Sold by: Arara Solutions
Deployed on AWS
Free Trial
AWS Free Tier
Pre-configured Ubuntu 24.04 LTS cloud desktop with Mate GUI, VNC, and RDP for instant remote access. Launch and connect from anywhere with no manual setup.
3.6
Overview
Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS with Mate GUI - Remote Access via VNC and RDP
Get a fully configured Ubuntu 24.04 LTS desktop environment running on AWS in minutes. This AMI ships with the lightweight Mate (Gnome) desktop environment pre-installed and configured for remote access through both RDP and VNC protocols, so you can connect from virtually any device.
This is a repackaged open source software product. Additional charges apply for support during initial launch and instance connection, as well as for continuous security updates delivered through new AMI versions.
A free trial is available for this product - launch the AMI and experience the full Ubuntu Mate desktop environment before committing.
What You Get
- Ubuntu 24.04 LTS base - Built on Canonical's latest long-term support release, delivering stability and a five-year support window from the upstream provider
- Mate Desktop Environment - A lightweight, traditional desktop interface that keeps resource consumption low while providing a full graphical workspace
- Dual remote access protocols - Both RDP and VNC are pre-configured out of the box, giving you flexibility to connect using your preferred client
- Ready to use immediately - No manual GUI installation or display server configuration required; launch the instance and connect
Common Use Cases
- Remote development workstation - Run GUI-based IDEs, database management tools, or design applications on a cloud-hosted Ubuntu desktop accessible from anywhere
- Browser-based testing and QA - Spin up isolated desktop sessions for testing web applications in a Linux browser environment without maintaining local hardware
- Training and lab environments - Provision consistent Ubuntu desktop instances for workshops, classrooms, or onboarding sessions where participants need a standardized graphical workspace
- Accessing Linux GUI tools from Windows or macOS - Use RDP or VNC from your local machine to interact with Linux-native graphical applications without dual-booting or running local virtual machines
How It Works
- Launch - Deploy the AMI from AWS Marketplace onto your chosen EC2 instance
- Connect - Use any standard RDP client (such as Microsoft Remote Desktop) or a VNC viewer to connect to your instance's public or private IP
- Work - You are presented with the full Mate desktop environment, ready for your applications and workflows
Why Mate Desktop?
The Mate desktop environment is a continuation of the GNOME 2 interface, designed to be intuitive and resource-efficient. It provides a traditional desktop layout with panels, menus, and a file manager while consuming less memory and CPU than heavier desktop environments. This makes it well suited for cloud instances where you want responsive graphical performance without over-provisioning compute resources.
Security Updates
New AMI versions are published with security updates so you can launch patched instances. The base Ubuntu 24.04 LTS release benefits from Canonical's upstream security maintenance throughout its long-term support lifecycle.
Related Ubuntu Desktop Images from Arara Solutions
- Ubuntu Desktop 22.04 LTS - GUI Mate with VNC
- Ubuntu Desktop Basic 22.04 - Web and RDP
- Amazon Linux 2 with GUI Mate Desktop VNC / RDP
Getting Started
Take advantage of the free trial to launch this AMI and explore the Mate desktop experience. If you need assistance with initial setup or connecting to your instance for the first time, support is available from Arara Solutions.
Highlights
- Pre-configured Ubuntu 24.04 LTS desktop with Mate (Gnome) environment, RDP server, and VNC server ready to use immediately after launch. This AMI eliminates the manual process of installing and configuring a graphical desktop environment, remote display protocols, and related dependencies on a cloud instance. Connect from Windows, macOS, or Linux clients using standard RDP or VNC tools without additional server-side setup.
- Optimized for remote access over the Internet with both RDP and VNC protocols included. RDP provides a familiar connection method for Windows users, while VNC offers cross-platform flexibility. Having both protocols pre-installed gives you the option to choose the best connection method for your network environment and client device, ensuring reliable graphical access to your Ubuntu desktop from any location.
- Built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which provides long-term security updates and a stable foundation for running Linux GUI applications in the cloud. The lightweight Mate desktop environment is designed to consume fewer system resources than heavier desktop environments, leaving more compute capacity available for your applications and workflows while still delivering a full-featured graphical interface.
Details
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Delivery method
Delivery option
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Latest version
Operating system
Ubuntu 20.04
Deployed on AWS
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Features and programs
Financing for AWS Marketplace purchases
AWS Marketplace now accepts line of credit payments through the PNC Vendor Finance program. This program is available to select AWS customers in the US, excluding NV, NC, ND, TN, & VT.
