RDP Remote Desktop
An RDP session connects to a Windows host or any other remote desktop serving RDP. It shares tabs, split panes, and the saved-connection system with terminal sessions, but it carries a graphical framebuffer rather than a text terminal.
RDP protocol decoding runs in a separate helper process. When running from source you must build the helper first, or connections fail with HelperMissing — see Development Setup.
Connection configuration
Basics
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Host / Port | RDP service address; default port 3389 |
| Username | Login user |
| Domain | Active Directory domain; leave empty for standalone hosts |
| Password | Login password |
Security
Network Level Authentication (NLA / CredSSP) is used when the remote host supports it.
Certificate policy decides what happens on first contact with an unknown certificate:
| Policy | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Prompt on unknown certificate | Opens a verification dialog and lets you decide (default) |
| Reject untrusted certificates | Refuses without asking |
| Accept for this session only | Accepts without recording trust, so the next connection asks again |
With Prompt on unknown certificate, the dialog can accept just this connection or accept and remember the certificate. If a remembered certificate later changes, you are prompted again before connecting.
Display
Display mode is either Fit window (default) or Fixed size. Fixed size requires explicit dimensions:
- Width from 640 to 7680
- Height from 480 to 4320
The default resolution is 1920×1080 at 32-bit color depth.
Clipboard
Clipboard is text only (default) or disabled. File, image, and rich-text clipboard channels are not supported.
Reconnect
Auto reconnect is on by default and retries a limited number of times on transient network failures. Retry attempts accepts 0 to 20, defaulting to 5.
Capability boundaries
RDP sessions do not offer these SSH-only capabilities:
- Terminal command history and command suggestions
- The SFTP file explorer
- SSH proxy, jump hosts, and tunnels
- Remote host monitoring panels
Use SSH, Local Terminal, Telnet, or Serial sessions when you need command-line capabilities.
Error kinds
The error kind on a failed connection narrows down where to look:
| Kind | Common cause |
|---|---|
Authentication | Wrong username, password, or domain; NLA requirements unmet |
CertificateRejected | The certificate policy refused the server certificate |
ConnectionRefused / Timeout | Port unreachable, firewall block, or RDP not enabled on the host |
Tls / Negotiation | TLS handshake or protocol negotiation failed |
HelperMissing | The helper executable is not beside the application |
HelperCrashed | The helper process exited during a live session |