How to run JavaFX on Docker

TL; DR

Install VcXsrv and add the following to your Dockerfile.

Command to add to Dockerfile

ENV DISPLAY host.docker.internal:0.0
RUN apt-get install openjfx

Introduction

I want to run a JavaFX application inside a Docker container!

I think many people think so. I am one of them.

At that time, I ran into some problems.

• Build does not pass if only the base image of openjdk
• I don't know how to get the GUI screen inside the container out of the container

Here we will solve the above problem.

Build does not pass if only the base image of openjdk

You need to install the openjfx package.

Since Java 9, which was split into Oracle JDK and OpenJDK, OpenJDK no longer includes JavaFX packages. Originally, the openjdk package and openjfx package should be introduced in Sarah's base image, but the base image published by openjdk does not include the openjfx package.

The following description is required in the Dockerfile.

Install the openjfx package

RUN apt-get install openjfx

If you want to write it neatly, you should write it as follows.

Cleanly install the openjfx package

RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
      openjfx \
    && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

OpenJFX can not be used anymore · Issue #323 · docker-library/openjdk https://github.com/docker-library/openjdk/issues/323

rburgst/java8-openjfx-docker: openjdk8 container including openjfx https://github.com/rburgst/java8-openjfx-docker

I don't know how to get the GUI screen inside the container out of the container

The screen inside the container is displayed only inside the container. This means that it is usually impossible to see from outside the container.

But that's Docker, it's not doing nothing. There is a method to output the GUI screen inside the container to the outside of the container.

For details, refer to the following web page.

Install VcXsrv

Install VcXsrv.

This software is like an X-Server emulator and can display WSL GUI apps.

Display Linux GUI on Win10 with WSL and VcXsrv https://www.usagi1975.com/201903021706/

Setting the environment variable DISPLAY

The environment variable DISPLAY is the output destination of the GUI screen displayed by the x window system inside the container. Let's set this to host.docker.internal: 0.0.

Setting the environment variable DISPLAY

ENV DISPLAY host.docker.internal:0.0

Run GUI app inside Docker for windows container --FILES = 0 https://fileszero.kimurak.net/2019-04-18-docker-and-gui-on-windows/

DISPLAY-What are you going to do? https://sites.google.com/site/teyasn001/ubuntu-12-10/huan-jing-bian-shudisplay

Fly windows from local to remote X server-Qiita https://qiita.com/kkk627/items/8db34266722488eae412

In summary, the mechanism is as follows.

1. Output the screen from the container to host.docker.internal: 0.0
2. VcXsrv outside the container is the recipient of host.docker.internal: 0.0
3. VcXsrv outputs GUI screen on the screen

in conclusion

The JavaFX app I created is made by Gradle, so it will be as follows.

Example

FROM gradle:5.5-jdk11

ENV DISPLAY host.docker.internal:0.0

RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
      openjfx \
    && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

RUN git clone https://github.com/morichan/retuss.git

WORKDIR retuss

RUN gradle build

CMD ["gradle", "run"]

Please refer to it.

docker-images/retuss-docker at master · Morichan/docker-images https://github.com/Morichan/docker-images/tree/master/retuss-docker

Morichan/Retuss: Real-time Ensure Traceability between UML and Source-code System https://github.com/Morichan/Retuss