Windows
[![Build]][build_url]
[![Version]][tag_url]
[![Size]][tag_url]
[![Pulls]][hub_url]
Windows in a Docker container.
## Features
- ISO downloader
- KVM acceleration
- Web-based viewer
## Video
[](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGYobuG508)
## Usage
Via Docker Compose:
```yaml
version: "3"
services:
windows:
image: dockurr/windows
container_name: windows
environment:
VERSION: "win11"
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 CLI:
```bash
docker run -it --rm --name windows -p 8006:8006 --device=/dev/kvm --cap-add NET_ADMIN --stop-timeout 120 dockurr/windows
```
## FAQ
* ### How do I use it?
Very simple! These are the steps:
- Start the container and connect to [port 8006](http://localhost:8006) using your web browser.
- Sit back and relax while the magic happens, the whole installation will be performed fully automatic.
- Once you see the desktop, your Windows installation is ready for use.
Enjoy your brand new machine, and don't forget to star this repo!
* ### How do I select the Windows version?
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 be downloaded:
```yaml
environment:
VERSION: "win11"
```
Select from the values below:
| **Value** | **Version** | **Size** |
|---|---|---|
| `win11` | Windows 11 Pro | 6.4 GB |
| `win11e` | Windows 11 Enterprise | 5.8 GB |
| `win10` | Windows 10 Pro | 5.8 GB |
| `ltsc10` | Windows 10 LTSC | 4.6 GB |
| `win10e` | Windows 10 Enterprise | 5.2 GB |
| `win81` | Windows 8.1 Pro | 4.2 GB |
| `win81e` | Windows 8.1 Enterprise | 3.8 GB |
| `win7` | Windows 7 Enterprise | 3.0 GB |
| `vista` | Windows Vista Enterprise | 3.0 GB |
| `winxp` | Windows XP Professional | 0.6 GB |
||||
| `2022` | Windows Server 2022 | 4.7 GB |
| `2019` | Windows Server 2019 | 5.3 GB |
| `2016` | Windows Server 2016 | 6.5 GB |
| `2012` | Windows Server 2012 | 4.3 GB |
| `2008` | Windows Server 2008 | 3.0 GB |
||||
| `core11` | Tiny 11 Core | 2.1 GB |
| `tiny11` | Tiny 11 | 3.8 GB |
| `tiny10` | Tiny 10 | 3.6 GB |
To install ARM64 versions of Windows use [dockur/windows-arm](https://github.com/dockur/windows-arm/).
* ### How do I change the storage location?
To change the storage location, include the following bind mount in your compose file:
```yaml
volumes:
- /var/win:/storage
```
Replace the example path `/var/win` with the desired storage folder.
* ### How do I change the size of the disk?
To expand the default size of 64 GB, add the `DISK_SIZE` setting to your compose file and set it to your preferred capacity:
```yaml
environment:
DISK_SIZE: "256G"
```
This can also be used to resize the existing disk to a larger capacity without any data loss.
* ### How do I share files with the host?
Open 'File Explorer' and click on the 'Network' section, you will see a computer called `host.lan`. Double-click it and it will show a folder called `Data`, which can be binded to any folder on your host via the compose file:
```yaml
volumes:
- /home/user/example:/shared
```
The example folder `/home/user/example` will be available as ` \\host.lan\Data`. You can optionally map this path to a drive letter in Windows, for easier access.
* ### How do I install a custom image?
In order to download any ISO image that is not part of the list above, start a fresh container with the URL of that ISO specified in the `VERSION` environment variable, for example:
```yaml
environment:
VERSION: "https://example.com/win.iso"
```
Alternatively, you can also use a local file directly, and skip the download altogether, by binding it in your compose file in this way:
```yaml
volumes:
- /home/user/example.iso:/custom.iso
```
Replace the example path `/home/user/example.iso` with the filename of your desired ISO file. The value of `VERSION` will be ignored in this case.
* ### How do I customize the installation?
If you want to modify the settings used during the automatic installation, you can do this by editing the answer file corresponding to your Windows edition, for example [win11x64.xml](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dockur/windows/master/assets/win11x64.xml) in the case of Windows 11 Pro.
Apply your modifications to it, and add this line to your compose file:
```yaml
volumes:
- /home/user/example.xml:/custom.xml
```
Replace the example path `/home/user/example.xml` with the filename of the modified XML file.
* ### How do I run a script after installation?
To run your own script after installation, you can create a file called `install.bat` and place it in a folder together with other files it needs (programs to install for example). Then bind it in your compose file like this:
```yaml
volumes:
- /home/user/example:/oem
```
The example folder `/home/user/example` will be copied to `C:\OEM` during installation and the containing `install.bat` will be executed during the last step.
* ### How do I perform a manual installation?
It's best to use the automatic installation, as it optimizes various settings for use with this container. These tweaks will give you maximum performance and prevent common issues.
