Ubuntu Packages

The problems with distribution packages are well known, but the spectrum of problems with the Ubuntu packages is so extreme that it deserves its own wiki page.

TLDR: use official packages from ​https://xpra.org and things should just work.

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The number one support request on the bug tracker, mailing list and IRC channel is by far "problems with the Ubuntu" packages, this is solved in 99% of cases by installing the official packages.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should be enough to understand why the Ubuntu packages should be avoided (some of those issues are seriously debilitating):

• ​Why can't I start xpra on a remote host and connect to it? - Lubuntu 18.04
• many wiki/DPI issues (lacks a patched driver)
• ​xpra ubuntu html5 server problems : html5 client is missing (also: ​I could not get the example html5 client working..)
• tty permissions issues with wiki/Xdummy
• ​unable to start Xserver via ssh
• ​Ubuntu login screen hangs after installing xpra
• ​Ubuntu 16.04.2 cannot login after installing xpra
• ​xpra version on ubuntu 16.04 (compatibility problems)
• clipboard not working (with Ubuntu 18.04 server version 2.1.3-r17247)
• ​Stopped working suddenly on Ubuntu 18.04
• ​Chrome window can not be resized or moved (Ubuntu Focal)
• ​Xdummy cannot be used in Xenial
• Cannot get "Get started" to work (XUbuntu 16.04)
• ​workaround for buggy Debian / Ubuntu patch
• HWE problems and more packaging problems.

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Some examples from IRC:

18:39 < flonash> hi there! I'm trying to setup xpra in a ubuntu 16.04 docker container, but the "start-desktop" command isn't available back then. What alternatives are there? Thanks so much for helping me with this!
19:52 < flonash> it was still giving v0.15.6 .. but it looks like the instructions in that link weren't as helpful as https://winswitch.org/downloads/debian-repository.html?dist_select=xenial which worked
19:53 < flonash> I'm now up and running!

18:54 < caffeineaddict> damn, default ubuntu version is `xpra v2.1.3-r17247M` ... brb upgrading that first
19:31 < caffeineaddict> <.< latest version of software makes it work ... who'da thunk

And many more..

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Then the usage examples they are using are also out of date and wrong:

• ​https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Xpra: xpra start :7;DISPLAY=:7 firefox should be xpra start --start=firefox :7