Since recent testing updates gnome remote desktop is problematic. As xrdp no longer works it is the only way now to access remote machines and VMs via RDP.
I’m speaking about specifically remote desktop, not screen share. Since 03/10 or even earlier updates to testing, what happens is I’m using a username/password for RDP, then it connects over RDP but only shows blank screen with cursor moving. It can stay like this for long time, you have to manually disconnect. This exact machine used to work with RDP with no issues for months before this.
For a physical machine, for instance, it never logins after reboot. It may work after you login on console first, then logout. For couple of VMs which used to be on xrdp, I’m so far unable to login on gnome rdp, still figuring out.
What logs should I view exploring this issue?
it is stil same with the new update 49.1. Also not seing gnome-shell update, as it appears to be if not the problem but the one which actually fails.
Oct 13 17:21:53 name dbus-daemon[5799]: [session uid=60581 pid=5799 pidfd=5] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop'
Oct 13 17:21:53 name systemd[5783]: Started Portal service.
Oct 13 17:21:53 name mutter-x11-frames[6220]: unable to open file '/etc/dconf/db/gdm': Failed to open file “/etc/dconf/db/gdm”: open() failed: No such file or directory; expect degraded performance
Oct 13 17:21:53 name mutter-x11-frames[6220]: unable to open file '/etc/dconf/db/site': Failed to open file “/etc/dconf/db/site”: open() failed: No such file or directory; expect degraded performance
Oct 13 17:21:53 name mutter-x11-frames[6220]: unable to open file '/etc/dconf/db/distro': Failed to open file “/etc/dconf/db/distro”: open() failed: No such file or directory; expect degraded performance
Oct 13 17:21:53 name org.fcitx.Fcitx5.desktop[5921]: E2025-10-13 17:21:53.788103 xim.cpp:179] Failed to open xim, retrying.
Oct 13 17:21:54 name org.fcitx.Fcitx5.desktop[5921]: I2025-10-13 17:21:54.805145 classicui.cpp:90] Created classicui for x11 display::1027
Oct 13 17:21:54 name org.fcitx.Fcitx5.desktop[5921]: I2025-10-13 17:21:54.807116 portalsettingmonitor.cpp:97] A new portal show up, start a new query.
Oct 13 17:21:54 name org.fcitx.Fcitx5.desktop[5921]: I2025-10-13 17:21:54.807413 portalsettingmonitor.cpp:97] A new portal show up, start a new query.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Main process exited, code=killed, status=9/KILL
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Failed with result 'signal'.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Consumed 2.327s CPU time, 20.8M memory peak.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name gnome-shell[5819]: Gio.DBusError: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.UnknownProperty: Unknown interface org.freedesktop.IBus or property Engines.
Stack trace:
_promisify/proto[asyncFunc]/</<@resource:///org/gnome/gjs/modules/core/overrides/Gio.js:454:45
@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/init.js:21:20
### Promise created here: ###
_initEngines@resource:///org/gnome/shell/misc/ibusManager.js:168:34
_onConnected@resource:///org/gnome/shell/misc/ibusManager.js:161:14
@resource:///org/gnome/shell/ui/init.js:21:20
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: Starting IBus Daemon for GNOME...
Oct 13 17:21:56 name sh[6431]: current session already has an ibus-daemon.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=255/EXCEPTION
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: org.freedesktop.IBus.session.GNOME.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Oct 13 17:21:56 name systemd[5783]: Failed to start IBus Daemon for GNOME.