March 8, 2025•8 min read

Self-Hosted RustDesk Server on Oracle Cloud Free Tier

Self-HostedCloudRemote Access

Deploy a privacy-focused, self-hosted alternative to TeamViewer on Oracle Cloud's free tier with Docker and SSL.

A complete guide for setting up your own RustDesk remote desktop server on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier. Deploy a privacy-focused, open-source alternative to TeamViewer with Docker and Nginx as a reverse proxy with SSL.

RustDesk Official View on GitHub

What is RustDesk?

RustDesk is an open-source remote desktop software that provides a secure, self-hosted alternative to proprietary solutions like TeamViewer and AnyDesk. Written in Rust, it offers excellent performance, cross-platform support, and complete control over your remote access infrastructure.

Privacy First

Host your own server for complete data privacy and control over remote connections

Cross-Platform

Works on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS with native applications

End-to-End Encryption

All remote sessions are encrypted with industry-standard protocols

Free Hosting

Oracle Cloud Free Tier provides enough resources to run your server at no cost

Oracle Cloud Free Tier

Compute

2 AMD-based VMs (1 GB RAM each) or 4 Arm-based VMs (24 GB RAM total)

Storage

200 GB total Block Volume storage

Network

10 TB outbound data transfer per month

Prerequisites

Oracle Cloud Account: Sign up for free tier access
Domain Name: For SSL certificate (optional but recommended)
Basic Linux Knowledge: For server configuration

Installation Guide

Step 1: Create Oracle Cloud VM

Log in to Oracle Cloud Console
Create a new Compute Instance
Choose Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as the OS image
Select the Always Free eligible shape (VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro)
Download your SSH key pair
Launch the instance

Step 2: Configure Firewall Rules

Open required ports in Oracle Cloud VCN Security Lists:

TCP 21115-21119RustDesk services

TCP 443HTTPS/SSL

TCP 22SSH

Step 3: Install Docker

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
# Add user to docker group
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Step 4: Deploy RustDesk Server

Create docker-compose.yml:

version: '3'
services:
  hbbs:
    container_name: hbbs
    image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest
    command: hbbs -r <your-domain>:21117
    volumes:
      - ./data:/root
    network_mode: "host"
    restart: unless-stopped

  hbbr:
    container_name: hbbr
    image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest
    command: hbbr
    volumes:
      - ./data:/root
    network_mode: "host"
    restart: unless-stopped

Run: docker-compose up -d

Step 5: Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

Install and configure Nginx with SSL:

Install Nginx and Certbot
Configure reverse proxy for RustDesk ports
Obtain SSL certificate with Let's Encrypt
Configure automatic certificate renewal

Step 6: Configure RustDesk Clients

Download RustDesk client for your platform
Open Settings → Network
Set ID Server to your domain or IP
Set Relay Server to your domain or IP
Enter the server's public key (found in data/id_ed25519.pub)

Testing Your Server

Install RustDesk on two devices
Configure both clients with your server details
Note the unique RustDesk ID on the first device
Use the second device to connect by entering the first device's ID
Verify remote connection establishes successfully

Benefits of Self-Hosting

Complete Privacy

Your remote desktop sessions never touch third-party servers

No Usage Limits

Unlimited connections and session time with your own infrastructure

Cost Effective

Free hosting on Oracle Cloud Free Tier forever

Customizable

Full control over configuration, security policies, and access control

Additional Resources

RustDesk Documentation Oracle Cloud Free Tier Server GitHub Repo