Is it possible to run Docker container and show its graphical application window on host?

xorg docker container x11-forwarding

10,144

Solution 1

We need to inform container about running X11 server on host with special syntax [1]:

docker run -e DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix --user="$(id --user):$(id --group)" ubuntu:xclock

where [2]:

-e, --env=[]
Set environment variables
-u, --user=""
Sets the username or UID used and optionally the groupname or GID for the specified command.
-v|--volume[=[[HOST-DIR:]CONTAINER-DIR[:OPTIONS]]]
Create a bind mount. If you specify, -v /HOST-DIR:/CONTAINER-DIR, Docker bind mounts /HOST-DIR in the host to /CONTAINER-DIR in the Docker container. If 'HOST-DIR' is omitted, Docker automatically creates the new volume on the host. The OPTIONS are a comma delimited list and can be:

Reference:

Complete reproducible solution:

mkdir ~/docker-xclock

cat > ~/docker-xclock/Dockerfile << EOF
FROM ubuntu:20.04
RUN apt-get update
RUN apt-get install -y x11-apps
CMD xclock
EOF

docker build -t ubuntu:xclock ~/docker-xclock

docker run -e DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix --user="$(id --user):$(id --group)" ubuntu:xclock

Solution 2

if you're still getting error like:

No protocol specified
Error: Can't open display: :0

make sure you run

$ xhost local:docker

*-from https://github.com/jessfraz/dockerfiles/issues/6#issuecomment-266230114

10,144

Author by

N0rbert

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

N0rbert over 1 year
I have created the simpliest (minimal working example) Dockerfile to run graphical application on my Ubuntu 16.04 LTS host system with 19.10 insider container:
```
mkdir ~/docker-xclock

cat > ~/docker-xclock/Dockerfile << EOF
FROM ubuntu:19.10
RUN apt-get update
RUN apt-get install -y x11-apps
CMD xclock
EOF
```
Then created container with
```
docker build -t ubuntu:xclock ~/docker-xclock
```
When I try to run this container it shows the error about display:
```
$ docker run ubuntu:xclock 
Error: Can't open display: 
```
What is wrong?
- Admin almost 5 years
  
  Is "FROM ubuntu:19.04" correct or a typo?
- Admin almost 4 years
  
  See also Run simple X11 app in docker container on Ubuntu 20.04 if you installed docker with snap.
loxosceles over 3 years

Exits with error message docker: Error response from daemon: manifest for ubuntu:xclock not found: manifest unknown: manifest unknown
N0rbert over 3 years

It is 2021, so 19.10 is EOL. I updated answer above to use 20.04 LTS. Thanks!
Codebling almost 3 years

The switch --user="$(id --user):$(id --group)" did nothing for me (Arch linux), I got the error No protocol specified Error: Can't open display: :0 with or without that option. Running xhost local:docker, as mentioned in the answer below, fixed this for me.
Rutger Hofste over 2 years

Fails for me even after running the xhost command. :(
Rutger Hofste over 2 years

Doesn't work for me on Ubuntu 20.10 :(