Why do I get a black screen after logging into XRDP on WSL2?

Black screens after XRDP login are usually caused by a missing or incorrect .xsession file, WSLg environment variables conflicting with X11, or a dangling X11 socket symlink. Create ~/.xsession with your desktop start command (e.g., "startxfce4" for XFCE), disable WSLg with guiApplications=false in .wslconfig if using XRDP, and fix the X11 socket with: sudo rm /tmp/.X11-unix && sudo mkdir /tmp/.X11-unix && sudo chmod 1777 /tmp/.X11-unix

Why does my WSL2 distro shut down while connected via RDP?

WSL has two idle timeouts: instanceIdleTimeout (15 seconds) and vmIdleTimeout (60 seconds). RDP connections are not recognized as active usage. To fix this, add both settings to your .wslconfig: [general] instanceIdleTimeout=-1 and [wsl2] vmIdleTimeout=-1. Then run wsl --shutdown to apply changes.

How do I fix "cannot open display" errors in WSL2?

Check that the DISPLAY environment variable is set correctly (should be ":0" for WSLg). Run "echo $DISPLAY" to verify. If empty or wrong, export DISPLAY=:0. Also try restarting WSL with "wsl --shutdown" from PowerShell. Remove any old X server configuration that sets DISPLAY to something other than ":0".

Why does GNOME not work with XRDP on WSL2?

GNOME Shell requires 3D hardware acceleration which XRDP cannot provide. Use GNOME Flashback instead: install gnome-session-flashback, create ~/.xsession with "gnome-session --session=gnome-flashback-metacity", and set XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME-Flashback:GNOME in ~/.xsessionrc. For the smoothest experience, consider using XFCE or MATE instead.

How do I fix XRDP "connection refused" errors on WSL2?

First check if XRDP is running with "sudo service xrdp status". If not, start it with "sudo systemctl start xrdp". Verify the port with "grep port= /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini" - default is 3389 but should be changed to 3390 to avoid conflicts with Windows RDP. Connect to localhost:3390 in Remote Desktop Connection.

Why does WSL2 show ACPI errors when starting desktop services?

ACPI errors occur because desktop packages install hardware services that cannot work in WSL2 (no physical hardware). Mask these services to prevent errors and infinite restart loops: sudo systemctl mask acpid.service acpid.socket acpid.path thermald.service upower.service bluetooth.service ModemManager.service

How do I enable systemd in WSL2 for XRDP?

Check if systemd is running with "cat /proc/1/comm" - it should show "systemd". If it shows "init", enable systemd by adding [boot] systemd=true to /etc/wsl.conf, then restart WSL with "wsl --shutdown" from PowerShell.

Why do Firefox and other snap apps not work with XRDP?

Snap packages have X authentication issues with XRDP sessions. Replace snap Firefox with the .deb version: sudo snap remove firefox, add Mozilla PPA with "sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mozillateam/ppa", create a preferences file to prioritize the PPA, then install with "sudo apt install firefox".

How do I fix network issues after installing a desktop on WSL2?

Desktop environments often install NetworkManager or ConnMan which conflict with WSL mirrored networking mode. Disable and mask the offending service: "sudo systemctl disable --now NetworkManager && sudo systemctl mask NetworkManager" (or connman for LXQt). Then restart WSL with "wsl --shutdown".

Why do virtual disks like /dev/sda show in my Linux file manager on WSL2?

These are WSL2 virtual block devices representing the root filesystem and Windows drives. Your actual Windows files are at /mnt/c, /mnt/d, etc. Hide these in your file manager settings (varies by desktop) or add bookmarks to the /mnt/ paths instead. Do not try to mount /dev/sdX devices directly.

WSL2 Desktop Troubleshooting: Black Screen, XRDP & Display Fixes

Things don't always work on the first try. This guide covers the most common WSL2 GUI problems and how to fix them, organised by whether you're using WSLg (individual apps) or XRDP (full desktop).

General Issues

These problems affect both WSLg and XRDP setups.

