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Ubuntu-workspace
ubuntu-workspace is an enhanced Ubuntu image for convenient interactive work with Ubuntu running inside a docker container,
creating a feeling of a virtual machine. It has docker-in-docker, python, node, cron, supervisord, z-shell and other packages set up for convenient
work directly insde a running docker container.
Contents
Use-cases
Primarily intended as an advanced Ubuntu terminal that runs anywhere, this workspace works best when you need interactive linux, python or node shell for ad-hock tasks.
Ubuntu workspace is also a basis for building more sophisticated workspaces with UI interfaces.
Ubuntu-workspace even can be used as a development environment for those who prefer developing directly in the terminal. For those who like more convenient IDE there are more suitable workspaces.
Getting started
In order to avoid confusion, the following convention is adopted:
command to execute outside of the workspace
command to execute inside the workspace (after entering running docker container)
docker run --name space-1 -d -p 8026:8026 alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
and open your browser on http://localhost:8026
You can also ssh into the running workspace container from your console
docker exec -it space-1 /bin/zsh
If you don't want to use z-shell
docker exec -it space-1 /bin/bash
You can work in Ubuntu via terminal now.
Ports
In the example above, the workspace container was started with a port mapping "-p 8026:8026" in order to expose WEB-based terminal. This might be useful if you are planning to move your workspace to cloud server or prefer web-based terminal. If you are planning to work only locally and prefer your console, you might not need it, and you can start workspace without any port mappings
docker run --name space-1 -d alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
It might be the case that some applications will be installed and launched inside the workspace. In order to use those applications outside the workspace, it is necessary to add more port mappings. For example, assume we are planning to install application inside the workspace with web-ui on port 19011
docker run --name space-1 -d -p 8026:8026 -p 19011:19011 alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
It is not a problem if you don't expose any ports, but later on realise you need them - you will just create new image, and run it exposing the required port (look in the section Create new image)
Run as root
The default user is abc with passwordless sudo to install packages. If you'd rather work as root, then you should ssh into running container as
docker exec -it --user=root space-1 /bin/zsh
You can of course open several terminals to the same running containner as both abc and root users at the same time.
Docker in docker
It is possible to work with docker directly from the workspace.
docker run --name space-1 -d -p 8026:8026 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
NOTE: in order to use docker in docker you need to or enter into the workspace container as root
docker exec -it --user=root space-1 /bin/zsh
Features
In order to make working in the ubuntu-workspace more convenient, some terminal-based tools are installed. They make it easier to browse files, check running processes and resource utilisation and edit text files.
Explore file system with Midnight Commander
mc
Launch system-monitor, process-viewer and process-manager
htop
Explore file/folder sizes
ncdu
Text editors vim, nano and mcedit are available. For example, clone git repo and edit python file with nano
git clone https://github.com/dimaba/sendmail.git
cd sendmail
nano sendmail.py
mcedit sendmail.py
Install new packages
Install new packages with sudo apt install, for example emacs
sudo apt install emacs
Schedule jobs with cron
Schedule execution of any task with cron. Create cron task with
crontab -e
(chose [1] nano as editor) In the end of the opened file add line
* * * * * echo $(whoami) >> /home/cron.txt
This will print every minute username to file /home/cron.txt . Ctrl+X to exit nano
Hint: example of cron job definition: .---------------- minute (0 - 59) | .------------- hour (0 - 23) | | .---------- day of month (1 - 31) | | | .------- month (1 - 12) OR jan,feb,mar,apr ... | | | | .---- day of week (0 - 6) (Sunday=0 or 7) OR sun,mon,tue,wed,thu,fri,sat | | | | | * * * * * command to be executed
NOTE you can disconnect from the image and close terminal. cron will continue working.
Python
Python and Pip are installed. To start python console simply execute
python
Install python package with pip
pip install pandas
Install and start ipython
pip install ipython
ipython
Create and activate virtual environment called 'my_env'
mkdir /home/pytest
cd /home/pytest && python -m venv my_env
source my_env/bin/activate
Node.js
Use nodeenv to create different node environments. For example, create folder npmgui, and activate environment with node v. 12.18.3 and npm v.6.0.0
cd /home
mkdir npmgui; cd npmgui
nodeenv --node=12.18.3 --npm=6.0.0 env
Let's install package and start node application
. env/bin/activate && npm i -g npm-gui
npm-gui 0.0.0.0:19011
Open your browser on http://localhost:19011/
(This is why we made a port mapping with "-p 19011:19011")
NOTE If you close terminal, the application will stop. Find how to run applications permanently in the section Run applications permanently
Manage workspaces
Workspace is just a docker container. You can start, stop, delete and do anything ypou can do with docker images and containers.
