Docker-Ubuntu-Unity-noVNC

Dockfile for Ubuntu with Unity desktop environment and noVNC.

This Image/Dockerfile aims to create a container for Ubuntu 16.04 with Unity Desktop and using TightVNCServer, noVNC, Ngrok(Optional) which allow user use browser to log in into this container.

How to use?

You can build this Dockerfile yourself:

sudo docker build -t "chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc" .

Or, just pull my image:

sudo docker pull chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc

The default usage of this image is:

sudo docker run -itd -p 80:6080 chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc

Wait for a few seconds, then you can access http://localhost/ and see this screen:

Password

In default, the password will create randomly, to find the password, please using the following command:

sudo docker exec $CONTAINER_ID cat /home/ubuntu/password.txt

And you can use this password to log in into this container.

After log in, you can see this screen:

Arguments

This image contains 3 input argument:

1. Password

   You can set your own user password as you like:

   sudo docker run -itd -p 80:6080 -e PASSWORD=$YOUR_PASSWORD chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc
   

   Now, you can user your own password to log in.

2. Sudo

   In default, the user ubuntu will not be the sudoer, but if you need, you can use this command:

   sudo docker run -itd -p 80:6080 -e SUDO=yes chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc
   

   This command will grant the sudo to user ubuntu.

   And use SUDO=YES, SUDO=Yes, SUDO=Y, SUDO=y are also supported.

   To check the sudo is work , when you open xTerm it should show following message:

   To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
   See "man sudo_root" for details.
   

   

   Caution!! allow your user as sudoer may cause security issues, use it carefully.

3. Ngrok

   Ngrok can be used to deploy localhost to the internet.

   If you need to use this image across the internet, Ngrok is what you need.

   To enable Ngrok, use following command:

   sudo docker run -itd -p 80:6080 -e NGROK=yes chenjr0719/ubuntu-unity-novnc
   

   And find the link address:

   sudo docker exec $CONTAINER_ID cat /home/ubuntu/ngrok/Ngrok_URL.txt
   

   NGROK=YES, NGROK=Yes, NGROK=Y, NGROK=y are also supported.

   Caution!! this will leave the container open and may cause security issues, use it carefully.

Screen size

The default setting of screen siz is 1600x900.

You can change screen by using following command, this will change screen size to 1024x768:

sudo docker exec $CONTAINER_ID sed -i "s|-geometry 1600x900|-geometry 1024x768|g" /etc/supervisor/conf.d/supervisor.conf
sudo docker restart $CONTAINER_ID

Issues

Can't work properly with gnome-terminal, use XTerm in place of it.

Some components of Unity may not work properly with vncserver.

This is not a full virtual machine of ubuntu, hence please keep in mind that not everything will work inside of it.