The Desktop task service provides a complete minimal desktop environment installation for running GUI applications on cloud instances. It includes support for multiple desktop environments, VNC remote access, and a curated set of essential applications including the Zed editor.

Features

Desktop Environments

XFCE (default) - Lightweight and customizable
GNOME - Modern and user-friendly
KDE - Feature-rich and powerful
LXDE - Ultra-lightweight
MATE - Traditional desktop experience

Display Managers

LightDM (default) - Lightweight display manager
GDM - GNOME display manager
SDDM - Simple desktop display manager

Remote Access

VNC Server - Remote desktop access via VNC protocol
- Configurable resolution and color depth
- Password protection support
- Service management through systemd
RustDesk - Modern cross-platform remote desktop with excellent performance
- Direct P2P connection or custom server support
- Built-in security and encryption
- Multi-platform client support
- Auto-start service management
SSH Server - Secure command line and tunnel access
- Hardened configuration with fail2ban protection
- Key-based and password authentication options
- User access controls and restrictions
- Automatic firewall configuration

Applications

Editors

Zed - High-performance, multiplayer code editor (default)
Nano - Simple terminal text editor
Vim - Advanced terminal text editor

Development Tools

Git - Version control system
Build Essential - Compilation tools and libraries

Browsers

Firefox - Web browser

Terminals

XFCE4 Terminal (default) - Terminal emulator

Media & Graphics

VLC - Media player
GIMP - Image editing

Office

LibreOffice - Office suite

Utilities

htop - System monitor
curl/wget - Download tools
tree - Directory tree viewer

Configuration

Basic Configuration

desktop: DesktopServer = {
    name: "my-desktop"
    run_user: {
        name: "myuser"
        home: "/home/myuser"
    }
    desktop_env: {
        type: "xfce"
        display_manager: "lightdm"
        resolution: "1920x1080"
    }
    vnc: {
        enabled: true
        port: 5901
        geometry: "1920x1080"
        depth: 24
    }
    rustdesk: {
        enabled: true
        port: 21116
        hbbr_port: 21117
    }
    ssh: {
        enabled: true
        port: 22
        password_auth: true
        key_auth: true
    }
}

Advanced Configuration

desktop: DesktopServer = {
    name: "development-desktop"
    run_user: {
        name: "developer"
        home: "/home/developer"
        shell: "/bin/bash"
    }
    desktop_env: {
        type: "gnome"
        display_manager: "gdm"
        resolution: "2560x1440"
        theme: "Adwaita-dark"
    }
    applications: {
        editors: ["zed", "vim", "nano"]
        browsers: ["firefox"]
        development: ["git", "build-essential", "docker"]
        terminals: ["gnome-terminal"]
    }
    graphics: {
        driver: "nvidia"
        acceleration: true
        compositing: true
    }
    vnc: {
        enabled: true
        port: 5902
        password: "secure_vnc_password"
        geometry: "2560x1440"
        depth: 32
    }
    rustdesk: {
        enabled: true
        port: 21116
        hbbr_port: 21117
        custom_server: "rustdesk.mycompany.com"
        permanent_password: "permanent_access_pass"
        allow_guest: false
    }
    ssh: {
        enabled: true
        port: 2222
        password_auth: true
        key_auth: true
        root_login: "no"
        max_auth_tries: 3
        allowed_users: ["developer", "admin"]
    }
    auto_login: true
}

Usage

Deploy Desktop Environment

./core/nulib/provisioning taskserv create desktop --infra <infrastructure-name>

List Available Desktop Options

./core/nulib/provisioning taskserv list

SSH to Desktop Server

./core/nulib/provisioning server ssh <desktop-server>

Connect via VNC

Connect to server via VNC client (port 5901 by default)
Use configured VNC password if set
Desktop environment will start automatically

Start/Stop VNC Service

# Start VNC service
systemctl start vncserver@1.service

# Stop VNC service  
systemctl stop vncserver@1.service

# Check VNC service status
systemctl status vncserver@1.service

Connect via RustDesk

Get RustDesk ID: Run sudo -u <desktop-user> rustdesk --get-id on server
Get temporary password: Run sudo -u <desktop-user> rustdesk --password on server
Download RustDesk client from rustdesk.com
Connect using ID and password from steps 1-2