Pricing
Free trial
Try this product free for 5 days according to the free trial terms set by the vendor. Usage-based pricing is in effect for usage beyond the free trial terms. Your free trial gets automatically converted to a paid subscription when the trial ends, but may be canceled any time before that.
Pricing is based on actual usage, with charges varying according to how much you consume. Subscriptions have no end date and may be canceled any time.
Additional AWS infrastructure costs may apply. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate your infrastructure costs.
If you are an AWS Free Tier customer with a free plan, you are eligible to subscribe to this offer. You can use free credits to cover the cost of eligible AWS infrastructure. See AWS Free Tier for more details. If you created an AWS account before July 15th, 2025, and qualify for the Legacy AWS Free Tier, Amazon EC2 charges for Micro instances are free for up to 750 hours per month. See Legacy AWS Free Tier for more details.
Dimension | Cost/hour |
|---|---|
t2.large Recommended | $0.02 |
t2.micro | $0.01 |
t3.micro | $0.01 |
m7i.xlarge | $0.03 |
m6id.16xlarge | $0.06 |
h1.4xlarge | $0.04 |
i2.4xlarge | $0.04 |
r5d.24xlarge | $0.07 |
r7i.16xlarge | $0.06 |
r5n.2xlarge | $0.03 |
Dimensions summary
You pay by the hour for the software running on your chosen Amazon EC2 instance. Pricing is not tiered by feature set. Instead, each dimension maps to a specific EC2 instance type, and your hourly rate follows the size and family you pick. Options range from small general-purpose instances up to large compute-optimized, memory-optimized, and bare-metal types. Larger instances with more vCPUs and memory carry higher hourly rates. You choose the instance that fits your workload, and billing accrues only while the instance runs.
Top-of-mind questions for buyers
The hourly rate covers the software license for the packaged Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 with the Mate graphical interface and remote access via VNC and RDP. You pay this software charge on top of the standard AWS EC2 compute cost for the instance you run.
The software charge meters running time only. When you stop the instance, the hourly software charge stops accruing. You may still pay underlying AWS storage fees for the attached volume, but the packaged software license bills only while the instance runs.
The software is the same across all instance types. Choosing a larger type gives you more vCPUs, memory, or bare-metal capacity, not added features. The hourly rate rises with instance size because it reflects the resources, not a different feature set.
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Vendor refund policy
Instance billed by hour of actual use, terminate at any time and it will stop incurring charges. No refunds available.
Legal
Vendor terms and conditions
Upon subscribing to this product, you must acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in the vendor's End User License Agreement (EULA) .
Content disclaimer
Vendors are responsible for their product descriptions and other product content. AWS does not warrant that vendors' product descriptions or other product content are accurate, complete, reliable, current, or error-free.
Delivery details
64-bit (x86) Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
Amazon Machine Image (AMI)
An AMI is a virtual image that provides the information required to launch an instance. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instances are virtual servers on which you can run your applications and workloads, offering varying combinations of CPU, memory, storage, and networking resources. You can launch as many instances from as many different AMIs as you need.
Version release notes
Updated AMI with latest security patches and improvements
Additional details
Usage instructions
- Launch the instance either via AWS MarketPlace wizard or EC2 console
VNC Access
- Configure the Security Group to open Inbound TCP port 5901 from your location or use default settings (open to the world)
- Use a VNC client (for example: https://www.realvnc.com/en/connect/download/viewer/ ) to connect to the instance's IP on the port 5901.
- The password is the first 8 characters of the Instance Id after the dash (Ex: for the instance id i-1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9 , the password would be 1a2b3c4d)
RDP Access
- Configure the Security Group to open Inbound TCP port 3389 from your location or use default settings (open to the world)
- Use an RDP client (for example: Windows "Remote Desktop Connection" / mstsc, or https://www.realvnc.com alternatives such as Microsoft Remote Desktop for macOS) to connect to the instance's IP on the port 3389.
- The user name is ubuntu and the password is the Instance Id (Ex: i-1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9).
SSH Access
- Configure the Security Group to open Inbound TCP port 22 from your location or 0.0.0.0/0 (open to the world)
- Use an SSH client (for example: https://www.putty.org ) to connect to the instance's IP on the port 22.
- Authenticate to the instance using the key pair selected during the instance launch. The user name is ubuntu.
Additional Information
Monitoring the Health of the instance
- Navigate to your Amazon EC2 console and verify that you're in the correct region.
- Choose Instance and select your launched instance.
