# rdesktop/rdesktop

🚨 rdesktop is in need of a new maintainter. Please see the home page for more details. 🚨

Repository: https://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/rdesktop
Homepage: http://www.rdesktop.org
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: rdp, remote-desktop, client
Last push: 2026-05-16T04:07:54+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 60/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 82, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4076, "days_push": 109, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1354, forks 383 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:29.087532+00:00)

## What it is
rdesktop is an open-source UNIX client for the Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), presenting a Windows desktop over the X Window System. It implements RDP versions 4 and 5 and works against Windows servers from NT 4 Terminal Server through Windows Server 2016.

## Use cases
- connect to a windows remote desktop from linux
- open an rdp session from the command line
- access a windows terminal server from unix
- remotely control a windows server desktop
- use smart cards with rdp connections

## When to choose
- you need a lightweight, scriptable RDP client on UNIX/Linux with X11
- you must connect to legacy Windows servers (NT 4 through 2016)
- you want a GPL-licensed RDP client with smart-card support

## When to avoid
- you need a maintained client with security patches - the project is unmaintained with unreviewed vulnerabilities
- you need modern RDP features or newer Windows compatibility
- you prefer a graphical RDP client like FreeRDP or Remmina

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: abandoned
- function: http-client
- domain: networking, cross-platform
- platform: bsd, cli
- tags: rdp, remote-desktop, windows, x11, c, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- rdesktop/rdesktop (main) score 60

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:29.087532+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:42:03.963540+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/rdesktop/rdesktop (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:29.087532+00:00, sha 738cbe29b5bf)
  - homepage: http://www.rdesktop.org (fetched 2026-08-29T12:00:25.381070+00:00, sha b8515c64ef40)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.