THIS IS ARTICLE ON DEV.TO by me : https://dev.to/manishfoodtechs/full-desktop-in-docker-5c3n⁠

##What we are building today?

We are building a fully functional desktop inside a docker container. The Ubuntu latest release Focal Fossa or Ubuntu:20.04 is an image used to build this container. Desktop Environment is Xfce with windows theme from b00merang Project⁠ and wallpapers from pixabay⁠.

We are going to use RDP to connect to our Desktop. VNC & RDP are two technologies to connect to remote desktops. I used RDP and VNC is left for you to try :)

Screenshots:

And how the desktop looks within small screen mobile:

##Why we are building? (1)You can find a number of docker images with a "desktop environment". However, But these images are custom build i.e leaving libre office suite etc to remain light in size. (2) Being a docker image you can spin a desktop in a click.

###Why Xfce Desktop Environment?
Xfce is lighter than mate and gnome. Being lighter, performance is better in the container.

##How to create a desktop in a docker container?

**(1) Pull Image and Run:**manishfoodtechs/xfcefulldesktop_ubuntu20.4

docker run -it -p 9096:3389 -e 3389 --shm-size 2g manishfoodtechs/xfcefulldesktop_ubuntu20.4

• we are opening port of host 9096 to listen port of container 3389. You can use any port in place of 9096 but Port 3389 is a standard port of xrdp.
• we are exposing container's 3389 port with -e 3389
• shm-size 2g is given so that Firefox doesn't break.

Look at this terminal image :

(2) Service start xrdp:

/etc/init.d/xrdp restart

then, ### visit : hostip:9096 in RDP client of your PC. More about RDP here⁠

USER ID: root and Password: 123456 . Please don't forget to change password with command passwd root and add some more users.

(3) Troubleshoot:

• If, rdp is not connecting, then get inside the container shell and run /etc/init.d/xrdp restart as you did in step (2).

IMPORTANT: Docker is not meant for running complete desktops but running apps. The closet container like VM machine is LXD. If you had visited my above-said article (docker in desi language) you would be able to spin a desktop in lxd container.

More?

• Podman = docker - daemon - root read: {% link https://dev.to/manishfoodtechs/rootless-docker-kick-docker-hackers-and-make-docker-more-secure-new-concept-70g⁠ %}

• Desktop(Vnc based) : {% link https://dev.to/manishfoodtechs/your-complete-online-desktop-hosted-on-server-in-just-5-00-4la5⁠ %}

I hope you people like the above article and learned something. ######IMP REQUEST:

You are most welcome to join my team form for joining ⁠.

Also you are most welcome to join OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENT SYSTEM (OSINT) if you can help in open source project regarding safeguarding humans from various diseases like CORONA outbreak

######https://github.com/Manishfoodtechs/OSINTHRH/wiki⁠

You can do the practice of this article on this server⁠ almost at no cost.

Contact email: Manishfoodtechs@gmail.com⁠.

If you have any problem, our team is also engaged in professional consultancy and delivery.

image credit: manish srivastava

Further Read : x11docker and dx-11 https://dev.to/brickpop/my-dream-come-true-launching-gui-docker-sessions-with-dx11-in-seconds-1a53⁠