The ACPI Problem

If you've installed a full desktop package like ubuntu-desktop, you've probably seen this:

Starting acpid: failed
Could not open /proc/acpi/event

This isn't a bug in your setup. It's a fundamental mismatch between what desktop packages expect and what WSL2 provides.

Why It Happens

Desktop packages pull in services designed for real hardware:

Service	Purpose	Why It Fails in WSL2
acpid	Power events (lid close, power button)	No physical hardware
thermald	CPU thermal throttling	No thermal sensors
upower	Battery status	No battery
bluetooth	Bluetooth stack	No Bluetooth adapter
ModemManager	Mobile broadband	No modem

WSL2 runs in a lightweight VM. There's no lid to close, no battery to monitor.

Click to expand

693 × 842px

The systemd Loop Problem

With systemd enabled, acpid can cause an infinite loop:

acpid.service tries to start
Condition check fails: ConditionVirtualization=!container failed
acpid.path detects the failure and triggers a restart
Back to step 1

This loop can consume CPU and fill your logs. In severe cases, it can destabilise systemd itself.

The Fix: Mask These Services

Masking tells systemd to never start a service, even if something depends on it:

bash

sudo systemctl mask acpid.service acpid.socket acpid.path
sudo systemctl mask thermald.service
sudo systemctl mask upower.service
sudo systemctl mask bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl mask ModemManager.service

This is better than removing packages because:

Dependencies won't try to reinstall them
You can unmask later if needed

To unmask:

bash

sudo systemctl unmask acpid.service acpid.socket acpid.path

Prevent During Installation

If you haven't installed your desktop yet:

bash

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends ubuntu-desktop-minimal -y

The --no-install-recommends flag skips optional packages like hardware services.

Systemd Issues

Services Won't Start

First verify systemd is running:

bash

cat /proc/1/comm

If it shows init, enable systemd:

bash

sudo tee -a /etc/wsl.conf << 'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF

Then:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Service Starts But Immediately Stops

Check the logs:

bash

journalctl -u xrdp --no-pager | tail -50
journalctl -u xrdp-sesman --no-pager | tail -50

Common causes:

Missing dependencies
Port already in use
Permission issues

Memory Management

Running a desktop uses memory. Control it with .wslconfig.

Create C:\Users\YourName\.wslconfig:

ini

[wsl2]
memory=8GB
processors=4
swap=2GB

Apply changes:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Monitor Usage

Inside WSL:

bash

free -h

From Windows, check Task Manager for "Vmmem".

WSL Shutting Down During RDP Session

If your distro shuts down while you're connected via RDP, WSL's idle timeout is the cause. WSL doesn't recognize RDP connections as "active usage"—it only tracks terminal sessions.

Symptoms

Desktop freezes or disconnects after ~15 seconds of inactivity
Distro shows as stopped in wsl -l -v
Works fine when a terminal window is also open

Understanding WSL's Two Timeouts

WSL has two separate idle timeouts—you need to disable both:

Setting	Section	Default	What It Controls
`instanceIdleTimeout`	`[general]`	15 seconds	How long an instance stays alive after all user processes exit
`vmIdleTimeout`	`[wsl2]`	60 seconds	How long the VM stays alive after all instances terminate

When you connect via RDP without a terminal, WSL considers the instance "idle" (no tracked processes). After 15 seconds, it terminates the instance. Setting only vmIdleTimeout=-1 keeps the VM running but doesn't prevent instance termination.

The Fix: Disable Both Timeouts

Create or edit C:\Users\YourName\.wslconfig:

ini

[general]
instanceIdleTimeout=-1

[wsl2]
vmIdleTimeout=-1

Apply the change:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

The -1 value disables timeouts completely. Alternatively, set a long timeout in milliseconds (e.g., 86400000 for 24 hours).

Note: instanceIdleTimeout was added in WSL 2.4.4. If you're on an older version, update WSL: wsl --update

Alternative: Keep a Terminal Open

Keep a Windows Terminal tab open to the distro while using RDP. This counts as an active session and prevents shutdown.

