Gist containing simple Dockerfile and steps to run GUI from a docker container

Dockerfile

#FROM python:3.7 ## Works with either of the base images. Size is larger with Python due to there being python2.7 too
FROM ubuntu:18.10

RUN apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y

RUN apt-get install python3-dev python3-pip -y
RUN apt-get install python3-gi -y && \
    apt-get install gir1.2-gtk-3.0 -y && \
    apt-get install gir1.2-appindicator3-0.1 -y

RUN apt-get install python3-gi-cairo -y

RUN apt install libgirepository1.0-dev -y #libcanberra-gtk3-module

RUN pip3 install pygobject
# Any GUI app script of your choice
COPY switch.py appindicator.py /

CMD ["python3", "switch.py"]

steps.md

COMMANDS to run the contianer and see the GUI pop out of it

• sudo docker run --rm -it --net=host --env="DISPLAY" --volume="$HOME/.Xauthority:/root/.Xauthority:rw" 0e72e15e1897 after xhost local:root
• sudo docker run -ti --rm -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix f7c377161291 also works after xhost local:root

OR the latest and the correct way to do this is as follows -

1. Add these two lines to your Dockerfile:

   • RUN apt-get install -qqy x11-apps
   • ENV DISPLAY $DISPLAY

2. then run the container as follows -
   xauth nlist $DISPLAY | sed -e 's/^..../ffff/' | xauth -f /tmp/.docker.xauth nmerge - && docker run -it -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix -v /tmp/.docker.xauth:/tmp/.docker.xauth -e XAUTHORITY=/tmp/.docker.xauth -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY <docker image name>

Or you can shorten it and run it like this too -

• XSOCK=/tmp/.X11-unix
• XAUTH=/tmp/.docker.xauth
• xauth nlist $DISPLAY | sed -e 's/^..../ffff/' | xauth -f $XAUTH nmerge -
• sudo docker run --rm -ti -v $XSOCK:$XSOCK -v $XAUTH:$XAUTH -e XAUTHORITY=$XAUTH -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY <docker image name>