However, if you insist on performing the installation manually, start a fresh container with the following environment variable:
```yaml
environment:
MANUAL: "Y"
```
Then follow these steps:
- Start the container and connect to [port 8006](http://localhost: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 to `Load driver` and select the `VirtIO SCSI` driver from the list that matches your Windows version. So for Windows 11, select `D:\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 click `Load driver` on the next screen. Select 'Browse' and navigate to the `D:\NetKVM\w11\amd64` folder, and click 'OK'. Select the `VirtIO 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.
Enjoy your brand new machine, and don't forget to star this repo!
* ### How do I verify if my system supports KVM?
To verify if your system supports KVM, run the following commands:
```bash
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.
* ### How do I increase the amount of CPU or RAM?
By default, 2 CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM are allocated to the container, as those are the minimum requirements of Windows 11.
If there arises a need to increase this, add the following environment variables:
```yaml
environment:
RAM_SIZE: "8G"
CPU_CORES: "4"
```
* ### How do I connect using RDP?
The web-viewer is mainly meant to be used during installation, as its picture quality is low, and it has no audio or clipboard for example.
So for a better experience you can connect using any Microsoft Remote Desktop client to the IP of the container, using the username `docker` and by leaving the password empty.
There is a good RDP client for [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.rdc.androidx) available from the Play Store and one for [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id714464092?l=en-GB) in the Apple Store. For Linux you can use [FreeRDP](https://www.freerdp.com/) and on Windows just type `mstsc` in the search box.
* ### How do I assign an individual IP address to the container?
By default, the container uses bridge networking, which shares the IP address with the host.
If you want to assign an individual IP address to the container, you can create a macvlan network as follows:
```bash
docker network create -d macvlan \
--subnet=192.168.0.0/24 \
--gateway=192.168.0.1 \
--ip-range=192.168.0.100/28 \
-o parent=eth0 vlan
```
Be sure to modify these values to match your local subnet.
Once you have created the network, change your compose file to look as follows:
```yaml
services:
windows:
container_name: windows
....
networks:
vlan:
ipv4_address: 192.168.0.100
networks:
vlan:
external: true
```
An added benefit of this approach is that you won't have to perform any port mapping anymore, since all ports will be exposed by default.
Please note that this IP address won't be accessible from the Docker host due to the design of macvlan, which doesn't permit communication between the two. If this is a concern, you need to create a [second macvlan](https://blog.oddbit.com/post/2018-03-12-using-docker-macvlan-networks/#host-access) as a workaround.
* ### How can Windows acquire an IP address from my router?
After configuring the container for macvlan (see above), it is possible for Windows to become part of your home network by requesting an IP from your router, just like a real PC.
To enable this mode, add the following lines to your compose file:
```yaml
environment:
DHCP: "Y"
devices:
- /dev/vhost-net
device_cgroup_rules:
- 'c *:* rwm'
```
Please note that in this mode, the container and Windows will each have their own separate IPs. The container will keep the macvlan IP, and Windows will use the DHCP IP.
* ### How do I add multiple disks?
To create additional disks, modify your compose file like this:
```yaml
environment:
DISK2_SIZE: "32G"
DISK3_SIZE: "64G"
volumes:
- /home/example:/storage2
- /mnt/data/example:/storage3
```
* ### How do I pass-through a disk?
It is possible to pass-through disk devices directly by adding them to your compose file in this way:
```yaml
devices:
- /dev/sdb:/disk1
- /dev/sdc:/disk2
```
Use `/disk1` if you want it to become your main drive, and use `/disk2` and higher to add them as secondary drives.
* ### How do I pass-through a USB device?
To pass-through a USB device, first lookup its vendor and product id via the `lsusb` command, then add them to your compose file like this:
```yaml
environment:
ARGUMENTS: "-device usb-host,vendorid=0x1234,productid=0x1234"
devices:
- /dev/bus/usb
```
* ### Is this project legal?
Yes, this project contains only open-source code and does not distribute any copyrighted material. Any product keys found in the code are just generic placeholders provided by Microsoft for trial purposes. So under all applicable laws, this project would be considered legal.
## Stars
[](https://starchart.cc/dockur/windows)
## Disclaimer
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.
[build_url]: https://github.com/dockur/windows/
[hub_url]: https://hub.docker.com/r/dockurr/windows/
[tag_url]: https://hub.docker.com/r/dockurr/windows/tags
[Build]: https://github.com/dockur/windows/actions/workflows/build.yml/badge.svg
[Size]: https://img.shields.io/docker/image-size/dockurr/windows/latest?color=066da5&label=size
[Pulls]: https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/dockurr/windows.svg?style=flat&label=pulls&logo=docker
[Version]: https://img.shields.io/docker/v/dockurr/windows/latest?arch=amd64&sort=semver&color=066da5
