x11docker on MS Windows

x11docker on MS Windows

x11docker can run natively on MS Windows electively in one of:

• MSYS2
• Cygwin
• WSL (Windows subsystem for Linux)

Although it basically works, x11docker misses some features available on Linux and cannot be guaranteed to be as reliable as on Linux. However, running in a Linux VM instead of running natively on Windows is fully supported.

• To install x11docker in one of MSYS2, Cygwin or WSL follow the general installation instructions.
  • NOTE: The described "shortest way" fails in latest release in WSL with sudo. Try instead:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mviereck/x11docker/master/x11docker | sudo bash -s -- --update-master

X server

x11docker needs an X server on MS Windows.

• Install X server VcXsrv on Windows into C:/Program Files/VcXsrv.
  • Allows x11docker option --vcxsrv. x11docker will autodetect it.
• Alternative for Cygwin users: X server Xwin. Install xinit package in Cygwin.
  • Allows x11docker option --xwin. x11docker will autodetect it.

Sound

For sound with option --pulseaudio install Cygwin in C:/cygwin64 with package pulseaudio. x11docker will use it for sound in MSYS2 and WSL, too.

GPU

Hardware acceleration with option --gpu is basically possible. However, some OpenGL application crash, e.g. glxgears. With GPU's from NVIDIA the X server freezes entirely. Compare bug ticket #148. If you need hardware accelerated graphics, try out if it works for you. You can run some GPU checks with image x11docker/check.

Run e.g. x11docker --gpu x11docker/check and try out the checkboxes in the GPU tab.

Troubleshooting

• Firewall settings in Windows can cause issues for container applications accessing the X server. If everything starts up without an obvious error, but no application window appears, have a look at issue ticket #108.
• To fix possible error message Error response from daemon: error while creating mount source path: mkdir /host_mnt/c: file exists. have a look at issue ticket #104.
• Error messages like ./x11docker: line 2: $'\r': command not found indicate a wrong line ending conversion from git. Run dos2unix x11docker one time to fix it.

Constraints

Not all x11docker options are implemented on MS Windows. E. g. --webcam and --printer do not work.