Latest News And Updates - Rad Web Hosting Blog

Learn How to Deploy RustDesk On Ubuntu VPS for Self-Hosted AnyDesk Alternative! This article demonstrates how to deploy RustDesk on Ubuntu VPS for self-hosted AnyDesk alternative, enabling remote administration between remote computers. What is RustDesk? RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop tool—basically an alternative to AnyDesk or TeamViewer. It lets you remotely view and control another computer over the internet for support, administration, or accessing your own machines. Its main appeal is that it can be self-hosted, meaning you can run your own RustDesk relay/rendezvous server instead of relying on a third-party remote-access provider. Key points: Remote control: connect to another PC, Mac, Linux machine, Android device, etc. Open source: the main project is published publicly on GitHub. Self-hostable: useful for businesses that want control over remote-access infrastructure. Cross-platform: supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and web/client options. Common use case: IT support, remote administration, unattended access, and replacing commercial tools like TeamViewer/AnyDesk. For an MSP, hosting provider, or internal IT team, RustDesk is attractive because it reduces dependency on proprietary remote-access platforms while giving more control over privacy, routing, and infrastructure and reducing exposure to vendor lock-in. This guide uses RustDesk Server OSS with Docker Compose on an Ubuntu VPS. RustDesk Server OSS runs two services: hbbs, the ID/rendezvous server, and hbbr, the relay server. RustDesk clients normally try direct peer-to-peer connection first; if NAT traversal fails, traffic falls back through the relay server. Prerequisites: What you need You need: An Ubuntu VPS, preferably Ubuntu 22.04 or Ubuntu 24.04. Root or sudo access. A public IPv4 address. A DNS hostname such as rustdesk.example.com, recommended. Open firewall ports for RustDesk. We will also recommend Docker Compose with network_mode: "host" for most Linux deployments because it is repeatable and avoids Docker port-mapping issues. For this guide, replace rustdesk.example.com with your real DNS hostname or VPS public IP. Deploy RustDesk on Ubuntu VPS for Self-Hosted AnyDesk Alternative To deploy RustDesk on Ubuntu VPS for self-hosted AnyDesk alternative, follow the steps provided below: Prepare the Ubuntu VPS Point DNS to your VPS Create an A record: rustdesk.example.com -> YOUR_VPS_PUBLIC_IP Wait for DNS to propagate, then test from your local computer: ping rustdesk.example.com On the VPS, you can also check: dig rustdesk.example.com If you do not have DNS, you can use the VPS public IP directly in RustDesk clients. Log in to the VPS From your local machine: ssh root@YOUR_VPS_PUBLIC_IP Or, if using a sudo user: ssh youruser@YOUR_VPS_PUBLIC_IP Update the server: sudo apt update sudo apt upgrade -y Install basic utilities: sudo apt install -y ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release ufw Install Docker and Docker Compose Install Docker Install Docker from Ubuntu’s package repositories: sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl gnupg sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg echo \ "deb https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \ "$(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME")" stable" | \ sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin -y Enable Docker at boot: sudo systemctl enable docker sudo systemctl start docker Check Docker: docker --version docker compose version Optional: allow your non-root user to run Docker: sudo usermod -aG docker $USER Then log out and log back in. Open the required firewall ports RustDesk Server OSS uses the following core ports: Port Protocol Service Purpose 21115 TCP hbbs NAT type test 21116 TCP hbbs TCP hole punching and connection service 21116 UDP hbbs ID registration and heartbeat 21117 TCP hbbr Relay service 21118 TCP hbbs Web client support (optional) 21119 TCP hbbr Web client support (optional) Open the ports with UFW: sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 21115/tcp sudo ufw allow 21116/tcp sudo ufw allow 21116/udp sudo ufw allow 21117/tcp sudo ufw allow 21118/tcp sudo ufw