简体中文
EnglishWhat is FreeRDP and what does it do?
Updated
FreeRDP is a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), released under the Apache license. It acts as an RDP client: you run it on your machine to connect to a remote RDP server (for example, a Windows host or a terminal server) and use that remote desktop as if it were local. If you need an open, permissively licensed RDP client that you can use, modify, and redistribute, FreeRDP is the project to look at.
What FreeRDP actually is
The project describes itself as "a free implementation of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), released under the Apache license." Two parts of that sentence matter:
- RDP implementation — it speaks Microsoft's Remote Desktop Protocol, the same protocol used by Windows Remote Desktop and compatible servers.
- Apache license — the code is open source under a permissive license, so you can use it in your own software and redistribute it.
The stated goal is interoperability: "Enjoy the freedom of using your software wherever you want, the way you want it, in a world where interoperability can finally liberate your computing experience."
What it does in practice
As an RDP client, FreeRDP handles the client side of a remote desktop session. In a typical setup:
- You have an RDP server running somewhere (a Windows machine with Remote Desktop enabled, a terminal server, or another RDP-compatible host).
- You run a FreeRDP client on your local machine.
- You point it at the server, authenticate, and get a remote desktop window.
Because it is a library as well as a set of clients, other projects can embed FreeRDP to add RDP support without writing the protocol themselves. That is the main reason it shows up inside other remote-access tools.
Where to get it and follow the project
The site lists these entry points:
| Resource | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Download | Get the latest release |
| Blog | Release notes and project news |
| GitHub | Source code, issues, security advisories |
| Wiki | Documentation |
| Mailing List | Project discussion |
| Matrix / IRC | Real-time chat (#FreeRDP:matrix.org, IRC #freerdp on oftc, bridged to Matrix) |
| Screenshots | Visual examples |
| Support | Help channels |
Releases are published to https://pub.freerdp.com/releases/. The latest post on the page covers the 3.32.2 release, described as a "Regression, bugfix and security release."
A note on security
The project states it has been "under close scrutiny by various security researchers" and that it has "hardened the code base considerably against malicious client and/or server messages." The page lists a long series of CVE advisories on GitHub. If you deploy FreeRDP, treat version selection as a security decision: check the advisories and prefer a current release rather than an old one.
When FreeRDP is the right choice
- You want an open-source RDP client under a permissive license.
- You are building software that needs to speak RDP and want to reuse an existing implementation.
- You need RDP on a platform where the vendor client is unavailable or unsuitable.
If you only need to connect to a Windows machine occasionally and already have a working client, FreeRDP is an alternative rather than a requirement. If licensing, portability, or embedding RDP into your own product matters, it is a strong fit.