Network Managers Breaking WSL Mirrored Networking

If you're using networkingMode=mirrored in your .wslconfig and installed a desktop environment, you may find networking suddenly stops working—not just in the distro with the desktop, but in all your WSL distros.

Symptoms

bash

$ ip -br addr
lo               UNKNOWN        127.0.0.1/8 ::1/128
eth0             UP             # <-- No IP address!
eth1             UP
eth2             UP

$ ping 8.8.8.8
ping: connect: Network is unreachable

The interfaces are UP but have no IP addresses assigned, and the routing table is empty.

The Culprit: ConnMan and Friends

Desktop environments often install network management daemons:

Desktop	Network Manager	Problem
LXQt	ConnMan	Tries to manage interfaces, conflicts with WSL
GNOME	NetworkManager	Can interfere with mirrored networking
KDE	NetworkManager	Same issue

These services assume they're running on real hardware and try to configure networking themselves, which breaks WSL's mirrored networking mode.

How to Diagnose

Check what network services are running:

bash

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running | grep -iE 'network|connman|nm'

If you see connman.service or NetworkManager.service, that's likely your problem.

The Cross-Distro Test

To confirm, try this:

wsl --shutdown from Windows
Start a minimal distro (one without a desktop): wsl -d <other-distro>
Check networking—it should work
Now start your desktop distro: wsl -d <desktop-distro>
Go back to the minimal distro and check networking again

If networking breaks in the minimal distro after starting the desktop distro, you've confirmed the issue.

The Fix

Disable and mask the offending service:

bash

# For ConnMan (LXQt, Enlightenment)
sudo systemctl disable --now connman
sudo systemctl mask connman

# For NetworkManager (GNOME, KDE)
sudo systemctl disable --now NetworkManager
sudo systemctl mask NetworkManager

After masking, restart WSL:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Networking should now work reliably across all distros.

Optimising Services for WSL Performance

Desktop environments install many services designed for physical hardware. In WSL, these waste resources and can cause slowdowns or failures.

Services to Disable

Run this to disable unnecessary services:

bash

sudo systemctl disable --now \
    sddm \
    snapd snapd.socket \
    avahi-daemon avahi-daemon.socket \
    bluetooth \
    ofono dundee \
    wpa_supplicant \
    switcheroo-control \
    unattended-upgrades \
    preload \
    udisks2 \
    upower

# Mask them to prevent reactivation
sudo systemctl mask \
    sddm \
    snapd snapd.socket \
    avahi-daemon avahi-daemon.socket \
    bluetooth \
    ofono dundee \
    wpa_supplicant \
    switcheroo-control

Why Each Service Is Unnecessary

Service	Purpose	Why Disable in WSL
sddm/gdm/lightdm	Display manager	Using XRDP instead
snapd	Snap packages	Slow, snaps have X auth issues
avahi-daemon	mDNS/Bonjour	Can conflict with WSL networking
bluetooth	Bluetooth stack	No Bluetooth in WSL
ofono/dundee	Telephony/DUN	No modem in WSL
wpa_supplicant	WiFi management	No WiFi in WSL
switcheroo-control	GPU switching	Not applicable
unattended-upgrades	Auto updates	Can cause random slowdowns
preload	Readahead daemon	Can cause issues in VMs
udisks2	Disk management	Not needed for WSL mounts
upower	Power management	No battery in WSL

Checking the Result

After disabling, check what's still running:

bash

systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running | wc -l

A well-optimised WSL desktop distro should have around 15-20 running services, not 30+.

Check system load:

bash

uptime
free -h

You should see low load averages (under 0.5) and reasonable memory usage.

Virtual Disks Showing in File Manager

When running a desktop environment, you may see devices like /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, etc. in your file manager's sidebar. These are WSL2's virtual block devices—not your Windows drives.

What These Devices Are

Device	What It Is
`/dev/sda`	WSL2's root filesystem (ext4 virtual disk)
`/dev/sdb`, `/dev/sdc`, etc.	Windows drives mounted as virtual block devices

Your actual Windows files are at /mnt/c, /mnt/d, etc.—not these block devices.

