Brief: In this guide, we take a look at the Rustdesk remote desktop software that is an alternative to TeamViewer and AnyDesk.

In today’s highly digital and technologically advanced environment, having access to remote devices is often a top priority for both employees and regular users alike.

Remote Desktop Service is a widely used and popular remote access protocol, offering a user-friendly and efficient way to connect to your devices. It proves especially useful for IT helpdesk and support teams when troubleshooting devices that aren’t physically within reach.

Developed using the Rust programming language, Rustdesk is a free and open-source desktop application that works immediately upon installation—no configuration required. It enables you to conveniently access and control your Desktop PC or Android device from any location and at any time.

[ You might also like: Best Tools to Access Remote Linux Desktop ]

Rustdesk Features

At a glance, Rustdesk offers the following notable features:

• Excellent Performance – Rustdesk is fast and lightweight, making it a dependable remote desktop tool.
• End-to-end Encryption – Data security is ensured with end-to-end encryption.
• Multi-platform Support – Rustdesk is compatible across macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS platforms. Additionally, you can use the web to connect to remote devices.
• File Transfer and TCP Tunneling – The built-in file manager allows seamless file transfers between your current and remote devices. TCP tunneling is also supported.
• Self-hosted Option – Rustdesk enables users to set up their own server for initiating connections, enhancing security and data privacy.

How to install RustDesk on Linux

Now let's shift focus and proceed to install RustDesk. For this demonstration, we’ll be using Ubuntu 20.04.

The simplest method of installing Rustdesk is by executing the binary file tailored for your Linux distribution.

Start by updating the package list in Ubuntu:

<code>$ sudo apt update</code>

The binary files for RustDesk are hosted on GitHub. At the time of writing, the latest version available is v1.1.7. We will download the .deb package using wget as shown below.

Please note that the version number may have changed by the time you read this, so adjust the command accordingly.

<code>$ wget https://github.com/rustdesk/rustdesk/releases/download/1.1.9/rustdesk-1.1.9.deb</code>

Then, run the downloaded .deb file with the following command:

<code>$ sudo apt install ./rustdesk-1.1.9.deb -y</code>

The installation will occupy around 1 GB of disk space and complete within a few minutes.

Once installed, you can start Rustdesk via the terminal using:

<code>$ rustdesk</code>

Alternatively, you can launch it through your system’s applications menu by searching for it.

Rustdesk – Connect to a Remote Desktop PC in Ubuntu

Before proceeding, ensure that RustDesk is installed on both your local and remote machines. In our case, we’ve installed it on Ubuntu 20.04 (local) and Linux Mint 20 (remote).

Similar to Teamviewer, enter the remote machine’s Connection ID into your local system and click ‘Connect’.

Next, input the password for the remote machine and click ‘Ok’.

Afterward, your local machine will establish a connection to the remote one, granting you full access to its desktop interface as illustrated below.

RustDesk serves as a strong alternative to well-known remote desktop tools such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk. As demonstrated, it’s simple to install and use, allowing you to quickly set up remote connections with ease.

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