The "No Display" error in RustDesk

I have a ubuntu 24.04 running rustdesk. the monitor died. when i try to access it from another computer it errors with "no display".

The "No Display" error in RustDesk on Ubuntu 24.04 usually happens because the Xorg server (or Wayland) fails to initialize a frame buffer when it doesn't detect a physical monitor. Without a frame buffer, there is no "image" for RustDesk to capture.

Option 1: Enable Native Headless Mode (Fastest)

Recent versions of RustDesk have an experimental headless option for Linux. If you can SSH into the machine or run a command via a terminal:

sudo rustdesk --option allow-linux-headless Y

Note: This works best on GNOME-based systems like Ubuntu 24.04, but may require a service restart (sudo systemctl restart rustdesk).

Option 2: Install a Software Dummy Driver (Most Reliable)

If the native option fails, you can force Ubuntu to create a virtual screen using the xserver-xorg-video-dummy driver. 

Install the driver:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-dummy

 Create a configuration file: Create a new file at /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/70-headless.conf:

sudo nano /usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/70-headless.conf

 Paste the following configuration: This simulates a standard 1920x1080 monitor.

Section "Device"

    Identifier  "Configured Video Device"

    Driver      "dummy"

EndSection

Section "Monitor"

    Identifier  "Configured Monitor"

    HorizSync 31.5-48.5

    VertRefresh 40-70

EndSection

Section "Screen"

    Identifier  "Default Screen"

    Monitor     "Configured Monitor"

    Device      "Configured Video Device"

    DefaultDepth 24

    SubSection "Display"

    Depth 24

    Modes "1920x1080"

    EndSubSection

EndSection

Reboot the machine. RustDesk should now "see" this virtual 1080p display and allow you to log in.

Option 3: The Hardware Solution (The "Audiophile" Approach)

If you prefer a hardware-level fix that doesn't involve messing with Xorg configs, you can buy an HDMI Dummy Plug (often called a "Headless Ghost")

Summary Table

Method	Difficulty	Pros	Cons
RustDesk Flag	Easy	No extra software	Hits or misses on Wayland
Xorg Dummy	Medium	Free, customizable resolution	Overrides physical monitor if reconnected
HDMI Dummy Plug	Hardware	100% reliable, uses GPU acceleration	Costs $5-$10; requires physical access