Essentially, there are two concepts: images and containers. Images are workspace blueprints. alnoda/ubuntu-workspace is an image. When you execute this command
docker run --name space-1 -p 8026:8026 -d alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
you create container called space-1 from the image alnoda/ubuntu-workspace. You can create any number of containers.
Container - is your workspace. You can start, stop annd delete them.
From the workspace (which is a container) you can create new image. This is called committing. Essentially, this means "take my workspace and create new image with all the changes I've done in my workspace"
Start and stop containers
The workspace started in daemon mode will continue working in the background.
See all the running docker containers
docker ps
Stop workspace
docker stop space-1
Workspace is stopped. All the processes and cron jobs are not running.
See all docker conntainers, including stopped
docker ps -a
Start workspace again. Processes and cron jobs are resumed.
docker start space-1
Delete workspace container (all work will be lost)
docker rm space-1
Create new image
Having made changes, you can commit them creating new image of the workspace. In order to create new workspace image with the name "space-image" and version "0.2" execute
docker commit space-1 space-image:0.2
Run new workspace with
docker run --name space2 -d space-image:0.2
The new workspace accommodates all the changes that you've made in your space-1. Hence you can have versions of your workspaces. Create different versions before the important changes.
Manage images
See all docker images
docker images
Delete workspace image entirely
docker rmi -f alnoda/ubuntu-workspace
NOTE: you cannot delete image if there is a running container created from it. Stop container first.
Save and load images
After you commit workspace container, and create new image out of it, you can push it to your docker registry or save it as a file.
SAVING IMAGE AS FILE
Assuming you created new image space-image:0.4 from your workspace, you can save it as a tar file
docker save space-image:0.4 > space-image-0.4.tar
We can delete the image with
docker rmi -f space-image:0.4
And restore it from the tar file
docker load < space-image-0.4.tar
PUSHING IMAGE TO YOUR REGISTRY
A better way to manage images is docker registries. You can use docker registries in multiple clouds. They are cheap annd very convenient.
Check out for example, Registry in DigitalOcean or in Scaleway container registry. There are more.
Pushing image to registry is merely 2 extra commands: 1) tag image; 2) push image
You will be able to pull image on any device, local or cloud.
Move workspace to the cloud
Giving ways to save image described in section Save and load images it is obviously easy to move your complete local workspace to the cloud.
You will typically do this when you need extra power of a cloud server, or you cwant to schedule your jobs to run when
your laptop is shut down.
Collaborate and share workspaces
Same as with moving worspaces to the cloud - it is trivial to share workspaces with the peers:
- share workspace saved as a file
- share common docker registry
- start workspace in cloud and collaborate in real time
Extra features
Java
Java is not installed. It can be installed as easy as
sudo apt-get install openjdk-8-jre
You will most likely need environmental variable JAVA_HOME being permanently set. To do this we will need to create new image committing ENV variable
docker commit --change "ENV JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/" space-1 space-image:0.3
Run applications permanently
If you want application to keep running after terminal is closed start it with "&!" at the end. For example, the application we started in the previous section (NodeJs) should be started like this
npm-gui 0.0.0.0:19011 &!
Now, if you disconnect from the workspace and close terminal, the application will still continue running in the workspace, untill the workspace is fully stopped (look in the section "Stop workspace").
If you want application to run permanently all the time, ewhen the workspace container restarted and even on all the new images created from this workspace, use supervisord. Read here how to create configuration file for supervisord
For example, in case we want to make npm-gui running permanently, create file with any name and extension .conf in the folder /etc/supervisord
nano /etc/supervisord/npm-gui.conf
Paste the following
[program:npm-gui]
directory=/home/npmgui
command=/bin/sh -c " . env/bin/activate && npm-gui 0.0.0.0:19011 "
And create folder for logs
mkdir -p /home/log
Create new workspace image with all the changes
docker commit space-1 space-image:0.4
Stop currently running workspace
docker stop space-1
And run workspace from the newly-created image
docker run --name space-4 -d -p 19011:19011 space-image:0.4
The application is running and can be accessed on localhost:19011
It will be running even if you stop the container, or commit it and create new images