Automated Ubuntu MATE Remote Desktop on Google Cloud (XRDP + Active Directory)
#MATE #XRDP #GCP #GoogleCloud #Terraform #Packer #ActiveDirectory #NFS #InfrastructureAsCode
Deploy a Fully Automated Ubuntu MATE XRDP Desktop Environment on Google Cloud Platform
In this video, we build a complete cloud-hosted Linux desktop environment using
Ubuntu MATE and XRDP — fully domain-joined, backed by Google Filestore (NFS)
for persistent home directories, and deployed end-to-end on Google Cloud using
Terraform and Packer.
This project creates a shared Linux development desktop that is stable,
traditional, Active Directory–integrated, and easy to redeploy or scale on GCP.
What You’ll Learn
How to build a custom Ubuntu MATE XRDP image for GCP using Packer
How Terraform provisions GCP networking, firewall rules, Mini-AD, Filestore,
and Compute Engine virtual machines
Domain-joining Linux systems using Samba 4 Mini Active Directory
Mounting Google Filestore (NFS) for persistent user home directories
Using startup scripts to configure XRDP, domain authentication,
and Ubuntu MATE desktop defaults
Resources Deployed
Custom-mode VPC with subnets and firewall rules
Samba 4 Mini-AD Domain Controller (AD DS + DNS) on Ubuntu (Compute Engine)
Google Filestore instance for NFS-backed Linux home directories
Packer-built Ubuntu MATE XRDP image (MATE desktop, browsers, VS Code, utilities)
Domain-joined Ubuntu MATE XRDP Compute Engine VM with persistent home directories
Optional Windows Server for Active Directory administration
Terraform modules for networking, directory services, storage, and desktops
GitHub
https://github.com/mamonaco1973/gcp-m...
https://github.com/mamonaco1973/gcp-m...
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Prerequisites
01:39 Build the Code
02:55 Build Results
04:11 Demo
06:49 Add a New User