RustDesk Service Management

# Start RustDesk service for user
sudo -u <desktop-user> systemctl --user start rustdesk.service

# Stop RustDesk service
sudo -u <desktop-user> systemctl --user stop rustdesk.service

# Check RustDesk service status
sudo -u <desktop-user> systemctl --user status rustdesk.service

Connect via SSH

# Basic SSH connection
ssh <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

# SSH with X11 forwarding (for running GUI apps over SSH)
ssh -X <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

# SSH with compression and forwarding
ssh -XC <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

# Create SSH tunnel for VNC (more secure)
ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

SSH Key-based Authentication

# Generate SSH key pair (on client)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "user@client-machine"

# Copy public key to server
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

# Connect using key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

Supported Operating Systems

Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 11+
CentOS 8+ / RHEL 8+ / Fedora 35+

Requirements

Minimum System Requirements

RAM: 2GB (4GB recommended)
Storage: 20GB (40GB recommended for development)
CPU: 2 cores (4 cores recommended)
Network: Internet access for package installation

For Graphics Acceleration

Compatible GPU with proper drivers
Additional VRAM for high-resolution displays

Zed Editor Integration

The desktop environment includes Zed editor with:

Pre-configured settings for development
Language server protocol (LSP) support
Git integration
Terminal integration
Desktop shortcut creation
Multi-user support

Zed Configuration Location

System: /usr/local/bin/zed
User config: ~/.config/zed/settings.json
Desktop shortcut: ~/Desktop/zed.desktop

Troubleshooting

VNC Connection Issues

# Check VNC service status
systemctl status vncserver@1.service

# Restart VNC service
systemctl restart vncserver@1.service

# Check VNC logs
journalctl -u vncserver@1.service

Desktop Environment Issues

# Check display manager status
systemctl status lightdm  # or gdm/sddm

# Restart display manager
systemctl restart lightdm

# Check X server logs
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

Application Installation Issues

# Update package lists
apt update  # Ubuntu/Debian
dnf update  # Fedora/RHEL

# Check for broken packages
apt --fix-broken install  # Ubuntu/Debian

# Clear package cache
apt clean  # Ubuntu/Debian
dnf clean all  # Fedora/RHEL

RustDesk Connection Issues

# Check RustDesk service status
sudo -u <desktop-user> systemctl --user status rustdesk.service

# Check RustDesk logs
journalctl --user -u rustdesk.service

# Restart RustDesk service
sudo -u <desktop-user> systemctl --user restart rustdesk.service

# Check firewall ports
sudo ufw status  # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo firewall-cmd --list-ports  # CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

# Get current RustDesk ID and password
sudo -u <desktop-user> rustdesk --get-id
sudo -u <desktop-user> rustdesk --password

SSH Connection Issues

# Check SSH service status
systemctl status ssh  # Ubuntu/Debian
systemctl status sshd  # CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

# Check SSH configuration
sshd -t

# View SSH logs
journalctl -u ssh  # Ubuntu/Debian
journalctl -u sshd  # CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

# Check fail2ban status (if installed)
fail2ban-client status sshd

# Test SSH connection with verbose output
ssh -v <desktop-user>@<server-ip> -p <ssh-port>

Security Considerations

VNC Security

VNC connections are not encrypted by default

Consider using SSH tunneling for secure VNC access:

ssh -L 5901:localhost:5901 <desktop-user>@<server-ip>

Use strong VNC passwords
Consider firewall rules to restrict VNC access

RustDesk Security

RustDesk uses end-to-end encryption by default
Connections are secure without additional tunneling
Consider using custom RustDesk server for better control
Permanent passwords should be strong and rotated regularly
Disable guest access in production environments

SSH Security

Automatic fail2ban protection against brute force attacks
Key-based authentication is more secure than password-only
Regular security updates are automatically configured
SSH hardening applied with secure defaults:
- Root login restricted to key-only or disabled
- Maximum authentication attempts limited
- Connection timeouts configured
Consider changing default SSH port (22) for additional security

General Security

Regular security updates are recommended
Use strong passwords for all accounts
Consider network-level restrictions (VPN, firewall rules)
Monitor system logs regularly for suspicious activity
Keep desktop applications updated

README.md

Desktop Task Service

Overview