I you want to use Google Chrome Remote Desktop (CRD) like VNC or RDC on the Ubuntu remote computer, you need to hack the Chrome Remote Desktop on the client.

Below are different bits and pieces, merged together from various sources over the internet – unfortunately not from one place :/.

Assumption: you installed CRD, you have the local client running on the target machine and you can connect to it.

Now, open terminal and go to the CRD folder:

cd /opt/google/chrome-remote-desktop

Then open the chrome-remote-desktop file and do some changes. First, decide that we will use the first X display number and not something after 20+.

#FIRST_X_DISPLAY_NUMBER = 20
FIRST_X_DISPLAY_NUMBER = 0

After setting up the 0 to be the first one available, we need to select it despite the existing lock file. This will now make sure, we will always get 0, as the first (and only :)) candidate.

def get_unused_display_number():
“””Return a candidate display number for which there is currently no
X Server lock file”””
display = FIRST_X_DISPLAY_NUMBER
# while os.path.exists(X_LOCK_FILE_TEMPLATE % display):
# display += 1
return display

Now, only the final touch, use the current X server and session – prevent starting up of the new X server and session.

def launch_session(self, x_args):
self._init_child_env()
self._setup_pulseaudio()
self._setup_gnubby()
#self._launch_x_server(x_args)
#self._launch_x_session()
display = self.get_unused_display_number()
self.child_env[“DISPLAY”] = “:%d” % display

Save the file, you are all set. Enjoy!