Clicking on /dev/sdX devices prompts for a password because the file manager tries to mount them as removable drives, which doesn't work in WSL.

Hide in File Manager Settings

Thunar (XFCE): Edit → Preferences → Side Pane → uncheck device options, or right-click device → "Unmount and Eject"

Caja (MATE): Edit → Preferences → Sidebar → adjust "Show" options

Dolphin (KDE): Right-click sidebar → "Hide Section" or configure in Places panel settings

Access Windows Files Correctly

Your Windows drives are at:

bash

/mnt/c    # C: drive
/mnt/d    # D: drive
# etc.

Add bookmarks to these paths in your file manager for easy access.

XRDP Troubleshooting

Issues specific to running a full Linux desktop via XRDP.

The most common XRDP problem. You connect, enter credentials, then... nothing but black.

Cause 1: Missing or Wrong .xsession

XRDP doesn't know which desktop to start:

bash

cat ~/.xsession

Should contain your desktop's start command. Create or fix it:

bash

# For XFCE
echo "startxfce4" > ~/.xsession

# For MATE
echo "mate-session" > ~/.xsession

# For LXQt
echo "startlxqt" > ~/.xsession

Cause 2: startwm.sh Conflicts

XRDP's default startup script can conflict with your session configuration. Edit it:

bash

sudo nano /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh

Comment out these lines near the bottom:

bash

# test -x /etc/X11/Xsession && exec /etc/X11/Xsession
# exec /bin/sh /etc/X11/Xsession

Add your desktop command:

bash

startxfce4

Cause 3: GNOME Needs Extra Configuration

GNOME requires environment variables. See the GNOME Desktop Not Working section below.

Cause 4: Same User Logged In Elsewhere

If you're logged in via WSLg and try to connect via XRDP with the same user, you may get a black screen. Log out of WSLg first, or use a different user for XRDP.

Cause 5: D-Bus Not Running

Desktop environments need D-Bus:

bash

sudo service dbus status

If not running:

bash

sudo service dbus start

With systemd:

bash

sudo systemctl start dbus

Cause 6: WSLg Environment Variables Conflict

This is a subtle one. If WSLg is enabled, it sets environment variables that leak into your XRDP session, causing apps to try connecting to the wrong display server.

How to diagnose:

Check your session errors after a failed login:

bash

cat ~/.xsession-errors

If you see errors like:

xfwm4: cannot open display: wayland-0

Or anything referencing wayland-0 when you're trying to run an X11 session, WSLg is interfering.

What's happening:

WSLg sets these variables system-wide:

Variable	WSLg Value	XRDP Expects
`DISPLAY`	`:0`	`:10` (or similar)
`WAYLAND_DISPLAY`	`wayland-0`	(not set)

When XRDP starts your session, these WSLg variables persist and confuse X11 applications—they try to connect to Wayland or the wrong X display.

Why unsetting in scripts doesn't reliably work:

You might think adding unset WAYLAND_DISPLAY to ~/.xsession or /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh would fix this. Sometimes it does, but the variables can be re-set by profile scripts or the compositor itself before your desktop fully starts.

The reliable fix:

Disable WSLg entirely if you're using XRDP for your desktop. Create or edit C:\Users\YourName\.wslconfig:

ini

[wsl2]
guiApplications=false

Then restart WSL:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Now reconnect via XRDP. The environment variables won't be set, and your X11 session will work.

Trade-off: With guiApplications=false, you lose WSLg—you can't run individual Linux GUI apps on your Windows desktop anymore. If you need both WSLg for casual app use and XRDP for full desktop sessions, you'll need to toggle this setting and restart WSL when switching between them.

Cause 7: X11 Socket Directory Is a Dangling Symlink

Even with guiApplications=false, WSL's init system may create /tmp/.X11-unix as a symlink pointing to /mnt/wslg/.X11-unix. Since WSLg is disabled, that target doesn't exist—leaving a dangling symlink that breaks XRDP.

