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I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

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Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#91
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you looked at systemd-nspawn[0]? Its not docker so it wouldn't be useful for writing Dockerfiles but it is light containers that work beautifully with systemd. [0] https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-nspawn

Thanks, this looks awesome! Will play around on my CI/CD first to see if it's any good for the build-server to add trixie builds. Might use in prod deploys later.

Update: I looked at it. Overall it looks very promising on paper.

However, the bootstrapping process is so much work that I've ended up ditching it for now. I don't want to "automate the automation" yet.

Trying out podman now.

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#92
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What issues have you seen recently in the wild where Linux just does not work on a laptop? I have pretty good experiences just putting Ubuntu on old laptops for people who asks me to fix their computer.

For old laptops it's significantly less bad, but definitely old. 5+ years old is usually a good start, though these days it may be better if it's even older. The most significant issues: - Peripherals simply don't work at all , as in, no touchpad or keyboard, or at least no touchscreen. This is definitely an issue with a variety of laptops including some Microsoft Surface and Dell laptops. - Power management . Freque…

Not trying to contradict anything you’re saying, which I agree is true for Microsoft and Dell machines, but to provide an anecdotal counter-example, the Asus Zephyrus, Flow and ProArt lines run pretty well on Linux provided you replace the Realtek WiFi.

One place to check is the nixos-hardware repo for machines with reasonable support.

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#94

> Containers are not isolated Operating Systems: Docker containers share the host kernel. This is what makes them lightweight and great for single services. Whereas desktop environments expect system services like (systemd, logind, udev, DBus) and device access to be available. Containers don’t provide that by default. I thought Docker images always run in a VM on non Linux systems, no? This guy is running Windows on…

They are talking just about what's in the container there, not the whole stack.

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#96
> The usability was surprisingly decent. LibreOffice and GIMP worked fine, although there was a bit of a lag. I would estimate about 70% of native performance, but still very usable.

You can get better performance and lower latency for your remote desktop and eliminate lag by using a gaming-focused remote desktop server, e.g. using Sunshine: https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine .

You will need to give it access to a gpu though.

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#97
This article is bad in a lot of ways, but all of sudden it jumps to running Linux in a browser:

“After my failed custom image attempt, I found a promising XFCE-based Debian image on Docker Hub. I downloaded it in minutes and, with a few commands, launched it. When I opened the URL, I was greeted by a fully functional Linux desktop, running right in my browser. The pure geek joy of seeing a complete OS served from inside a Docker container was a feeling I won’t forget. It worked”

And on Windows, docker for Linux containers is just a VM, so this part isn’t really true:

“Containers are not isolated Operating Systems: Docker containers share the host kernel. This is what makes them lightweight and great for single services. Whereas desktop environments expect system services like (systemd, logind, udev, DBus) and device access to be available. Containers don’t provide that by default

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#98
post #67
post #56

You know, it's funny—I always hear people say they want to keep their Windows-only applications and run Linux alongside it, but I made the switch almost a decade ago and honestly can't say I'm worse off for it. And frankly, there's never been a better time to make that leap; the Linux desktop has finally hit its stride and become genuinely mature, with the polish and features one would expect from a modern operating…

I absolutely love the direction KDE Plasma Wayland session is headed; I think it looks great, it definitely runs great, and it really is just packed with features. I do have some personal KDE gripes I'd like to work on, mainly just improving the KIO fuse integration more, but wow have things progressed fast. Still, I caution people to not just jump to Linux. The actual very first problem is not software. It's hardwar…

> (I personally think it's going to die soon, in a world where ML has advanced to the point where we can probably do realtime aimbots that require absolutely no tampering with the client or the computer

I pray you are right, I fear other bullshit excuses will be found though..

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#99
I do this with Selkies to do Twitch Plays Pokemon, but for Discord

The container runs KDE a web browser that runs an emulator. It's all GPU accelerated.

https://github.com/selkies-project/docker-selkies-glx-deskto...

https://github.com/shepherdjerred/discord-plays-pokemon

Re: I run a full Linux desktop in Docker just because I can

#100
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The remastered C&C used to work but now the launcher crashes. No idea why!

In general, when that happens, I select "force specific compatibility tool" and select the last version, and then it works.

Thanks - I'll give that a try.
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