Question
How can you run GUI applications in a Linux Docker container?
Are there any images that set up vncserver
or something so that you can -
for example - add an extra speedbump sandbox around say Firefox?
Answer
You can simply install a vncserver along with Firefox :)
I pushed an image, vnc/firefox, here: docker pull creack/firefox-vnc
The image has been made with this Dockerfile:
# Firefox over VNC
#
# VERSION 0.1
# DOCKER-VERSION 0.2
FROM ubuntu:14.04
# Make sure the package repository is up to date
RUN apt-get update
# Install vnc, xvfb in order to create a 'fake' display and firefox
RUN apt-get install -y x11vnc xvfb firefox
RUN mkdir ~/.vnc
# Setup a password
RUN x11vnc -storepasswd 1234 ~/.vnc/passwd
# Autostart firefox (might not be the best way to do it, but it does the trick)
RUN bash -c 'echo "firefox" >> /.bashrc'
This will create a Docker container running VNC with the password 1234
:
For Docker version 18 or newer:
docker run -p 5900:5900 -e HOME=/ creack/firefox-vnc x11vnc -forever -usepw -create
For Docker version 1.3 or newer:
docker run -p 5900 -e HOME=/ creack/firefox-vnc x11vnc -forever -usepw -create
For Docker before version 1.3:
docker run -p 5900 creack/firefox-vnc x11vnc -forever -usepw -create