How to diagnose:

Check what /tmp/.X11-unix is:

bash

ls -la /tmp/.X11-unix

If it shows a symlink to /mnt/wslg/.X11-unix, that's the problem:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 19 Jan 22 16:09 /tmp/.X11-unix -> /mnt/wslg/.X11-unix

Check the XRDP session manager log:

bash

cat /var/log/xrdp-sesman.log | grep -i "X11-unix"

You'll see errors like:

[ERROR] sesman.c: error creating dir /tmp/.X11-unix

Where the symlink comes from:

WSL's init creates it when booting, even when guiApplications=false (race condition or cached state)
Win-KeX on Kali recreates the symlink when kex stop runs via its wslg-sock restore function

The fix:

bash

sudo rm /tmp/.X11-unix
sudo mkdir /tmp/.X11-unix
sudo chmod 1777 /tmp/.X11-unix
sudo systemctl restart xrdp

Making it permanent (symlink returns on WSL restart):

Add a boot command to /etc/wsl.conf:

ini

[boot]
systemd=true
command=/bin/bash -c "[ -L /tmp/.X11-unix ] && rm /tmp/.X11-unix && mkdir -p /tmp/.X11-unix && chmod 1777 /tmp/.X11-unix"

This runs before systemd starts services, fixing the symlink before XRDP tries to use it.

Connection Refused

You can't connect at all—Remote Desktop says the connection was refused.

Check XRDP Is Running

bash

sudo service xrdp status

If not running:

bash

sudo service xrdp start

Or with systemd:

bash

sudo systemctl start xrdp

Check the Port

bash

sudo grep "^port=" /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini

Make sure you're connecting to the right port. If it says port=3390, connect to localhost:3390.

Check for Port Conflicts

bash

sudo ss -tlnp | grep 3390

If nothing is listening, XRDP isn't running properly. Check logs:

bash

sudo journalctl -u xrdp -u xrdp-sesman --no-pager | tail -50

Authentication Failures

You enter your password but it's rejected.

Set a Password

WSL users sometimes don't have passwords set:

bash

sudo passwd $(whoami)

Enter a new password when prompted.

Check PAM Configuration

XRDP uses PAM for authentication. Make sure it's configured:

bash

ls -la /etc/pam.d/xrdp-sesman

If missing, reinstall xrdp:

bash

sudo apt install --reinstall xrdp

GNOME Desktop Not Working

If you installed ubuntu-desktop hoping for a full GNOME experience over XRDP, you'll likely hit several issues.

GNOME Shell Requires 3D Acceleration

GNOME Shell (the default Ubuntu desktop) requires OpenGL hardware acceleration. XRDP's Xorg doesn't provide this. You'll see errors like:

gnome-session-check-accelerated: GL Helper exited with code 512
gnome-session-check-accelerated: GLES Helper exited with code 512

The fix: Use GNOME Flashback instead, which works with software rendering:

bash

sudo apt install gnome-session-flashback -y

Create a proper .xsession that sources your environment before starting the session:

bash

cat > ~/.xsession << 'EOF'
#!/bin/sh
# Source environment for XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
if [ -r ~/.xsessionrc ]; then
    . ~/.xsessionrc
fi
exec gnome-session --session=gnome-flashback-metacity
EOF
chmod +x ~/.xsession

Create .xsessionrc with the correct desktop identifier (this is critical for gnome-panel to autostart):

bash

cat > ~/.xsessionrc << 'EOF'
export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME-Flashback:GNOME
export XDG_CONFIG_DIRS=/etc/xdg/xdg-ubuntu:/etc/xdg
EOF

The default /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh should work with this setup—it will execute your .xsession file.

Desktop Portal Services Timeout

Even with GNOME Flashback, you may experience extreme slowness—apps taking minutes to open. Check the journal:

bash

journalctl --user -b | grep -i timeout

If you see messages like:

xdg-desktop-portal.service: start operation timed out
xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service: Failed with result 'timeout'
Failed to activate service 'org.freedesktop.impl.portal.desktop.gnome': timed out

These portal services (used for sandboxed app features like file pickers) don't work properly in WSL2 and take 2 minutes to timeout on every operation.

