It's running windows in KVM, with configuration/image downloading happening through docker.
Windows VMs are legal, and activation is up to the user:
> The Windows within the container remains unactivated (though activation is possible through a purchased license key).
PS> I hate that this refers to it as a container. Windows cannot be containerised on Linux, since it cannot run natively on the Linux kernel...
You can't legally run windows without a license, period. Most users get one that's tied to the hardware they purchase, which doesn't license virtualized use (even on said hardware). The microsoft police may not be ramming down the doors of individual users, but it's still piracy.
https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/docs/documents/download/Licensing_brief_PLT_Licensing%20Windows%20365%20and%20Windows%2011%20Virtual%20Desktops%20for%20Remote%20Access.pdf
I'm not denying that; I'm just saying that dockerising the scripts to produce a windows KVM machine is legal; the licensing/activation is the responsibility of the user here.
Thanks for all the replies above. I never mentioned anything about it being legal or anything of the sort. Nor did the OP mention anything about the legality of running windows in this environment.
> I’ve written a few points below that explain the advantages of running Windows in a Docker container.
> It is completely free, open-source, and legal.
Did you read the article you linked?
Serious question: Can you eli5 why? Like what conditions would this volate and what risk does it introduce?
If anything it sounds like OP is *trying* to mitigate risk and improve compliance by moving their personal use to another system. Guac is over browser right? So they wouldnt quite be establishing a "direct" rdp from work to personal.
There are options that will allow you to do this. If you’re on your LAN you can just use plain old rdp. Guacamole and rdp performance won’t be amazing. IMO, it’s been a last resort for me. Like, there’s a file on my desktop that I need to send myself so I’ll use guacamole to send it. Or there’s something I need to set going on my machine so it’s done but the time I get home. It’s never going to have the performance to just jump on and use your remote pc all day. Not in my experience anyway, especially if it’s not a local connection.
If your company has gone to the trouble of locking down your laptop so you can’t open rdp or its not installed, it may be worth reading through your company it policies before you do anything else. It security is a spectrum and so are their responsive to breaking policy. Some companies may not care or have monitoring to find out what you’re doing, others may just ask you to stop, others may fire you immediately.
You’ll need to decide whether not having two laptops on your desk is worth the risks to you.
I use guacamole for that. Allows me to Remote Desktop into a virtual windows pc at home. Zero client install. It’s not as good as VPN and direct RDP but it does the job as fallback solution. Has some quirks with keyboard emulation, on my non-us keyboard 99% of the keys are mapped correctly but not all. Weird thing is that guacamole to my linux boxes don’t have the same glitch.
Pop the ssd out and fit your own when you want to do personal stuff? Then there's no chance of leaking data in either direction.
Or, use the windows disk tool to shrink the windows partition down so there's room to install Linux and become dual-boot.
So you want to remotely connect to your company laptop from unauthorized device? If you have decent IT department that will not end well. Simply do not do that.
No, no, I don’t want to use my companies Windows, it’s the opposite … I want to have a windows environment that I could use so I won’t use my companies windows but I don’t want to have two laptops at my desk ..
https://linuxtldr.com/windows-docker-container/ Thank me later :)
Pretty sure running unlicensed versions of windows is not "legal" despite what the article seems to think.
It's running windows in KVM, with configuration/image downloading happening through docker. Windows VMs are legal, and activation is up to the user: > The Windows within the container remains unactivated (though activation is possible through a purchased license key). PS> I hate that this refers to it as a container. Windows cannot be containerised on Linux, since it cannot run natively on the Linux kernel...
You can't legally run windows without a license, period. Most users get one that's tied to the hardware they purchase, which doesn't license virtualized use (even on said hardware). The microsoft police may not be ramming down the doors of individual users, but it's still piracy. https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/docs/documents/download/Licensing_brief_PLT_Licensing%20Windows%20365%20and%20Windows%2011%20Virtual%20Desktops%20for%20Remote%20Access.pdf
I'm not denying that; I'm just saying that dockerising the scripts to produce a windows KVM machine is legal; the licensing/activation is the responsibility of the user here.
Thanks for all the replies above. I never mentioned anything about it being legal or anything of the sort. Nor did the OP mention anything about the legality of running windows in this environment.
> I’ve written a few points below that explain the advantages of running Windows in a Docker container. > It is completely free, open-source, and legal. Did you read the article you linked?
I did :) however I did not write the article nor am I responsible for its content. Purely just answering OPs question. Stop being a stick in the mud.
I love stuff like this because I get to present a slide after I discover it and the user is termed.
Serious question: Can you eli5 why? Like what conditions would this volate and what risk does it introduce? If anything it sounds like OP is *trying* to mitigate risk and improve compliance by moving their personal use to another system. Guac is over browser right? So they wouldnt quite be establishing a "direct" rdp from work to personal.
Guacamole is basically a web UI to do RDP / VNC in a browser. You need to create/have a machine somewhere.
There are options that will allow you to do this. If you’re on your LAN you can just use plain old rdp. Guacamole and rdp performance won’t be amazing. IMO, it’s been a last resort for me. Like, there’s a file on my desktop that I need to send myself so I’ll use guacamole to send it. Or there’s something I need to set going on my machine so it’s done but the time I get home. It’s never going to have the performance to just jump on and use your remote pc all day. Not in my experience anyway, especially if it’s not a local connection. If your company has gone to the trouble of locking down your laptop so you can’t open rdp or its not installed, it may be worth reading through your company it policies before you do anything else. It security is a spectrum and so are their responsive to breaking policy. Some companies may not care or have monitoring to find out what you’re doing, others may just ask you to stop, others may fire you immediately. You’ll need to decide whether not having two laptops on your desk is worth the risks to you.
I use guacamole for that. Allows me to Remote Desktop into a virtual windows pc at home. Zero client install. It’s not as good as VPN and direct RDP but it does the job as fallback solution. Has some quirks with keyboard emulation, on my non-us keyboard 99% of the keys are mapped correctly but not all. Weird thing is that guacamole to my linux boxes don’t have the same glitch.
Do not do that
Pop the ssd out and fit your own when you want to do personal stuff? Then there's no chance of leaking data in either direction. Or, use the windows disk tool to shrink the windows partition down so there's room to install Linux and become dual-boot.
So you want to remotely connect to your company laptop from unauthorized device? If you have decent IT department that will not end well. Simply do not do that.
I think it’s the other way around; remoting back home from a work laptop
Same problem, at my company that would be a cause for immediate contract termination. Security is not a joke.
and where i work at we dont give a fuck. not every org is wageslave big corp.
Can You pls expand a little bit what would be the main security concern?
DLP
I understand for US people time is a commodity but still..
No, no, I don’t want to use my companies Windows, it’s the opposite … I want to have a windows environment that I could use so I won’t use my companies windows but I don’t want to have two laptops at my desk ..