Xorg support for containers?

[verulian]

Is it possible to run a full desktop distribution of Linux (ie, Xubuntu) as a container in Proxmox? Or does it have to be a virtual machine with virtualized graphics that may not be available to containers?

 

[mikesrus]

yes, you can use Xubuntu desktop.
We use Xubuntu LXC container as terminal server for some bugaltery software

 

[verulian]

Interesting, can you explain how to get xorg working in a container? For example, I installed the Ubuntu 18.04 container as per the available template from Proxmox. I then did a `tasksel install xubuntu-desktop` and it installed Xubuntu Desktop just fine, however when I attempted to start xorg I hit errors. I suddenly thought or realized that perhaps this would have trouble running as a container... Is there a particular process to follow to get it working properly and to show up in the Proxmox container Console?

 

[mikesrus]

We use x2go for access server via network. We don't start xorg in local console.

 

[verulian]

So what would you do in a case where you need to maintain open some apps that execute and need to stay running in xorg?

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding as I'm thinking that x2go doesn't "stay" running on the server side as far as graphical interface provisioning goes and only instantiates when a client connects.

 

[mikesrus]

 

[mikesrus]

So what would you do in a case where you need to maintain open some apps that execute and need to stay running in xorg?

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding as I'm thinking that x2go doesn't "stay" running on the server side as far as graphical interface provisioning goes and only instantiates when a client connects.

applications don't closed after disconnect from server. clients able reconnect to server and software still running on it.

 

[verulian]

That's excellent and seems simple enough to get going. I was able to simply `apt install x2goserver` and pretty much get it going.

One question I guess I have is how would you initiate some kind of graphical app to start at system boot? For example, if I want the container to run at boot and to execute a graphical app in a session that needs to start up before any user logs in manually (let's say a VPN connection tool), then is there a way to do this?

 

[mikesrus]

hmm i just reboot server, and see that DE (xfce etc) or DM (GDM etc) not start before users login (and users can user different DE on server) so yu can't start some software before session
and after login still no DM process

 

[verulian]

Yes I see this too. I'm trying to figure out a way to get it to start automatically somehow, but I'm not seeing a solution yet.

 

[tom]

See also the following thread about the similar topic.

https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/install-gui-with-lxc-container.36326/

 

[verulian]

Thanks @tom! Good to see others doing this, but one thing it doesn't seem to cover is the latter portion of this discussion regarding starting xorg at system start with accompanying GUI apps (without requiring user interaction).

 

[verulian]

I'm wondering if there's any way to use the information in this post to perhaps help add this functionality to facilitate this:
https://blog.simos.info/how-to-easi...pps-in-lxd-containers-on-your-ubuntu-desktop/