Setting up Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode with Fedora 43

hyperv-esm-fedora.md

Tested working on Fedora Workstation 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43.

(Commands prefixed with a # should be run as the root user or with sudo. Commands prefixed with a $ should be run as a regular/unprivileged user.)

1. # dnf install xrdp (with Xorg session support: # dnf install xrdp xorgxrdp)
2. If using GNOME: # $EDITOR /etc/pam.d/xrdp-sesman and comment and uncomment the appropriate lines.
3. If using Xfce: $ echo startxfce4 > $HOME/.xsession and $ chmod +x $HOME/.xsession.
4. Optionally, rename the shared drives mount: # $EDITOR /etc/xrdp/sesman.ini and set FuseMountName=shared-drives
5. # $EDITOR /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini and set:
   • port=vsock://-1:3389 ([Globals] section)
   • vmconnect=true (uncomment)
   • security_layer=rdp
   • bitmap_compression=false
   • If you chose to install the xorgxrdp package: uncomment the whole [Xorg] section.
6. $ systemctl enable xrdp xrdp-sesman
7. Shut down the virtual machine (do NOT reboot) and close the Virtual Machine Connection window.
8. On your host, in PowerShell (as admin or as a user in the "Hyper-V Administrators" group): Set-VM -VMName "Name of your Fedora VM" -EnhancedSessionTransportType HvSocket
9. Connect to your VM by reopening the Virtual Machine Connection window, and boot it.

You can now enable Enhanced Session Mode.

@harahauk It's very sad still after so many years of Wayland, that we don't have a reliable way to enable remote desktop on a headless machine. There are comments in Fedora forums that claim to have solved this on Fedora 42 or 41, but I have never gotten them working. And it seems very user-unfriendly, having to create certificates and a bunch of other stuff manually.