allow 21119/tcp sudo ufw enable Check status: sudo ufw status verbose Also make sure your VPS provider’s external firewall/security group allows the same ports. Deploy RustDesk Server Create a RustDesk server directory sudo mkdir -p /opt/rustdesk-server/data cd /opt/rustdesk-server Set ownership to your current user if needed: sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /opt/rustdesk-server Create the Docker Compose file Create the file: nano compose.yml Paste this: services: hbbs: container_name: hbbs image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest command: hbbs volumes: - ./data:/root network_mode: "host" depends_on: - hbbr restart: unless-stopped hbbr: container_name: hbbr image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest command: hbbr volumes: - ./data:/root network_mode: "host" restart: unless-stopped This follows RustDesk’s official Docker Compose pattern for hbbs and hbbr using a shared persistent data folder. Save and exit. Start RustDesk Server Run: docker compose up -d Check containers: docker compose ps You should see both containers running: hbbs hbbr View logs: docker logs hbbs docker logs hbbr Get the RustDesk server public key RustDesk generates the server key on the first run. The public key is normally stored in: /opt/rustdesk-server/data/id_ed25519.pub Show it: cat /opt/rustdesk-server/data/id_ed25519.pub Copy the full output. RustDesk clients need this public key for encrypted connections to your self-hosted server. The official client configuration docs state that the key is usually generated on the first run of hbbs and found in id_ed25519.pub in the working directory or data folder. Example: u1xzHkxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Keep this value ready for the Windows and macOS clients. Verify the server is listening Run: ss -tulpn | grep 211 You should see listeners for RustDesk ports such as: 21115 21116 21117 21118 21119 You can also test from another Linux/macOS machine: nc -vz rustdesk.example.com 21116 nc -vz rustdesk.example.com 21117 For UDP 21116, use: nc -vzu rustdesk.example.com 21116 Connect a Windows client Install RustDesk on Windows Download the Windows client from RustDesk’s official releases/download page. The current release page provides Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and web builds. On Windows: Download the Windows .exe or .msi. Run the installer. Open RustDesk. Install the service if you want unattended access or remote access before login. Note the Windows machine’s RustDesk ID and one-time password. Configure the Windows client to use your server On the Windows RustDesk client: Open RustDesk. Click the menu button near your ID, usually the three dots. Go to Settings. Open Network. Click Unlock Network Settings. Enter: ID Server: rustdesk.example.com Relay Server: rustdesk.example.com API Server: leave blank for OSS Key: paste contents of id_ed25519.pub Fill the RustDesk Server details inside the RustDesk client Most self-hosted clients need the ID Server and Key; the relay server is often optional because RustDesk can infer it, but setting it explicitly is fine. API Server is mainly for RustDesk Server Pro. Click Apply. The bottom of the client should show something like: Ready Set unattended access on Windows On the Windows machine: Open Settings. Go to Security. Enable or set a permanent password. Keep RustDesk running. Confirm the RustDesk service is installed if you need access when no user is logged in. You now have: Windows RustDesk ID Windows permanent password Connect a macOS client Install RustDesk on macOS Download the macOS .dmg from RustDesk’s releases/download page. Choose the correct build for your Mac: Apple Silicon / ARM64 for M1, M2, M3, M4 Macs. x86_64 / Intel for older Intel Macs. Universal if offered and you are unsure. Install it: Open the .dmg. Drag RustDesk into Applications. Open RustDesk from Applications. macOS usually requires additional permissions before RustDesk can show or control the screen. You typically need to move the app into Applications, allow it to run, and grant Accessibility, Screen Recording, and sometimes Input Monitoring permissions. Grant macOS permissions. On the Mac: Open System Settings. Go to Privacy & Security. Open