The fix: Mask the problematic services:

bash

# User services
systemctl --user mask xdg-desktop-portal.service
systemctl --user mask xdg-desktop-portal-gnome.service
systemctl --user mask xdg-desktop-portal-gtk.service

# System service
sudo systemctl mask ModemManager.service

Restart WSL after masking:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Trade-off: Some GTK file dialogs in sandboxed apps may not work, but the desktop will be responsive.

GNOME Panel Not Appearing

You get a desktop with GNOME Flashback but no panel (taskbar/menu). This happens when XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP isn't set correctly.

The gnome-panel desktop file contains OnlyShowIn=GNOME-Flashback; so it only autostarts when the desktop environment is correctly identified.

Two things must be true:

Your .xsessionrc must set the correct value:

bash

cat ~/.xsessionrc
# Should show: export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME-Flashback:GNOME

Your .xsession must actually source .xsessionrc:

bash

cat ~/.xsession
# Should include: . ~/.xsessionrc (before the exec line)

If either is wrong, recreate both files as shown in the "GNOME Shell Requires 3D Acceleration" section above, then disconnect and reconnect via RDP.

Snap Apps Don't Work (Firefox, etc.)

Ubuntu ships Firefox as a snap package. Snaps have X authentication issues with XRDP sessions:

Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified
Error: cannot open display: :10.0

The fix: Replace snap Firefox with the .deb version from Mozilla's PPA:

bash

# Remove snap version
sudo snap remove firefox

# Add Mozilla PPA
sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:mozillateam/ppa

# Prioritize PPA over snap
sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/mozilla-firefox << 'EOF'
Package: *
Pin: release o=LP-PPA-mozillateam
Pin-Priority: 1001
EOF

# Install deb version
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y --allow-downgrades firefox

This applies to other snap applications too. If an app won't launch over XRDP, check if it's a snap (snap list) and look for a .deb alternative.

echo $DISPLAY

Should output :0. If empty or wrong:

bash

export DISPLAY=:0

Restart WSL

The nuclear option that fixes most WSLg issues:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Then reopen your terminal.

Check WSL Version

WSLg only works with WSL 2:

bash

wsl.exe -l -v

Your distro should show "2" under VERSION. If it shows "1":

powershell

wsl --set-version <distro-name> 2

Remove Old X Server Configuration

If you previously used VcXsrv or X410, old configuration might conflict:

bash

# Check for manual DISPLAY exports
grep -r "DISPLAY" ~/.bashrc ~/.profile ~/.zshrc 2>/dev/null

Remove any lines that set DISPLAY to something other than :0.

Black Windows or Rendering Issues

Apps open but display incorrectly.

Update GPU Drivers

WSLg uses GPU acceleration. Driver bugs cause rendering problems.

NVIDIA: Download from nvidia.com/drivers
AMD: Download from amd.com/support
Intel: Check Windows Update or download from intel.com/download-center

Check GPU Is Detected

Inside WSL:

bash

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

You should see your GPU name. If you see "llvmpipe", that's software rendering—fine for most apps, but 3D-heavy applications will be slower.

Disable GPU Acceleration (Workaround)

If GPU issues persist, you can disable acceleration:

bash

export LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1
your-app &

Not ideal for performance, but it rules out driver issues.

Audio Not Working

No sound from Linux applications.

Check PulseAudio

bash

pactl info

If it fails or shows errors, restart WSL:

powershell

wsl --shutdown

Check PULSE_SERVER

bash

echo $PULSE_SERVER

Should be /mnt/wslg/PulseServer. If different, you may have old configuration overriding it.

