FAQ
Questions worth answering up front
Does this replace the RustDesk server?
Yes, since 1.5: the image ships hbbs and hbbr —
CortenDesk Server, our fork with fixes the open-source server lacks — so one
container is the whole deployment. Sessions still go peer-to-peer through the
server half; they never pass through the console. Prefer servers you already
run? Set CORTENDESK_EMBEDDED_SERVER=false and point at them.
Do I need a modified client?
No. CortenDesk implements the HTTP API that stock RustDesk clients already speak. You set the API Server field in a normal client. There is no fork to maintain.
Do I need a RustDesk Pro license?
No. CortenDesk ships its own AGPL server (hbbs/hbbr)
in the same container and works with the standard RustDesk client. There is
no license to buy and nothing to activate.
What does it cost?
Nothing. It is AGPL-3.0, with no paid tier, no licence key and no feature held back. Self-hosted means you run it and you own the data.
Is it affiliated with RustDesk?
No. It is an independent project built against the open-source server and the documented client API.
What do I need to run it?
Docker — the image includes the RustDesk server. SQLite is fine for evaluating it; MySQL or MariaDB for production. A manual PHP 8.4 install is also possible, and that route does need a RustDesk server you run separately.
Will it manage devices I already have?
Yes. Point existing clients at it and they register themselves on the next
heartbeat. There is also an importer for migrating from
lejianwen/rustdesk-api, keeping users, devices, address books and
history.
The browser client
When should I use it?
Normally, you should not. Use the official RustDesk clients — they are the supported, polished way to connect, and they will give you a better session in every ordinary case.
The browser client is there for the times you cannot install one: a locked-down machine you have no rights on, a borrowed or public computer, or an urgent connection from somewhere unfamiliar. Think of it as the spare key, not the front door.
What it can do
View and control a machine, move files both ways, switch monitors, send Ctrl+Alt+Del, and pass the clipboard. It is a real implementation of the RustDesk protocol, not a limited viewer.
What to expect
It is newer than the desktop clients and less polished. It works over plain HTTP, though HTTPS gives better video — with TLS the browser can decode five codecs in hardware; without it, H.264 only. Best in Chrome or Edge.
Is it a security hole?
It obeys the same rules as any other client. Access scoping applies, and permissions are enforced by the device — a policy that disables file transfer disables it in the browser too.
Can I turn it off?
Yes. Set CORTENDESK_NATIVE_WEBCLIENT=false and it disappears from
the console entirely.
Still stuck?
The wiki covers installation, every setting, the command-line tools and troubleshooting by symptom. If that does not cover it, open an issue.