Accessibility. Enable RustDesk. Go back to Privacy & Security. Open Screen Recording. Enable RustDesk. If prompted or needed, also enable Input Monitoring for RustDesk. Quit and reopen RustDesk. Without these permissions, you may connect to the Mac but be unable to see the screen, control the mouse, or type. Configure the macOS client to use your server On the Mac RustDesk client: Open RustDesk. Click the menu button near your ID. Go to Settings. Open Network. Click Unlock Network Settings. Enter: ID Server: rustdesk.example.com Relay Server: rustdesk.example.com API Server: leave blank for OSS Key: paste contents of id_ed25519.pub Click Apply. The client should show: Ready Set unattended access on macOS On the Mac: Open RustDesk. Go to Settings. Open Security. Set a permanent password. Confirm RustDesk remains running. Confirm macOS permissions are still enabled after reopening the app. You now have: macOS RustDesk ID macOS permanent password Connect Windows and macOS to each other You can connect in either direction. Option A: Connect from Windows to Mac On the Windows client: Open RustDesk. Enter the Mac’s RustDesk ID. Click Connect. Enter the Mac’s one-time password or permanent password. Accept the session on the Mac if prompted. Option B: Connect from Mac to Windows On the Mac client: Open RustDesk. Enter the Windows machine’s RustDesk ID. Click Connect. Enter the Windows one-time password or permanent password. Accept the session on Windows if prompted. Both clients must use the same: ID Server Relay Server Key Useful administration commands Check RustDesk server status cd /opt/rustdesk-server docker compose ps View logs docker logs hbbs --tail 100 docker logs hbbr --tail 100 Restart RustDesk Server cd /opt/rustdesk-server docker compose restart Stop RustDesk Server cd /opt/rustdesk-server docker compose down Start RustDesk Server again cd /opt/rustdesk-server docker compose up -d Update RustDesk Server cd /opt/rustdesk-server docker compose pull docker compose up -d Back up the server keys Back up this directory: /opt/rustdesk-server/data Especially these files: id_ed25519 id_ed25519.pub Do not lose them. If the server key changes, all clients using the old key will need to be reconfigured. Create a backup: sudo tar -czvf rustdesk-server-backup.tar.gz /opt/rustdesk-server/data Troubleshooting Client says “Not ready” or cannot connect to server Check: docker compose ps docker logs hbbs --tail 100 docker logs hbbr --tail 100 sudo ufw status Verify that your VPS firewall allows: TCP 21115 TCP 21116 UDP 21116 TCP 21117 TCP 21118 TCP 21119 At minimum, RustDesk needs 21115-21117 and UDP 21116; 21118 and 21119 are for web client support. Client shows key mismatch Re-copy the public key: cat /opt/rustdesk-server/data/id_ed25519.pub Paste it into each RustDesk client’s Key field. Make sure you did not paste extra spaces or line breaks. Direct connection fails but relay works That is normal in some NAT/firewall environments. RustDesk tries hole punching first and falls back to hbbr relay if direct connection fails. macOS connects but cannot be controlled Recheck macOS permissions: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording System Settings → Privacy & Security → Input Monitoring Then quit and reopen RustDesk. Windows connects but cannot control elevated/admin windows Install RustDesk as a service and run it with appropriate privileges. For unattended support, the service installation is usually required. Recommended final setup Use this client configuration on both Windows and macOS: ID Server: rustdesk.example.com Relay Server: rustdesk.example.com API Server: blank Key: contents of /opt/rustdesk-server/data/id_ed25519.pub Use this server layout: /opt/rustdesk-server/ ├── compose.yml └── data/ ├── id_ed25519 └── id_ed25519.pub Once both clients show Ready, enter one device’s RustDesk ID into the other device and connect. Conclusion You now know how to deploy RustDesk on Ubuntu VPS for self-hosted AnyDesk alternative and connect two remote computers allowing remote administration.

Rad Web Hosting Blog

Recent Posts

Nothing Found

My Feed at https://radwebhosting.com

Services

Categories

Recent Posts

Save on VPS Hosting!

We’re Social!

Rad Web Hosting Blog