By Curry — 22 Nov 2023

How To Run Rustdesk Remote Desktop in Docker Container

Rust is a programming language. RustDesk is a free Remote PC application developed by RustDesk. This free and open-source program allows users to access and control their computers from anywhere. It functions as both a client and a server, so no other third-party apps are required to use it.

Popular remote desktop programs like TeamViewer and AnyDesk have competition in the form of RustDesk. With the added benefits of being free to use and cross-platform compatibility, it provides many of the same fundamental functionalities. Both a portable program and an installable file are options.

What can RustDesk do?

The remote desktop software RustDesk is compatible with all significant operating systems and platforms. It has the advantage of being both a client and a server for you. Since you’ll be using it on both your primary PC and your remote machine, using it becomes much easier. Additionally, it is simple to use and does not need much configuration to get you going.

Features Rustdesk

Excellent Performance – Rustdesk is a dependable remote desktop application because it is quick and light.
End-to-end encryption is a feature that Rustdesk offers, ensuring the safety and security of your data.
Cross-platform compatibility – Rustdesk runs on various operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. The web can be used to establish a connection with a distant device.
File Transfer and TCP Tunneling – You can transfer files quickly between your current device and the remote client using the file manager in Rustdesk. TCP tunneling can also be configured with Rustdesk.
Self-hosted Modality: With Rustdesk, users can design their own connection-starting server. This increases security and increases data privacy.

In this guide, we will walk through How To Run Rustdesk Remote Desktop in Docker Container. Keep calm and follow the steps below for the successful installation of RustDesk.

Setup Rustdesk Server in Docker

First, ensure that Docker is installed on your machine, for instance on Ubuntu|Debian use our links below:

After setting up a Docker on your system, you can proceed with the installation.

Now, run the commands below to set up the RustDesk which is a Self-hosted rustdesk. Please replace relay-server-IP with your actual IP-address.

sudo docker image pull rustdesk/rustdesk-server
sudo docker run --name hbbs -v ./data:/root -td --net=host rustdesk/rustdesk-server hbbs -r <relay-server-ip>:21117
sudo docker run --name hbbr -v ./data:/root -td --net=host rustdesk/rustdesk-server hbbr

Now, you are ready to go to the next step.

Install Docker Compose

In this step, we shall set up Docker Compose on our system which is a Use the link below to install it.

Install Docker Compose on Ubuntu

We’ll now make a file called “docker-compose.yml” for data persistence after you have installed Docker Compose. Open the following file and paste the following content.

$ vim docker-compose.yml 
version: '3'

services:
  hbbs:
    container_name: hbbs
    image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest
    command: hbbs
    volumes:
      - ./data:/root
    network_mode: "host"

    depends_on:
      - hbbr
    restart: unless-stopped


  hbbr:
    container_name: hbbr
    image: rustdesk/rustdesk-server:latest
    command: hbbr
    volumes:
      - ./data:/root
    network_mode: "host"
    restart: unless-stopped

Next, run the server:

$ docker compose up -d
 [+] Building 0.0s (0/0)                                                                                                                                                                             docker:default
[+] Running 2/2
 ✔ Container hbbs  Started                                                                                                                                                                                    0.0s 
 ✔ Container hbbr  Started

Install Rustdesk Client

Visit the official RustDesk website for Windows, Mac, and Ubuntu to get the RustDesk software for your computer in order to install the Client Server.

On Windows

On a Windows client machine, download the .exe file from RustDesk. When it’s done downloading, click the download icon to open and you will see the window below.

On Ubuntu

Go to the official website Download RustDesk Remote Desktop in .deb file and save it to the DownloadS directory. Hence, run the command below to install it.

sudo apt install ./rustdesk-*-x86_64.deb

Launch Rustdesk

Go to Activities > search Rustdesk and click the icon. You will see the below window.

Configuring RustDesk Client

To configure the Rustdesk client home, click the 3 dots next to your ID and follow the instructions in the below screenshots.

You can also regenerate your own password by clicking the feature below.

Then click on Network; you may now unlock the settings with elevated access and configure your ID, Relay, and so on. Lastly, click Apply.

Go back to the home and click the discovered icon as shown to check if you are connected to the peer.

Once you’re connected like in our demo above, click the highlighted dots and click connect.

You will be prompted to enter the Rustdesk password. Put the password that was given in the Rustdesk home and click OK to connect.

Accept the connection from the server.

The connection is established, and the Debian 12 display appears.

That’s it!

Verdict

We’ve reached the conclusion of our tutorial on running Rustdesk Remote Desktop in a Docker Container. With the help of the straightforward open-source remote desktop program RustDesk Remote Desktop, you can access a remote device without worrying about security. It is easy to install on your PC and doesn’t require administrator rights. Popular operating systems including Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android can all use it.

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