Windows in a docker container.
- Multi-platform
- ISO downloader
- KVM acceleration
- Web-based viewer
Via docker-compose.yml
version: "3"
services:
windows:
image: dockurr/windows
container_name: windows
devices:
- /dev/kvm
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
ports:
- 8006:8006
- 3389:3389/tcp
- 3389:3389/udp
stop_grace_period: 2m
restart: on-failure
Via docker run
docker run -it --rm -p 8006:8006 --device=/dev/kvm --cap-add NET_ADMIN --stop-timeout 120 dockurr/windows
-
Very simple! These are the steps:
-
Start the container and get some coffee.
-
Connect to port 8006 of the container in your web browser.
-
Sit back and relax while the magic happens, the whole installation will be performed fully automatic.
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Once you see the desktop, your Windows installation is ready for use.
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Enjoy your brand new machine, and don't forget to star this repo!
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-
By default, Windows 11 will be installed. But you can add the
VERSION
environment variable to your compose file, in order to specify an alternative Windows version to download:environment: VERSION: "win11"
Select from the values below:
win11
= Windows 11win10
= Windows 10win81
= Windows 8.1win22
= Windows Server 2022win19
= Windows Server 2019win16
= Windows Server 2016
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By default, 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM are allocated to the container, as those are the minimum requirements of Windows 11.
To increase this, add the following environment variables:
environment: RAM_SIZE: "8G" CPU_CORES: "4"
-
To expand the default size of 64 GB, add the
DISK_SIZE
setting to your compose file and set it to your preferred capacity:environment: DISK_SIZE: "256G"
This can also be used to resize the existing disk to a larger capacity without any data loss.
-
To change the storage location, include the following bind mount in your compose file:
volumes: - /var/win:/storage
Replace the example path
/var/win
with the desired storage folder. -
If you prefer to perform the installation manually, start a clean container with the following environment variable:
environment: MANUAL: "Y"
Then follow these steps:
-
Start the container and connect to port 8006 of the container in your web browser. After the download is finished, you will see the Windows installation screen.
-
Start the installation by clicking
Install now
. On the next screen, press 'OK' when prompted toLoad driver
and select theVirtIO SCSI
driver from the list that matches your Windows version. So for Windows 11, selectD:\amd64\w11\vioscsi.inf
and click 'Next'. -
Accept the license agreement and select your preferred Windows edition, like Home or Pro.
-
Choose
Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
, and clickLoad driver
on the next screen. Select 'Browse' and navigate to theD:\NetKVM\w11\amd64
folder, and click 'OK'. Select theVirtIO Ethernet Adapter
from the list and click 'Next'. -
Select 'Drive 0' and click 'Next'.
-
Wait until Windows finishes copying files and completes the installation.
-
Once you see the desktop, open File Explorer and navigate to the CD-ROM drive (E:). Double-click on
virtio-win-gt-x64.msi
and proceed to install the VirtIO drivers. -
Now your Windows installation is ready for use. Enjoy it, and don't forget to star this repo!
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In order to download a custom ISO image, start a clean container with the URL specified in the
VERSION
environment variable:environment: VERSION: "https://example.com/win.iso"
Alternatively, you can also rename a local file to
custom.iso
and place it in an empty/storage
folder to skip the download. -
It is possible to pass-through disk devices directly by adding them to your compose file in this way:
environment: DEVICE: "/dev/sda" DEVICE2: "/dev/sdb" devices: - /dev/sda - /dev/sdb
Use
DEVICE
if you want it to become your main drive, and useDEVICE2
and higher to add them as secondary drives. -
To verify if your system supports KVM, run the following commands:
sudo apt install cpu-checker sudo kvm-ok
If you receive an error from
kvm-ok
indicating that KVM acceleration can't be used, check the virtualization settings in the BIOS. -
Yes, this project contains only open-source code and does not distribute any copyrighted material. Neither does it try to circumvent any copyright protection measures. So under all applicable laws, this project would be considered legal.
The product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks referred to within this project are the property of their respective trademark holders. This project is not affiliated, sponsored, or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation.