Ubuntu Virtual Desktop in a Docker Container (with RDP Access)

[rjstott]

This started out ok and then went very technical and now I've lost the plot and which episode you're on.

 

I think this was leading to the creation of a vanilla Ubuntu system running in a container. If there is a need for a GUI then some sort of remote access might work, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop? The purpose of such a container would be to allow Users (simple people like me) to add in one or two applications that work well in Ubuntu land whilst running them in a safe haven alongside an unRaid system.

 

I'm interested because I'd like to run Asterisk. It uses hardly any cpu (2% on a raspberry pi, only needs a TCP/IP connection to the outside world and just very occasionally it needs a tweak through the very basic GUI. There are probably some other similar apps such as a basic mail server that could be run too either in the same container or a duplicate Ubuntu container?

 

Perhaps someone would comment so that I know what's going on and perhaps it's time to create a new non-technical thread with instructions how to get a basic Ubuntu container set up and let us non-technical folk try to use it and post back feedback on what works and what doesn't?

[CHBMB]

This started out ok and then went very technical and now I've lost the plot and which episode you're on.

 

I think this was leading to the creation of a vanilla Ubuntu system running in a container. If there is a need for a GUI then some sort of remote access might work, such as Microsoft Remote Desktop? The purpose of such a container would be to allow Users (simple people like me) to add in one or two applications that work well in Ubuntu land whilst running them in a safe haven alongside an unRaid system.

 

I'm interested because I'd like to run Asterisk. It uses hardly any cpu (2% on a raspberry pi, only needs a TCP/IP connection to the outside world and just very occasionally it needs a tweak through the very basic GUI. There are probably some other similar apps such as a basic mail server that could be run too either in the same container or a duplicate Ubuntu container?

 

Perhaps someone would comment so that I know what's going on and perhaps it's time to create a new non-technical thread with instructions how to get a basic Ubuntu container set up and let us non-technical folk try to use it and post back feedback on what works and what doesn't?

 

I think at the present moment in time the advice would be to use KVM and setup a ubuntu virtual machine for this sort of thing.  Or a standard docker.

[hurricanehrndz]

Asterisk can already be run in a docker and they provide a web interface so a desktop interface is irrelevant. There are many pbxinflash containers in the docker hub. Anyhow I believe that the purpose of containers with vnc or rdp access is to make apps that don't necessarily have a web interface accessible through one whether it be guacamole or noVNC. I believe that my tinyMediaManager container or the Calibre container by sparky are great examples of when we can be implementing containers that run gui of sorts.

[snoopy86]

This link doesn't work anymore https://registry.hub.docker.com/u/sidirius/docker-ubuntu-xrdp-desktop. Is there any alternative?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[coppit]

I was going to start work with this: kxes/ubuntu-xrdp-base

 

It's Phusion + xrdp. I agree with jonp that RDP works a lot better. noVNC and guacamole are nice in that one doesn't have to install any client, but the perf and quality stink.

 

BTW, what I was thinking of doing is using this base to create single-app UIs. e.g. expose the Filebot UI as an RDP app, with no desktop or X window manager. Thoughts?

[sparklyballs]

I was going to start work with this: kxes/ubuntu-xrdp-base

 

It's Phusion + xrdp. I agree with jonp that RDP works a lot better. noVNC and guacamole are nice in that one doesn't have to install any client, but the perf and quality stink.

 

BTW, what I was thinking of doing is using this base to create single-app UIs. e.g. expose the Filebot UI as an RDP app, with no desktop or X window manager. Thoughts?

 

it's already been done, check out hurricane's images.

 

https://github.com/HurricaneHernandez/dockergui

 

you'd just be reinventing the wheel.

[snoopy86]

Would it be possible to create ubuntu docker with ability to install your own apps? Not with just one predefined.

[sparklyballs]

Would it be possible to create ubuntu docker with ability to install your own apps? Not with just one predefined.

 

yes

 

that's called a VM

[aptalca]

Would it be possible to create ubuntu docker with ability to install your own apps? Not with just one predefined.

Check out my dockergui-dev container. It opens a terminal window in the browser, from there you can install and run whatever you want

 

Start and stop would preserve your changes but update or reinstall would wipe everything

[RobJ]

We must join with Sauron. It would be wise....

 

I see.  Now that he's dead, his followers are rising up!  Be warned, the old trees are watching you!

 

Sorry for this completely off-topic post!

[coppit]

it's already been done, check out hurricane's images.

 

https://github.com/HurricaneHernandez/dockergui

 

you'd just be reinventing the wheel.

 

Indeed! This looks great! Thanks!

[snoopy86]

Ok, i've created docker from a base image ubuntu with xrdp connection. It has xsession so everything is working like a normal ubuntu. You can add apps and so on... If anyone needs it i will add it to repository.

[Squid]

Ok, i've created docker from a base image ubuntu with xrdp connection. It has xsession so everything is working like a normal ubuntu. You can add apps and so on... If anyone needs it i will add it to repository.

Why not create a repository anyways?  While what you've done is effectively created a VM, the concept of VM's are possibly still a bit scary for some people whereas a docker is less so.

