Creating a Cloud Linux Desktop environment on the Threefold Grid
The End Result of This Tutorial
An often requested feature is desktop environments hosted on the Threefold Grid. I have recently found a viable solution solution to this using relatively user friendly tools and this will be a tutorial on how how you can accomplish the same.
For this tutorial we will be using a
- Full VM deployment with 4 cores, 4096 mb of ram and 50 gb of storage
- Ubuntu 22.04 image
- Chrome Remote Desktop
- Putty / SSH client of your choice.
Steps to Complete the Project (click to expand)
Update and Upgrade Your VM
After Connecting to your VM via SSH, run these commands in your terminal for Ubuntu 22.04
apt update && apt upgrade -y
If you encouter an error about a grub update on a pink screen, simply press yes and proceed, this is a incompatability between that update and the hypervisor firmware, it will not affect peformance, but this error can be avoided by running this command prior to updating
apt-mark hold grub-efi-amd64-signed
Jump to Update and Upgrade Your VM Video Section
Jump to Update and Upgrade Your Expected Behavior Section
Console Input
Command Success
Restart Your VM
reboot -f
Jump to Restart Your VM Video Section
Install the Desktop Enviroment
Once you have update your VM you will want to run this command, this is a large download and the install takes awhile
apt install ubuntu-desktop
Jump to Install the Desktop Enviroment Video Section
Download Chrome Remote Desktop
Now we will download the software package that will install the chrome remote desktop extension
wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/chrome-remote-desktop_current_amd64.deb
Jump to Download Chrome Remote Desktop Video Section
Install Chrome Remote Desktop
Now We will install the package the package we just downloaded from the directory we downloaded it to (should be where you are)
apt-get install --assume-yes ./chrome-remote-desktop_current_amd64.deb
Jump to Install Chrome Remote Desktop Video Section
Set Desktop Environment Display Manager For Chrome
bash -c echo “exec /etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/gnome-session” > /etc/chrome-remote-desktop-session’
Jump to Set Desktop Environment Display Manager For Chrome Video Section
Create A New User
adduser parker
Jump to Create A New User Video Section
Jump to Create A New User Expected Behavior Section
Console Input
Command Success
Make User a Sudoer
usermod -aG sudo parker
Jump to Make User a Sudoer Video Section
Jump to Make User a Sudoer Expected Behavior Section
Console Input
Command Success
Restart Your VM
reboot -f
Jump to Restart Your VM Video Section
Get Command From Chrome Web Browser Under Add By SSH
Go to https://remotedesktop.google.com/ and login/create account as necessary
then select setup via ssh
follow the prompts begin->
next->
authorize
Copy the Debian\linux box
Jump to Get Command From Chrome Web Browser Under Add By SSH Video Section
Return to Your VM Console and Switch To Your User
su parker
Jump to Return to Your VM Console and Switch To Your User Video Section
Jump to Return to Your VM Console and Switch To Your User Expected Behavior Section
Console Input
Command Success
Paste The Key From The Browser Into Your VMs Console
you should now be able to login into your into Linux desktop by returning to the remote access tab.