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How to Change the Theme in Xrdp When Using Xfce
If your remote desktop session through Xrdp looks bland, uses a basic grey window style, or doesn't match your locally configured Xfce theme, you're not alone. Theme rendering in Xrdp sessions behaves differently than on a local desktop — and understanding why is the first step to fixing it.
Why Xrdp Sessions Don't Always Reflect Your Local Theme
When you connect to a Linux machine via Xrdp, you're not inheriting your local desktop environment directly. Xrdp starts a new session, typically governed by a startup script (~/.xsession or ~/.xinitrc), rather than resuming your logged-in graphical session. This means your personal Xfce theme settings — set through the Appearance manager on your local desktop — may not carry over automatically.
Xfce stores theme preferences in configuration files under ~/.config/xfce4/ and applies GTK settings through files like ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini and ~/.gtkrc-2.0. If those files exist and are correctly written, Xrdp sessions can pick them up — but only if the session is launched in a way that reads them.
Understanding What "Theme" Actually Covers in Xfce 🎨
Before changing anything, it helps to know what you're changing. In Xfce, "theme" refers to several separate layers:
| Layer | Controls | Where It's Set |
|---|---|---|
| GTK theme | Window widget colors, button styles | Appearance Manager → Style |
| Window decorations | Title bars, borders, resize handles | Window Manager → Style |
| Icon theme | Folder/file/app icons | Appearance Manager → Icons |
| Cursor theme | Mouse pointer style | Mouse and Touchpad → Theme |
| Font settings | System-wide font rendering | Appearance Manager → Fonts |
Each of these can behave independently in a remote session. You might fix your GTK theme but still see default window decorations — because they're controlled by a different config.
Method 1: Set the Theme Through Config Files Directly
The most reliable way to ensure your Xrdp session uses your preferred Xfce theme is to write the settings into the relevant config files rather than relying solely on the GUI Appearance tool.
For GTK 3 applications, edit or create ~/.config/gtk-3.0/settings.ini:
Replace the values with your chosen theme names. Theme names must match exactly — including capitalisation — and the theme must be installed on the server (the machine running Xrdp), not just your local client machine.
For GTK 2 applications, edit or create ~/.gtkrc-2.0:
Method 2: Use xfconf-query to Set Theme Values Programmatically
Xfce stores settings in its xfconf database. You can query and set these values from the terminal, which is particularly useful when you're already connected via Xrdp and want to test changes: