Failed to start Chrome remote desktop service Unit Chrome remote desktop service is masked

Install and Setup Chrome Remote Desktop on Ubuntu 20.04

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April 20, 2020

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In this guide, we are going to learn how to install and setup Chrome Remote Desktop on Ubuntu 20.04. Google Chrome Remote Desktop allows users to remotely access and control another computer over the Internet through aprotocol called Chromoting on Google Chrome browsers.

Setting up Chrome Remote Desktop on Ubuntu¶

Note

I have been informed of two other solutions. Most recently, this comment appears to describe a better process more directly supported by Google. In the past I was also pointed to this askubuntu question which appears to have a better [shorter, headless] solution than what I describe here. I have not personally tested either of these, but I recommend starting there.

This was written in September of 2015. Not sure whether it still applies.

The upstream documentation is a little bit scattered, not always entirely complete, and the Ubuntu package provided needs some poking to work. Hence this summary.

The two main sources of information I found are:

• An old product forum post: //productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/8PMxG69VJ6o

• This documentation [under “Enable remote access to your computer”]: //support.google.com/chrome/answer/1649523?hl=en

Prerequisites

• A Ubuntu 20.04 machine with a recommended minimum of 2GB RAM
• A non-root sudo user. Being logged in as root isn’t recommended because you can risk harming your system if you’re not careful.

Step 1 – Install Chrome Remote Desktop on Ubuntu 20.04

1. Update the package index and install wgetsudo apt update sudo apt-get install -y wget
2. Download the Debian Linux Chrome Remote Desktop installation packagesudo wget //dl.google.com/linux/direct/chrome-remote-desktop_current_amd64.deb
3. Install the package you just downloaded and its dependenciessudo dpkg --install chrome-remote-desktop_current_amd64.deb sudo apt install -y --fix-broken

Step 2 – Install an X Windows System Desktop Environment

You need to install an X Windows System desktop environment and window manager to be able to use Chrome Remote Desktop.

Some of the most popular ones include:

• XFCE
• Cinnamon
• LXDE
• LXQt
• GNOME
• MATE Desktop
• KDE Plasma 5

Important Note

Chrome Remote Desktop does not support 3D graphics acceleration. If you choose a desktop environment that uses 3D graphics acceleration, then you need to disable it, otherwise the remote desktop service won’t start.

For this example we’ll install XFCE.

1. In your SSH session install XFCE by running the following command:sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y xfce4 desktop-base
2. Configure Chrome Remote Desktop to use XFCE by default:The DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive parameter suppresses a prompt that would have asked you to configure the keyboard layout.sudo bash -c 'echo "exec /etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/xfce4-session" > /etc/chrome-remote-desktop-session'
3. XFCE’s default screen locker, called Light Locker, doesn’t work well with Chrome Remote Desktop. The screen goes blank and can’t be unlocked. We’ll install XScreenSaver as an alternative:sudo apt install -y xscreensaver
4. [Optional] So far we installed the minimal installation of XFCE. If you’d like to install the full suite of software that comes with XFCE desktop run the following:sudo apt install -y task-xfce-desktop

Switching Desktop Environments for Chrome Remote Desktop

If you’d like to install multiple desktop environments and switch between them, then you can check this very short write-up on switching the desktop environment from the command line for Chrome Remote Desktop.

Fix: Chrome Remote Desktop not working [Full Guide]

by Tashreef Shareef

Windows & Software Expert

Tashreef Shareef is a software developer turned tech writer. He discovered his interest in technology after reading a tech magazine accidentally. Now he writes about everything tech from Windows to iOS and streaming services... Read more

Updated: Apr 13, 2021

Posted: April 2020

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• Chrome Remote Desktop not working? There are several quick and easy ways to fix this issue.
• If you're having issues with Chrome Remote Desktop, you can always switch to a different remote control software.
• A number of users reported that they fixed issues with Remote Desktop by modifying the registry.
• If Chrome Remote Desktop is stuck on starting, perhaps your installation is corrupted, and it needs repair.

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Chrome Remote Desktop allows you to securely access your computer from your phone, tablet, or another computer. That said, several Chrome Remote Desktop users have reported the app to be not working.

The Chrome Remote Desktop not working issue can occur due to a glitch in Chrome or the Remote Desktop app, an issue with the PIN feature, or even permission issues.

Disabling the PIN feature and reinstalling Chrome and the Remote Desktop app seems to have fixed the issue for many.

In this article, we have listed a couple of troubleshooting steps to help you resolve the Chrome Remote Desktop not working issue.

Quick Tip:

Google Chrome isn’t the only web browser that has remote desktop capabilities, so instead of trying to fix Chrome, might as well switch to another browser, such as Opera.

The browser includes an ad-blocker, a tracking blocker, and even a full-fledged VPN. Additionally, it is highly customizable via extensions, and they can also help with turning Opera into a remote desktop manager.

Opera

An ultra-fast web browser that can be tweaked into becoming a remote desktop manager. Get it now since it is completely free!

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