[coppit]

FYI, I'm getting some weird rendering issues with hurricane/dockergui:x11rdp. I'm trying it with Filebot, a java app. The main window doesn't render. Pressing tab a few times draws some of the buttons.

 

VNC works fine though.

[sparklyballs]

FYI, I'm getting some weird rendering issues with hurricane/dockergui:x11rdp. I'm trying it with Filebot, a java app. The main window doesn't render. Pressing tab a few times draws some of the buttons.

 

VNC works fine though.

 

java might be an issue because the base image has java installed and if you update it you may have issues.

 

go back to the image on git, check java version and see if you can work filebot to use that.

[coppit]

java might be an issue because the base image has java installed and if you update it you may have issues.

 

go back to the image on git, check java version and see if you can work filebot to use that.

 

Unfortunately Filebot is released as Java 8 only. It turns out that I had to tweak the JVM settings, adding this:

-Dsun.java2d.xrender=false

[CHBMB]

Ok, i've created docker from a base image ubuntu with xrdp connection. It has xsession so everything is working like a normal ubuntu. You can add apps and so on... If anyone needs it i will add it to repository.

 

I have actually found a use for these sorts of containers.

 

Sparkly and Aptalca have both done a wonderful job of making Calibre GUI containers, Aptalca's is possibly a little more elegant in use, with a webui rather than connecting via RDP, however I ended up using Sparkly's because to install Calibre plugins, especially the goodreads one, you need internet access on the machine you're using (it opens a web page to authenticate with your account, which was difficult to circumvent with the webui container although I did manage it in the end)

 

With Sparkly's, (Oh God! I've just realised Sparkly & Sparklyballs  have at some stage made it into the dictionary on my Nexus 5!) anyway, I digress, I could install Firefox and bish bash bosh, job done.  Also it meant when adding metadata I could copy jpgs of covers from the web that didn't always appear in the cover options in Calibre.

 

With a bare image, I'd be tempted to create my own docker Calibre container to upload to docker.io with all my authorisation tokens etc preconfigured meaning if I lost my docker.img it would't be such a pain in the ass to setup again.

 

It's all easily done in a VM, but if, like it is currently, that's all I need from a VM, then a full VM does seems excessive....

[sparklyballs]

Ok, i've created docker from a base image ubuntu with xrdp connection. It has xsession so everything is working like a normal ubuntu. You can add apps and so on... If anyone needs it i will add it to repository.

 

I have actually found a use for these sorts of containers.

 

Sparkly and Aptalca have both done a wonderful job of making Calibre GUI containers, Aptalca's is possibly a little more elegant in use, with a webui rather than connecting via RDP, however I ended up using Sparkly's because to install Calibre plugins, especially the goodreads one, you need internet access on the machine you're using (it opens a web page to authenticate with your account, which was difficult to circumvent with the webui container although I did manage it in the end)

 

With Sparkly's, (Oh God! I've just realised Sparkly & Sparklyballs  have at some stage made it into the dictionary on my Nexus 5!) anyway, I digress, I could install Firefox and bish bash bosh, job done.  Also it meant when adding metadata I could copy jpgs of covers from the web that didn't always appear in the cover options in Calibre.

 

With a bare image, I'd be tempted to create my own docker Calibre container to upload to docker.io with all my authorisation tokens etc preconfigured meaning if I lost my docker.img it would't be such a pain in the ass to setup again.

 

It's all easily done in a VM, but if, like it is currently, that's all I need from a VM, then a full VM does seems excessive....

 

should have said you used firefox like that, be a snap to put it in the container.

[CHBMB]

Ok, i've created docker from a base image ubuntu with xrdp connection. It has xsession so everything is working like a normal ubuntu. You can add apps and so on... If anyone needs it i will add it to repository.

 

I have actually found a use for these sorts of containers.

 

Sparkly and Aptalca have both done a wonderful job of making Calibre GUI containers, Aptalca's is possibly a little more elegant in use, with a webui rather than connecting via RDP, however I ended up using Sparkly's because to install Calibre plugins, especially the goodreads one, you need internet access on the machine you're using (it opens a web page to authenticate with your account, which was difficult to circumvent with the webui container although I did manage it in the end)

 

With Sparkly's, (Oh God! I've just realised Sparkly & Sparklyballs  have at some stage made it into the dictionary on my Nexus 5!) anyway, I digress, I could install Firefox and bish bash bosh, job done.  Also it meant when adding metadata I could copy jpgs of covers from the web that didn't always appear in the cover options in Calibre.

 

With a bare image, I'd be tempted to create my own docker Calibre container to upload to docker.io with all my authorisation tokens etc preconfigured meaning if I lost my docker.img it would't be such a pain in the ass to setup again.

 

It's all easily done in a VM, but if, like it is currently, that's all I need from a VM, then a full VM does seems excessive....

 

should have said you used firefox like that, be a snap to put it in the container.

 

I never really thought at the time, it's easy enough to add it myself, I was just trying to illustrate how this might be useful.

 

Can't believe your name is coming up as an autosuggestion on my phone as soon as I type Spar, I see Sparklyballs, if the wife sees that she'll wonder what the hell I've been upto....