Windows

What it is

Windows, from the dockur project, is a container image that runs a copy of Windows inside Docker. You start the container, and it downloads the Windows version you chose and installs it without asking you anything. You watch the install in a browser on port 8006, and when the desktop appears the machine is ready. With KVM on the host, the README promises near-native performance. The Windows disk lives in a folder you bind to the container. Version, language, disk size, CPU cores and RAM are set with environment variables. The README says the repository holds open source code only and does not distribute Windows itself.

1. You start the container with a version set
2. It downloads the Windows installation image
3. Setup runs by itself in a virtual machine
4. You watch it at http://127.0.0.1:8006
5. You reach the desktop, then switch to RDP

Who it suits

Developers, home lab owners and IT staff who need a Windows machine and already run Docker on Linux, or Docker Desktop or Podman (Desktop) on Windows 11. It gives you a Windows machine in a container that you can delete or keep. The host needs KVM.

Skip it on a Mac, on Windows 10, and with Docker Desktop on Linux. The README says Docker Desktop on Linux, macOS and Windows 10 does not currently give containers KVM access, so those setups are not supported.

Where to use it

The README documents these routes.

• Docker Compose on a Linux host with KVM
• The Docker CLI, with one docker run line
• Docker Desktop or Podman (Desktop) on Windows 11 with nested virtualization enabled
• Kubernetes, with a manifest in the repository
• GitHub Codespaces, through a badge
• WinBoat, WinPodX and WinApps, three other projects that use this container as their backend

For ARM64 it points to dockur/windows-arm. For a macOS guest it points to dockur/macos, and for a Linux desktop to qemus/qemu.

How to set it up

Get it saves a zip of Mindket’s setup notes in your downloads folder, with a note for each route the README names and the README’s commands where it gives them. The main route is the Docker Compose file or one docker run line on a Linux host.

1. Check that KVM works on a Linux host. The README gives sudo apt install cpu-checker, then sudo kvm-ok, which should report "KVM acceleration can be used", and ls -l /dev/kvm.
2. Start the container. Use the README’s compose file below, or the docker run line under How to use it.
3. Open the web viewer and wait. It is at http://127.0.0.1:8006/ in a browser.
4. When the desktop appears, Windows is ready.
5. Switch to Remote Desktop for daily use. Connect any Microsoft Remote Desktop client to the IP of the container, as the user Docker with the password admin.

services:
  windows:
    image: dockurr/windows
    container_name: windows
    environment:
      VERSION: "11"
    devices:
      - /dev/kvm
      - /dev/net/tun
    cap_add:
      - NET_ADMIN
    ports:
      - 8006:8006
      - 3389:3389/tcp
      - 3389:3389/udp
    volumes:
      - ./windows:/storage
    restart: always
    stop_grace_period: 2m

How to use it

The browser view is mainly for the installation. The README says it is less responsive than RDP and has no clipboard sharing, so connect with a Microsoft Remote Desktop client afterwards. On Windows, type mstsc in the search box. On Linux the README suggests FreeRDP.

The same container as one docker run line. The image name has two r letters.

docker run -it --rm --name windows -e "VERSION=11" -p 8006:8006 --device=/dev/kvm --device=/dev/net/tun --cap-add NET_ADMIN -v "${PWD:-.}/windows:/storage" --stop-timeout 120 docker.io/dockurr/windows

The VERSION variable picks what gets installed. The default is Windows 11 Pro. These are some of the values the README lists.

A shared folder works too. Bind a host folder to /shared, and it shows as Shared on the desktop and as drive Z:.

Example

You want to try a program on Windows 10 with more memory than the default. You change VERSION to 10 in the compose file, add RAM_SIZE and CPU_CORES, and start the container.

environment:
  VERSION: "10"
  RAM_SIZE: "8G"
  CPU_CORES: "4"

You open the browser view to watch the installation, and once the desktop shows you connect over RDP. To copy files in, you bind a folder to /shared. The README adds that you must hold a valid Windows license yourself.

For newcomers and experts

If you are new. A virtual machine is a computer made of software, and this container runs one for you. KVM is the Linux feature that speeds up virtual machines, and the README lists it as a requirement. Start with the default Windows 11 and the compose file. Wait for the desktop, then switch to RDP. VERSION and LANGUAGE decide which Windows image gets downloaded.

For experts. The environment page groups its settings by area: Windows, CPU and memory, storage, networking, display, web UI, file sharing, system, boot, ballooning, installation, shutdown and debugging. It offers DISK_FMT as raw or qcow2, a TPM emulator, and ARGUMENTS for raw QEMU options. BOOT_MODE takes values such as windows, windows_secure or windows_legacy. NETWORK takes values such as nat, user, or N to turn networking off, and DHCP uses macvtap. QMP, QGA and MONITOR expose QEMU control channels.

Memory ballooning is off by default. Setting BALLOONING to Y lets the container reclaim unused guest RAM when the host is short of memory. Its page warns that cutting the container memory limit below the machine’s current use can get the container killed.

Disks and USB devices can be passed through. The README warns that the disk mapped to /disk1 is formatted during installation, and that a USB drive plugged in before setup finishes can be formatted as the system disk.

Good to know

The container reaches out to download Windows, and it holds a sign-in.

• Windows license: the README’s FAQ says the project does not distribute Windows. Its keys are generic installation keys that Microsoft published for trial use and are not valid activation licenses. You must hold a valid license and follow Microsoft’s terms
• Not Microsoft’s: the README’s disclaimer says the project is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Microsoft
• The download: the environment page lists MIDO, which downloads the Windows image directly from Microsoft, and ESD, a second download method. Both are on by default. REMOVE deletes the downloaded image after installation
• Sign-in: the default account is Docker with the password admin, and the web interface has no password unless you set PROTECT. Set USERNAME and PASSWORD before the first start, because the README applies them during installation, and the README’s compose file publishes ports 8006 and 3389
• Hosts: Docker Desktop on Linux, macOS and Windows 10 is not supported. Windows 11 needs nested virtualization
• Kubernetes: the manifest runs the container as privileged and exposes it only inside the cluster, so you add your own route to reach it
• Updates: the README gives no update or removal steps
• Other projects: WinBoat, WinPodX and WinApps are separate projects that use this container as their backend, and the kit does not cover them
• License: MIT. The license file is the standard text and has no copyright line