Desktop

Made for Raspberry Pi 3B architecture based devices and compatibles

Docker repository

https://hub.docker.com/r/hilschernetpi/netpi-desktop-hdmi

Container features

The image provided hereunder deploys a container with installed Debian, display server, desktop environment, virtual network computing, remote desktop software and ssh server.

Base of this image builds debian with installed HDMI display server X.org and a desktop environment Xfce turning the device in a desktop PC. The ALSA audio sound package outputs on HDMI. The REALVNC server enables the access from remote via VNC clients, while the AnyDesk server the access over the internet.

Container hosts

The container has been successfully tested on the following hosts

• netPI, model RTE 3, product name NIOT-E-NPI3-51-EN-RE
• netPI, model CORE 3, product name NIOT-E-NPI3-EN
• netIOT Connect, product name NIOT-E-TPI51-EN-RE
• netFIELD Connect, product name NIOT-E-TPI51-EN-RE/NFLD
• Raspberry Pi, model 3B

netPI devices specifically feature a restricted Docker protecting the Docker host system software's integrity by maximum. The restrictions are

• privileged mode is not automatically adding all host devices /dev/ to a container
• volume bind mounts to rootfs is not supported
• the devices /dev,/dev/mem,/dev/sd*,/dev/dm*,/dev/mapper,/dev/mmcblk* cannot be added to a container

Container setup

Environment variable (optional)

The container binds the SSH server port to 22 by default.

For an alternative port use the environment variable SSHPORT with the desired port number as value.

Port mapping, network mode

The container needs to run in host network mode.

This mode makes port mapping unnecessary. The following TCP/UDP container ports are exposed to the host automatically

Used port	Protocol	By application	Remark
22 or SSHPORT	TCP	SSH server
5900	TCP	VNC server

Host devices

The following host devices need to be added to the container

• for HDMI support the devices /dev/tty0,/dev/tty2,/dev/fb0
• for mouse and keyboard support the device /dev/input
• for sound over HDMI support the device /dev/snd

Privileged mode

The privileged mode option needs to be activated to lift the standard Docker enforced container limitations. With this setting the container and the applications inside are the getting (almost) all capabilities as if running on the Host directly.

Container deployment

Pulling the image may take 10 minutes.

netPI example

STEP 1. Open netPI's web UI in your browser (https).

STEP 2. Click the Docker tile to open the Portainer.io Docker management user interface.

STEP 3. Enter the following parameters under Containers > + Add Container

Parameter	Value	Remark
Image	hilschernetpi/netpi-desktop-hdmi
Network > Network	Host
Restart policy	always
Adv.con.set. > Env > +add env.var.	name SSHPORT -> value any number value	optional for different SSH port
Adv.con.set. > Devices > +add device	Host path /dev/tty0 -> Container path /dev/tty0
Adv.con.set. > Devices > +add device	Host path /dev/tty2 -> Container path /dev/tty2
Adv.con.set. > Devices > +add device	Host path /dev/fb0 -> Container path /dev/fb0
Adv.con.set. > Devices > +add device	Host path /dev/input -> Container path /dev/input
Adv.con.set. > Devices > +add device	Host path /dev/snd -> Container path /dev/snd
Adv.con.set. > Privileged mode	On

STEP 4. Press the button Actions > Start/Deploy container

Docker command line example

docker run -d --privileged --network=host --restart=always -e SSHPORT=22 --device=/dev/tty0:/dev/tty0 --device=/dev/tty2:/dev/tty2 --device=/dev/fb0:/dev/fb0 --device=/dev/input:/dev/input --device=/dev/snd:/dev/snd -p 22:22/tcp -p 5900:5900 hilschernetpi/netpi-desktop-hdmi

Docker compose example

A docker-compose.yml file could look like this

version: "2"

services:
 desktop:
   image: hilschernetpi/netpi-desktop-hdmi
   restart: always
   privileged: true
   network_mode: host
   ports:
     - 22:22
     - 5900:5900
   devices:
     - "/dev/tty0:/dev/tty0"
     - "/dev/tty2:/dev/tty2"
     - "/dev/fb0:/dev/fb0"
     - "/dev/input:/dev/input"
     - "/dev/snd:/dev/snd"
   environment:
     - SSHPORT=22

Container access

The container starts the desktop over HDMI, the SSH server, the VNC server and AnyDesk automatically when deployed.

Make sure you have a mouse and keyboard connected before you deploy the container else they are not recognized by it.

A HDMI monitor in general will only be recognized if it was already connected when the device is powered else the screen remains black.

ssh

For an SSH terminal session use an SSH client such as putty with the Docker host IP address (@port number 22 or SSHPORT or bridge mode mapped one).

Use the credentials testuser as user and mypassword as password when asked and you are logged in as non-root user testuser.

Continue to use Linux commands in the terminal as usual.

VNC

Control the desktop with any VNC client over port 5900. The REALVNC viewer works right away. For others like UltraVNC change the authentication method in the server/options/security/authentication settings from UNIX password to VNC password.

AnyDesk

Control the desktop over the internet with AnyDesk software. Use the This Desk ID shown on the desktop in the AnyDesk software Remote Desk ID field to connect. Accept the connection on the desktop afterwards.

License

Copyright (c) Hilscher Gesellschaft fuer Systemautomation mbH. All rights reserved. Licensed under the LISENSE.txt file information stored in the project's source code repository.

As with all Docker images, these likely also contain other software which may be under other licenses (such as Bash, etc from the base distribution, along with any direct or indirect dependencies of the primary software being contained). As for any pre-built image usage, it is the image user's responsibility to ensure that any use of this image complies with any relevant licenses for all software contained within.

Hilscher Gesellschaft fuer Systemautomation mbH www.hilscher.com