Cfrgtkky

I followed Griffon's guide to install xrdp on Ubuntu 18.04 (http://c-nergy.be/blog/?p=12761) but modified /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh to use it with gnome-flashback-metacity:

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

#exec /bin/sh /etc/X11/Xsession

#gnome-session

gnome-session --session=gnome-flashback-metacity --disable-acceleration-check & gnome-panel

I could log in from Windows client (session: Xorg) but the desktop seems to be missing various items in Applications menu (particularly Terminal), as well as the indicator icons. I could start gnome-terminal using the "right-click on Home, Open in Terminal" trick.

NB: Based on past experience, I believe this might be related to permissions. However, I cannot tell if this is a problem with xrdp or GNOME Flashback or just bad config on my part. Regular login at the physical machine works just fine.

Current /etc/xrdp/startwm.sh:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

#

# This script is an example. You might need to edit this script

# depending on your distro if it doesn't work for you.

#fixGDM-by-Griffon

gnome-shell-extension-tool -e ubuntu-appindicators@ubuntu.com

gnome-shell-extension-tool -e ubuntu-dock@ubuntu.com



if [ -f ~/.xrdp-fix-theme.txt ]; then

echo 'no action required'

else

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface gtk-theme 'Ambiance'

#gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'Humanity'

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.interface icon-theme 'Ubuntu-mono-dark'

echo 'check file for xrdp theme fix' >~/.xrdp-fix-theme.txt

fi



#

# Uncomment the following line for debug:

# exec xterm





# Execution sequence for interactive login shell - pseudocode

#

# IF /etc/profile is readable THEN

#     execute ~/.bash_profile

# END IF

# IF ~/.bash_profile is readable THEN

#     execute ~/.bash_profile

# ELSE

#     IF ~/.bash_login is readable THEN

#         execute ~/.bash_login

#     ELSE

#         IF ~/.profile is readable THEN

#             execute ~/.profile

#         END IF

#     END IF

# END IF

pre_start()

{

  if [ -r /etc/profile ]; then

    . /etc/profile

  fi

  if [ -r ~/.bash_profile ]; then

    . ~/.bash_profile

  else

    if [ -r ~/.bash_login ]; then

      . ~/.bash_login

    else

      if [ -r ~/.profile ]; then

        . ~/.profile

      fi

    fi

  fi

  return 0

}



# When loging out from the interactive shell, the execution sequence is:

#

# IF ~/.bash_logout exists THEN

#     execute ~/.bash_logout

# END IF

post_start()

{

  if [ -r ~/.bash_logout ]; then

    . ~/.bash_logout

  fi

  return 0

}



#start the window manager

wm_start()

{

  if [ -r /etc/default/locale ]; then

    . /etc/default/locale

    export LANG LANGUAGE

  fi



  # debian

  if [ -r /etc/X11/Xsession ]; then

    pre_start

    export DESKTOP_SESSION=gnome-flashback-metacity

    export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP="GNOME-Flashback:GNOME"

    export GDMSESSION=gnome-flashback-metacity

    export XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=gnome-flashback-metacity



    . /etc/X11/Xsession

    post_start

    exit 0

  fi



  # el

  if [ -r /etc/X11/xinit/Xsession ]; then

    pre_start

    . /etc/X11/xinit/Xsession

    post_start

    exit 0

  fi



  # suse

  if [ -r /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession ]; then

    # since the following script run a user login shell,

    # do not execute the pseudo login shell scripts

    . /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession

    exit 0

  fi



  pre_start

  xterm

  post_start

}



#. /etc/environment

#export PATH=$PATH

#export LANG=$LANG



# change PATH to be what your environment needs usually what is in

# /etc/environment

#PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games"

#export PATH=$PATH



# for PATH and LANG from /etc/environment

# pam will auto process the environment file if /etc/pam.d/xrdp-sesman

# includes

# auth       required     pam_env.so readenv=1



wm_start



exit 1

Current .xsession:

/usr/lib/gnome-session/run-systemd-session gnome-session-flashback.target

Turns out to be a case of bad config and misunderstanding of how the GNOME Flashback environment is normally initialized. After looking through the related configuration files - /usr/lib/systemd/user/gnome-session.service and
/usr/share/xsessions/gnome-flashback-metacity.desktop, I came up with the following modifications to emulate the same behavior for xrdp:

/etc/xrdp/startwm.sh:

# these global variables are set during normal login through gdm greeter

export DESKTOP_SESSION=gnome-flashback-metacity

export XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP="GNOME-Flashback:GNOME"

export GDMSESSION=gnome-flashback-metacity

export XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP=gnome-flashback-metacity

These exports should be set somewhere before . /etc/X11/Xsession (when the xsession gets started)

~/.xsession:

# starting the session through systemd, just like normal login through gdm greeter

/usr/lib/gnome-session/run-systemd-session gnome-session-flashback.target

Running gnome-session command directly was causing the indicator icons to not show up (similar to Gnome-panel applet "Indicator Applet Complete" is missing icons). So while this has been addressed with the use of run-systemd-session, I haven't identified the portion that starts gnome-panel (the panel that houses the indicator icons) during normal login, so for the xrdp xsession, I had to add gnome-panel to Startup Applications.