hint style="success" %}
**Tip**
Alternatively, you can use the built-in Remote Desktop client on Windows, which you can find by typing `Remote Desktop Connection` in the search box on the taskbar.
{% endhint %}
### Add a remote connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, locate and copy the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the device you want to access.
app, available for free from Google Play.
### Add a remote PC connection
1. In the **NordVPN** app, go to **Products** 
> **Meshnet** 
> **Manage devices**, tap the three-dot menu next to the device you want to access, and copy the device's Nord name or IP address.
app that you installed.
3. In the upper-right corner, tap the plus (+) button and select **PC**.
4. Tap **PC name** and paste the Nord name or Meshnet IP of the PC you want to access.
, a free remote desktop client available in the default repositories of many Linux distributions.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**
The instructions below use Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as an example.
{% endhint %}
### Install Remmina
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Terminal" %}
1. Open **Terminal**.
2. Update the package manager list of available packages by running the following command:\
.
2. In the search bar, enter `remmina` and select the matching result.
3. Click the **Install** button.
app on *both* your remote and local devices.
app on *both* the PC and the device you're connecting from.
For this setup, you won't need remote PC account credentials. Instead, you can use either manual approval on the remote PC or set up a dedicated unattended access password.
