How to open Ubuntu GUI inside a Docker image

I have downloaded the Ubuntu image inside Docker on Windows.

I can run Ubuntu by:

docker run -it ubuntu

I only see root, but I don't see the Ubuntu GUI. How do I install or configure the GUI for that image and run applications on that GUI like we run in a VM?

VonC

Generally, the approach for developing with Docker is to keep the IDE on the workstation, and build images with the binary produced from the sources.

You can find many example of such a workflow (local compilation, deployment in Docker containers) in domeide.github.io/ (Docker meets the IDE!)
For example: Docker Tools for VisualStudio allows for a tight integration between your editor and Docker processes.

(But this is for Visual Studio 2015, not Visual Studio Code.)

fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop

https://github.com/fcwu/docker-ubuntu-vnc-desktop provides a convenient setup:

docker run --name ubvnc -p 6080:80 -p 5900:5900 dorowu/ubuntu-desktop-lxde-vnc:bionic

Then either:

visit: http://127.0.0.1:6080/#/ which runs a noVNC more limited JavaScript VNC client
run:
```
sudo apt-get install tigervnc-viewer
xtigervncviewer :5900
```
Then inside vinagre, you might want to go into full screen mode to be able to see the full desktop

I also tried vinagre, but it was much laggier when scrolling Firefox on YouTube.

To quit just kill docker on the terminal. And to restart the machine

docker start ubvnc

and then reconnect with VNC. Then to quit the machine:

docker stop ubvnc

You have to wait a few seconds for the VNC server on the guest to start before you can connect.

Chromium won't start from the menu. If you try to launch it from the command line it explains why:

Running as root without --no-sandbox is not supported. See https://crbug.com/638180.

Firefox does not care however.

TODO: no audio. --device /dev/snd did not help: