Ubuntu desktop Docker container image with VNC

Ubuntu 16.04 container running the XFCE window manager with GPU support (via nvidia-docker).

The Docker image is installed with the following components:

• Desktop environment Xfce4
• VNC-Server (default VNC port 5901)
• noVNC - HTML5 VNC client (default http port 6901)
• Browsers:
  • Mozilla Firefox

Build

Build the docker container via:

docker build -t ubuntu-vnc-xfce4 .

Usage

The vnc-server is exposed on port 5901 and vnc web access port 6901. The option --net=host is used below, alternatively use -p 5901:5901 -p 6901:6901. It is possible to use the container as root, which is highly discouraged.

nvidia-docker run --rm -d -t --net=host ubuntu-vnc-xfce4  # as root DON'T DO THIS

Running as root is not recommended. A better approach is to run as a user with home directory mounted.

nvidia-docker run --name=mydesk --rm -d -t -u $(id -u):$(id -g) -e USER=$USER\
  -e HOME=$HOME -v $HOME:$HOME --net=host -w $PWD ubuntu-vnc-xfce4

An even better approach and the one recommended is to run using luda. The luda docker wrapper will properly map in the user and group of the host system into the container.

luda -d "--name=mydesk --rm -d -t" --net=host \
  ubuntu-vnc-xfce4 "bash --init-file /dockerstartup/vnc_startup.sh"

When using luda the entrypoint/cmd has to be specified explicitly: "bash --init-file /dockerstartup/vnc_startup.sh".

When the home directory is mounted into the container the xfce4 desktop settings will persist if the container is restarted.

Download a VNC client for your system from RealVnc, or use a web-browser.

=> connect via VNC viewer hostip:5901, default password: vncpassword

=> connect via noVNC HTML5 client: http://hostip:6901/?password=vncpassword

Troubleshooting

If the mouse is not working in noVNC on touchscreen PCs disable "Touch Events API" in Chrome chrome://flags.

Hints

Override VNC environment variables

The following VNC environment variables can be overwritten at the docker run phase to customize your desktop environment inside the container:

• VNC_COL_DEPTH, default: 24
• VNC_RESOLUTION, default: 1280x1024
• VNC_PW, default: my-pw

The resolution can be changed after the container is launched via xrandr as well.

1) Example: Override the VNC password

Overwrite the value of the environment variable VNC_PW. For example in the docker run command:

luda -d "--name=mydesk --rm -d -t" --net=host -e VNC_PW=my-pw \
  ubuntu-vnc-xfce4 "bash --init-file /dockerstartup/vnc_startup.sh"

2) Example: Override the VNC resolution

Overwrite the value of the environment variable VNC_RESOLUTION. For example in the docker run command:

luda -d "--name=mydesk --rm -d -t" --net=host -e VNC_RESOLUTION=800x600 \
  ubuntu-vnc-xfce4 "bash --init-file /dockerstartup/vnc_startup.sh"

Or use xrandr once inside the container VNC session.