Reference

Log File Locations

When troubleshooting, check these logs:

Log	Location	What It Contains
XRDP main	`/var/log/xrdp.log`	Connection attempts, errors
XRDP session	`/var/log/xrdp-sesman.log`	Session creation, authentication
Xorg XRDP	`~/.xorgxrdp.*.log`	Display server issues
Session errors	`~/.xsession-errors`	Desktop startup failures
systemd	`journalctl -u <service>`	Service-specific logs

View Recent XRDP Activity

bash

# XRDP connection log
sudo tail -50 /var/log/xrdp.log

# Session manager log
sudo tail -50 /var/log/xrdp-sesman.log

# Your session errors
cat ~/.xsession-errors

# Xorg logs (the number varies)
cat ~/.xorgxrdp.*.log 2>/dev/null

Common Error Messages

Error	Cause	Fix
`cannot open display :0`	DISPLAY not set or WSLg not running	`export DISPLAY=:0` or restart WSL
`cannot open display: wayland-0`	WSLg env vars leaking into XRDP	Disable WSLg in `.wslconfig`
`GL Helper exited with code 512`	GNOME Shell needs 3D acceleration	Use `gnome-session-flashback` instead
`xdg-desktop-portal: timed out`	Portal services failing in WSL2	Mask portal services with systemctl
`Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified`	Snap app can't access X display	Install .deb version instead of snap
`Connection refused`	XRDP not running	`sudo service xrdp start`
`ACPI: Unable to locate RSDP`	Hardware service in VM	`sudo systemctl mask acpid`
`Failed to connect to session bus`	D-Bus not running	`sudo service dbus start`
`Authentication failed`	No password or wrong password	`sudo passwd $(whoami)`
`xrdp-sesman: bind failed`	Port already in use	Change port or kill conflicting process

Quick Diagnostic Script

Run this to gather diagnostic information:

bash

echo "=== WSL Version ==="
wsl.exe --version 2>/dev/null || echo "Run from Windows: wsl --version"

echo -e "\n=== Init System ==="
cat /proc/1/comm

echo -e "\n=== DISPLAY ==="
echo $DISPLAY

echo -e "\n=== XRDP Status ==="
sudo service xrdp status 2>/dev/null || systemctl status xrdp 2>/dev/null

echo -e "\n=== XRDP Port ==="
grep "^port=" /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini 2>/dev/null

echo -e "\n=== Masked Services ==="
systemctl list-unit-files --state=masked 2>/dev/null | grep -E "acpi|thermal|upower|bluetooth|modem"

echo -e "\n=== .xsession ==="
cat ~/.xsession 2>/dev/null || echo "Not found"

echo -e "\n=== Recent XRDP Errors ==="
sudo tail -10 /var/log/xrdp.log 2>/dev/null

Nuclear Option: Reset Everything

If you've made a mess and want to start fresh:

bash

# Remove desktop and XRDP
sudo apt remove --purge xfce4* xrdp ubuntu-desktop* gnome* kde* -y
sudo apt autoremove -y

# Clean up configs
rm -rf ~/.xsession ~/.xsessionrc ~/.Xauthority
rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4 ~/.config/gnome* ~/.config/kde*
rm -rf ~/.xorgxrdp.*.log ~/.xsession-errors

# Reinstall cleanly
sudo apt update
sudo apt install xfce4 xrdp -y
sudo sed -i 's/^port=3389/port=3390/' /etc/xrdp/xrdp.ini
echo "startxfce4" > ~/.xsession
sudo systemctl enable xrdp --now

Or for a complete reset, delete and recreate the distro:

powershell

# WARNING: Destroys all data in the distro
wsl --unregister Ubuntu
wsl --install -d Ubuntu

This Series

Part 1: Running Linux GUI Apps with WSLg
Part 2: Ubuntu Desktop with XRDP
Part 3: Fedora Desktop with XRDP
Part 4: Kali Linux Desktop with Win-KeX
Part 5: Arch Linux Desktop with XRDP
Part 6: openSUSE Desktop with XRDP
Part 7: Alpine Linux Desktop with XRDP
Part 8: WSL2 Desktop Troubleshooting Guide — You are here