Work on the Command Line Part 1 Log into remote and graphical consoles demo

In this tutorial, you will learn how to:

Perform a local graphical login on a CentOS VM
Connect remotely via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)
Access the shell in text mode using SSH

Local Graphical Login on CentOS
Remote Graphical Login via RDP
Text-Mode Login via SSH
Summary and References

First, verify that your CentOS VM is set to boot into the graphical target with GNOME installed:

sudo dnf groupinstall "Server with GUI"
sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target
sudo reboot

If the VM defaults to text mode, start the graphical login with sudo systemctl start gdm or install the necessary GNOME packages.

Once the GNOME login screen appears:

Select your username.
Enter your password.
Click Sign In.

After GNOME loads, use the top-right menu to log out and prepare for the remote login demonstration.

To enable RDP access on a CentOS server, install and configure the xrdp service:

sudo dnf install xrdp
sudo systemctl enable --now xrdp
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=rdp --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

Exposing RDP (port 3389) on public networks may introduce security vulnerabilities. Use a VPN or SSH tunnel when possible.

Next, open your preferred RDP client (e.g., Microsoft Remote Desktop) and enter the server’s IP address:

Launch the RDP client application.
Input the IP address (for example, 192.168.0.18) and click Connect.
At the login prompt, the username field may auto-fill with student. Enter the password and proceed.

Once authenticated, verify the connection by checking the IP address in the RDP window’s title bar. Then, navigate to Activities → GNOME Terminal to open a terminal session.

The image shows a computer desktop with a dark-themed terminal window open, set against a blue geometric patterned wallpaper.

From the GNOME Terminal in the RDP session, initiate an SSH connection to your CentOS VM at 192.168.0.17 with the aaron account:

[student@LFCS-CentOS2 ~]$ ssh aaron@192.168.0.17
aaron@192.168.0.17's password: 
Activate the web console with: systemctl enable --now cockpit.socket

Last login: Tue Oct 19 04:22:38 2021
[aaron@LFCS-CentOS ~]$ exit
logout
Connection to 192.168.0.17 closed.
[student@LFCS-CentOS2 ~]$

When finished, close the terminal emulator and end your RDP session.

Summary and References

This lesson covered three login methods for CentOS:

Login Method	Description	How to Access
Local GUI	GNOME desktop on local VM	Select user → Enter password
Remote GUI (RDP)	GNOME desktop via RDP client	Use RDP client → Connect → Login
SSH Text Mode	Command-line interface over SSH	`ssh user@host`

Introduction

System Architecture

Linux Installation and Package Management

GNU and Unix Commands

Devices, Linux Filesystems, Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

Conclusion and Mock Exam

Work on the Command Line Part 1 Log into remote and graphical consoles demo

Table of Contents

Summary and References

Watch Video

​Table of Contents

​Local Graphical Login on CentOS

​Remote Graphical Login via RDP

​Text-Mode Login via SSH

​Summary and References

Watch Video

Table of Contents

Local Graphical Login on CentOS

Remote Graphical Login via RDP

Text-Mode Login via SSH

Summary and References