Linux remote desktop · Ubuntu / Fedora / Debian / Arch

Linux remote desktop — Scry on every distro

A signed, native Linux host that reaches your Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or Arch machine from any Mac, PC, or browser. Headless-friendly. Systemd user service. Free single-monitor on every distro.

Ubuntu · Fedora · Debian · Arch · 0.2.x public preview

# one-liner install (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Arch)

curl -fsSL https://bravely.dev/scry/install.sh | bash

Detects your distro, installs the host, registers a systemd user service. Pair once with scry login for headless boxes, or scry signin if you have a desktop.

If you searched linux remote desktop, ubuntu remote desktop, or fedora remote desktop, here's the honest version of what Scry does on Linux today and where the gaps still are.

What runs on Linux today

  • Native host daemon on Linux x64 — Ubuntu 22.04+, Fedora 39+, Debian 12+, Arch (current). Runs as a normal user.
  • X11 screen capture via ffmpeg with the x11grab input. H.264 encode through the standard libx264 the distro package ships.
  • Keyboard and mouse injection through xdotool on X11.
  • Transport-encrypted WebRTC session to a Mac, Windows, or browser viewer — the same transport every other Scry client uses.
  • Systemd user service — onesystemctl --user enable --now scry-linux-host and it survives logout via loginctl enable-linger.
  • Two pairing paths — headless scry login device-code flow for servers without a display, or interactive scry signin if you have a desktop session.

Wayland: X11 today, native Wayland landing in 0.3

The first Linux host is X11-focused on purpose. If your distro defaults to Wayland (Fedora Workstation, Ubuntu 24.04 desktop, GNOME 46+), you can either log in to an Xorg session for the MVP, or wait for the Wayland host in 0.3 — it's in test now via xdg-desktop-portal ScreenCast (PipeWire) for capture and libei for input injection. We'd rather ship the X11 path first and tell you that than pretend Wayland is done.

Two real use cases the Linux host is built for

  • 1. Your headless Linux box

    A home server, a lab machine, a Linux dev box behind your router. No monitor attached, no port forwarding, no VPN, no SSH-X. Run scry login once over SSH, hit Enter on a device code, and reach it from any Mac, PC, or browser tab. Details on the headless Linux page.

  • 2. Your Linux laptop or desktop

    Same Scry account that controls your Mac and Windows machines now reaches your Linux laptop or desktop too. Interactive scry signin opens your system browser against auth.bravely.dev and you're done.

Distro coverage today

Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04

Primary test target. Both Xorg and Wayland sessions; X11 capture today, Wayland landing in 0.3.

Fedora 39 / 40+

Tested on Fedora Workstation. Default Wayland session needs the 0.3 host; the X11 fallback session works today.

Debian 12 (Bookworm)

Server-friendly target. Headless device-code login is the main path here.

Arch + derivatives

Works on current Arch with the packaged ffmpeg + xdotool. Manjaro and EndeavourOS users have reported clean installs.

Pop!_OS, Linux Mint

Ubuntu-based; the same Ubuntu install path applies.

openSUSE Tumbleweed

Untested as of 0.2.x. The native dependencies (ffmpeg, xdotool, .NET 8) are all in the repos; YMMV until we add it to CI.

Honest caveats

  • X11 today, Wayland in 0.3. The Wayland path is in test, not yet GA.
  • No graphical tray on Linux yet. The host runs as a daemon; status and pairing live in the CLI and on the web account. A tray is follow-up work, not a 0.2 promise.
  • Single-monitor on free. Multi-monitor, audio, and file transfer are Pro and currently in preview at the 0.1.x stage for the rest of the platform.
  • Transport-encrypted, not end-to-end. Scry's WebRTC connection uses DTLS/SRTP. That's real and verifiable. End-to-end is a stronger claim we have not published evidence for yet.

Reach your Linux box from anywhere.

One install command on Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, or Arch. Free single-monitor over a transport-encrypted WebRTC connection.

Install Scry for Linux

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