ssh-rdp is an open source project to control a remote graphical session over SSH, which can be used like Steam Link for streaming games to other devices in your home over a local network by forwarding all kinds of device inputs, including controllers.

This guide aims to clearly document the install, setup, and run processes in order to make ssh-rdp more accessible.

Getting ssh-rdp

• On Arch-based Linux distributions run

$ yay -S ssh-rdp-git

from the terminal on the local machine, and

$ yay -S ssh-rdp-host-git

on the remote machine.

• On other Linux distributions clone the GitHub repo via

$ git clone https://github.com/kokoko3k/ssh-rdp.git

and then run commands from the path/to/ssh-rdp directory where the ssh-rdp.sh script is (or better yet copy /path/to/ssh-rdp/ssh-rdp.sh into /usr/bin to execute it from anywhere). Also be sure to install all of the required software in the GitHub readme on the proper machines.

SSH setup

• log into your remote machine and get its network address via $ ip a (hint: it's not the 127.0.0.1 one)
• create an entry for this machine in the ~/.ssh/config file of the local machine (the one receiving the streamed content) and create the file if it doesn't exist, adding the lines

  Host <alias for remote machine>
      User      <remote username>
      Hostname  <the IP address of the remote machine>
  

• make sure this SSH connection works by trying to open a normal SSH tunnel

    $ ssh <remote machine alias>
  

  if this doesn't work there may be a variety of issues better treated by a guide specifically for setting up SSH (the most common issues are: not starting the sshd/openssh daemon and enabling it to run on startup of the remote [if you haven't used SSH server side on the remote machine before], firewall [some distros])

ssh-rdp setup (remote machine)

• give access to the uinput device via

    $ echo 'KERNEL=="uinput", SUBSYSTEM=="misc", OPTIONS+="static_node=uinput", TAG+="uaccess", OPTIONS+="static_node=uinput"' > tempfile && sudo mv tempfile /etc/udev/rules.d/70-uinput.rules
  

  then reboot the remote machine (mine wasn't working one night even after multiple reboots, but after coming back to it the next night it seemed to be fine)

ssh-rdp setup (local machine)

• add local user to the input group via

    $ sudo usermod -a -G input <local_username>
  

• log out of session/reboot computer for the group change to take effect
• run $ ssh-rdp.sh inputconfig with only a keyboard and mouse plugged in, and no other devices (wireless controllers, etc.) paired or connected
• when prompted, hit any key on the keyboard being careful not to touch the mouse (if anything goes wrong in the inputconfig step just Control + c to get out of it, and rerun $ ssh-rdp.sh inputconfig
• when it asks if you'd like to forward another device, enter y then hit Enter then touch your mouse or trackpad
• it will again ask if you'd like to forward another device, (if you are gaming, you'd probably like to forward a controller), while this prompt is still up pair your controller and only then answer y and hit Enter, it may now detect the controller automatically (if your controller is anything like my wired PS3 controller, it's always generating inputs which is why I paired it after the keyboard was found) or you may have to press a button on it

Running ssh-rdp

• make sure your remote machine is logged in and running a graphical session
• determine the display number of your remote machine by running

    $ echo $DISPLAY
  

  on the remote machine itself or after SSHing in (determining the display number is a one time step unless your monitor setup changes)
• on your local machine, attempt to stream/control the remote session by running

    $ ssh-rdp.sh --user <remote username> --server <remote machine alias> --display <value of $DISPLAY>.0 <other flags and options>
  

  (you'll probably want to create a bash function or alias for this in your shell configuration file [~/.bashrc, etc.])
• play around with options like encoders, framerates, etc. (all documented in the ssh-rdp readme) to optimize your experience