• First install ds: https://gitlab.com/docker-scripts/ds#installation
• Then get the scripts: ds pull desktop
• Create a dir for the container: ds init desktop @desk.example.org
• Fix the settings: cd /var/ds/desk.example.org/; vim settings.sh
• Make the container: ds make
• Open https://127.0.0.1:444/guac/ (or https://desk.example.org:444/guac/, or https://123.45.67.89:444/guac/) , where 444 is the GUAC_PORT on settings.sh.

You can go inside the docker container and install other packages with apt, like this:

cd /var/ds/desk.example.org/
ds shell
apt install ubuntu-edu-preschool ubuntu-edu-primary firefox
exit

However, in case you rebuild the server (for example with ds remake), you will have to install them again manually. To install them automatically on each rebuild, create a file like /var/ds/desk.example.org/packages with a content like this:

RUN DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
    apt install --yes \
        ubuntu-edu-preschool \
        ubuntu-edu-primary \
        firefox

See also packages.sample.

If the container is in a laptop and there is no wi-fi access point around to enable the connection/communication with other laptops, we can start a hotspot like this:

cd desktop/misc/
./hotspot.sh start test-hotspot pass1234

Or like this:

cd /var/ds/desk.example.org/
ds hotspot start test-hotspot pass1234

Afterwards the server can be accessed on https://10.42.0.1:444/guac/

Note: If you have a firewall, make sure that the port 444 is allowed. For example like this: ufw allow 444.

Note: Depending on the type on the wireless card or the driver that it has, the hotspot may not always work. In this case the most easy way to create a hotspot is with an Android or iPhone.

For this to work, you need to have the container installed on a machine with a public IP (for example on a VPS on the cloud), and to have a domain name for this IP. You also have to set the proper DOMAIN variable on settings.sh (before building the container) and also a proper GMAIL_ADDRESS (or a SMTP_DOMAIN).

The letsencrypt SSL certificate will be managed by the container wsproxy, so this one should be installed as well: https://gitlab.com/docker-scripts/wsproxy#installation

If the desktop container is built after installation of wsproxy, it will try automatically to get a SSL cert as well. Otherwise you can get one manually like this:

cd /var/ds/desk.example.org/
ds @wsproxy get-ssl-cert user@example.org desk.example.org

Note: It is important that the domain is a real one and it is configured properly, otherwise getting a ssl-cert will fail.

The file accounts.txt contains a list of accounts in the form username:password, which are created automatically when the container is created. But they can also be re-created any time with a command like this:

ds inject users.sh create accounts.txt
# or
ds shell
/app/scripts/users.sh create accounts.txt

There are other commands and options available from the script users.sh, which can be used to export, import, backup and restore user accounts: ds inject users.sh --help

In particular, there are shortcuts for making a backup of user accounts and restoring them:

ds backup
ds restore backup/users-20190417.tgz

ds help
ds stop
ds start
ds shell
ds remake

Guacamole allows desktop access to the server from a web browser. Everything runs on the server and the client does not consume any resources, except for a browser tab. This is very convenient because:

• It does not require installation of any additional tools or applications on the client, except a web browser.
• It is cross-platform and universal, the desktop can be accessed from any system, on any architecture.

• Install virtualbox and vagrant: https://www.vagrantup.com/. In bionic (ubuntu-18.04 and its derivatives), they can be installed like this: apt install virtualbox virtualbox-qt vagrant
• Get the code: git clone https://gitlab.com/docker-scripts/desktop
• Customize:

  cd desktop/
  vim settings.sh
  cd vagrant/
  vim settings.sh
  vim pre-config.sh
  vim post-config.sh
  

• Start installation and configuration with: vagrant up. This will also run install.sh inside the virtual machine.
• When installation is finished open: https://127.0.0.1:444/guac/
• To stop and start the virtual machine use vagrant halt and vagrant up. Other vagrant commands that can be used are: vagrant ssh, vagrant destroy, vagrant --help, etc.

• Get the code: git clone https://gitlab.com/docker-scripts/desktop
• Change GUAC_PASS: cd desktop ; vim settings.sh
• Check also vagrant/pre-config.sh and vagrant/post-config.sh
• Start installation: misc/install.sh
• After installation is done open in browser: https://127.0.0.1/guac/

These scripts should be used on a machine that has a fresh installation of Ubuntu-18.04 or a derivative of it (preferably LinuxMint-19).

This machine is supposed to be a dedicated desktop server, not your laptop or a machine that is used for something else as well. It can also be a virtual machine that you manage manually (not with vagrant commands, as explained above).