Enable desktop applications

Overview

To use desktop applications like browsers in the Ubuntu container, you need to enable the connection to the ChromeOS desktop using Sommelier. Sommelier acts as a bridge, enabling seamless integration and smooth operation of Linux apps within the ChromeOS environment.

Enable support for Linux GUI applications

Install a minimal desktop environment to provide the necessary libraries for graphical applications:

    

        
        
sudo apt install -y xubuntu-desktop-minimal

    

Install a test application:

    

        
        
sudo apt install -y terminator

    

Configure the display environment variables so GUI applications know where to render their windows:

    

        
        
echo 'export DISPLAY=:0' >> ~/.bashrc

    

Install the necessary tools to build Sommelier:

    

        
        
sudo apt install -y clang meson libwayland-dev cmake pkg-config libgbm-dev libdrm-dev libxpm-dev libpixman-1-dev libx11-xcb-dev libxcb-composite0-dev libxkbcommon-dev libgtest-dev python3-jinja2

    

Build Sommelier from source code because it is not available in Ubuntu repositories:

    

        
        
git clone https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2
cd platform2/vm_tools/sommelier
meson build
cd build
ninja
sudo ninja install

    

Sommelier is now installed in /usr/local/bin/.

Create a systemd user unit file for X11 support:

    

        
        
mkdir -p ~/.config/systemd/user

    

Use a text editor to create the file ~/.config/systemd/user/sommelier@.service with the following contents:

    

        
        
[Unit]
Description=Sommelier X11 bridge instance %i

[Service]
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/sommelier -X --scale=1 --no-exit-with-child -- /bin/true
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

    

Reload the systemd user manager and start the Sommelier service:

    

        
        
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now sommelier@0.service

    

Confirm the Sommelier service is running:

    

        
        
systemctl --user status sommelier@0.service

    

Test a graphical application. You can pick any application you installed, such as Terminator:

    

        
        
terminator &

    

You should see a new terminal open on your ChromeOS desktop.

If needed, you can restart Sommelier:

    

        
        
sudo systemctl restart sommelier@0