- Select the server to display your metadata page and choose the Status checks tab at the bottom of the page to review if your status checks passed or failed.
Data Encryption
- This image does not provide encryption by default at the Operating System or Application level, customers are encouraged to enable EBS encryption during the Instance Launch: https://docs.usvm.9mmj.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EBSEncryption.html
- EBS Encryption using the Default key enables key rotation
- More details: https://docs.usvm.9mmj.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/EBSEncryption.html#kms-key-rotation
- Using EBS encryption, the decryption is done automatically when using the instance.
- Customer data can be saved anywhere in the instance, however it is a good practice to save user data (including sensitive data) in the /home/<user-name> directory.
Resources
Vendor resources
Support
Vendor support
Arara Solutions provides support for launching and connecting to your Ubuntu Desktop 24.04 LTS instance with Mate GUI, VNC, and RDP.
Support Channels:
- Email: support@arara.solutions
- Support Portal: http://arara.solutions/support/
Support Scope: Arara Solutions offers assistance with initial instance launch and remote connection setup via RDP and VNC. Please note that support scope is limited; contact Arara Solutions directly for details on what is covered.
AWS Infrastructure Support: For issues related to AWS infrastructure, billing, or EC2 instance management, contact AWS Support separately through your AWS account.
Refunds: For questions about refunds or subscription changes, contact Arara Solutions at support@arara.solutions or visit the support portal at http://arara.solutions/support/ .
Free Trial: A free trial is available, allowing you to evaluate the AMI before committing. Check the pricing section of this listing for trial details and terms.
AWS infrastructure support
AWS Support is a one-on-one, fast-response support channel that is staffed 24x7x365 with experienced and technical support engineers. The service helps customers of all sizes and technical abilities to successfully utilize the products and features provided by Amazon Web Services.
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By Arara Solutions
By SilverLining.Cloud GmbH
By Netspectrum Inc.
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Sentiment is AI generated from actual customer reviews on AWS and G2
Functionality
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AI generated from product descriptions
Remote Access Protocols
Configured with RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) and VNC (Virtual Network Computing) for remote access
Graphical User Interface
GUI powered by Mate desktop environment based on Gnome
Internet Optimization
Optimized for remote access over the Internet
Security Updates
Continuous security updates available in new versions
Desktop Environment
Xfce lightweight desktop environment preinstalled on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Remote Access Protocols
Support for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network Computing (VNC) connectivity
Minimal Installation
Lightweight image with only GUI desktop and Mozilla Firefox preinstalled, excluding unnecessary software
Automatic Configuration
Self-configures at launch using EC2 instance ID as initial authentication credential for remote access
Operating System
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as the base operating system
Remote Access Protocols
Support for multiple remote access methods including web browser (HTTP/S), VNC, and RDP connections
Multi-user Support
Multi-user and concurrent session capabilities for RDP connections
Pre-installed Applications
Bundled applications including Firefox web browser, Thunderbird email client, and LibreOffice productivity suite
Standard contract
Customer reviews
Alano
Swift build. I recommend
Reviewed on Dec 24, 2022
Review from a verified AWS customer
I found this system much cleaner and faster than the other AMIs I tested.
Also great that it came out of the box with the major updates installed and security is just right.
Definitely sticking with this one.
Fanman
Worked as Advertised
Reviewed on Sep 08, 2022
Review from a verified AWS customer
It works out of the box, as advertised.
The disgruntled user who said it did not having a working user probably didn't notice the "Usage instructions" tab on the instance in the AWS console.
I'm only giving it 4 out of 5 stars because the vendor advertised "24/7/365 support". I raised a ticket on their site that I could not connect to my instance and designated the ticket as Critical. I'm annoyed that 48 hours later I still haven't heard from them. I eventually figured out my problem (it wasn't the AMI's fault).
And now I'm happily configuring the instance to my own personal preferences...
CJ
you can build it yourself... but it JUST WORKS
Reviewed on Aug 03, 2022
Review from a verified AWS customer
purchased this to save myself the work of having to setup and update everything. they're also good at updating the image so you don't even have to run apt update on boot
Herve
working out of the box
Reviewed on May 07, 2021
Review from a verified AWS customer
hi!
it's working nicely out of the box, I was wondering, how do I restart the GUI if the EC2 got rebooted?
Many thanks,
Herve
Elijah
Doesn't Have a working user
Reviewed on Feb 04, 2021
Review from a verified AWS customer
Does not have a working user. Tried the first 8 characters. Then the first 8 digits, skipping characters. No success.