By default, Windows 11 will be installed. But you can add the `VERSION` environment variable to your compose file, in order to specify an alternative Windows version to be downloaded:
By default, the English version of Windows will be downloaded. But you can add the `LANGUAGE` environment variable to your compose file, in order to specify an alternative language:
If you want to use a keyboard layout or locale that is not the default for your selected language, you can add the `KEYBOARD` and `REGION` variables with a culture code, like this:
Please note that changing these values will have no effect after the installation already has been performed. In that case you can use the Control Panel inside Windows for these settings.
Open 'File Explorer' and click on the 'Network' section, you will see a computer called `host.lan`. Double-click it and it will show a folder called `Data`, which can be binded to any folder on your host via the compose file:
The example folder `/home/user/example` will be available as ` \\host.lan\Data`. You can optionally map this path to a drive letter in Windows, for easier access.
In order to download an unsupported ISO image that is not selectable from the list above, specify the URL of that ISO in the `VERSION` environment variable, for example:
To run your own script after installation, you can create a file called `install.bat` and place it in a folder together with any additional files it needs (software to be installed for example). Then bind that folder in your compose file like this:
The example folder `/home/user/example` will be copied to `C:\OEM` during installation and the containing `install.bat` will be executed during the last step.
It's best to stick to the automatic installation, as it adjusts various settings to prevent common issues when running Windows inside a virtual environment.
So for a better experience you can connect using any Microsoft Remote Desktop client to the IP of the container, using the username `Docker` and by leaving the password empty.
There is a RDP client for [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.rdc.androidx) available from the Play Store and one for [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/nl/app/microsoft-remote-desktop/id714464092?l=en-GB) in the Apple Store. For Linux you can use [FreeRDP](https://www.freerdp.com/) and on Windows just type `mstsc` in the search box.
* ### How do I assign an individual IP address to the container?
By default, the container uses bridge networking, which shares the IP address with the host.
If you want to assign an individual IP address to the container, you can create a macvlan network as follows:
```bash
docker network create -d macvlan \
--subnet=192.168.0.0/24 \
--gateway=192.168.0.1 \
--ip-range=192.168.0.100/28 \
-o parent=eth0 vlan
```
Be sure to modify these values to match your local subnet.
Once you have created the network, change your compose file to look as follows:
```yaml
services:
windows:
container_name: windows
..<snip>..
networks:
vlan:
ipv4_address: 192.168.0.100
networks:
vlan:
external: true
```
An added benefit of this approach is that you won't have to perform any port mapping anymore, since all ports will be exposed by default.
Please note that this IP address won't be accessible from the Docker host due to the design of macvlan, which doesn't permit communication between the two. If this is a concern, you need to create a [second macvlan](https://blog.oddbit.com/post/2018-03-12-using-docker-macvlan-networks/#host-access) as a workaround.
* ### How can Windows acquire an IP address from my router?
After configuring the container for macvlan (see above), it is possible for Windows to become part of your home network by requesting an IP from your router, just like a real PC.
To enable this mode, add the following lines to your compose file:
Please note that in this mode, the container and Windows will each have their own separate IPs. The container will keep the macvlan IP, and Windows will use the DHCP IP.
In case the device is a USB disk drive, please wait until after the installation is completed before connecting it. Otherwise the installation may fail, as the order of the disks can get rearranged.
To verify that your system supports KVM, run the following commands:
```bash
sudo apt install cpu-checker
sudo kvm-ok
```
If you receive an error from `kvm-ok` indicating that KVM acceleration can't be used, check whether virtualization extensions are enabled in your BIOS. If you are running the container inside a VM instead of directly on the host, you will also need to enable nested virtualization in its settings. If you are using a cloud provider, you may be out of luck as most of them do not allow nested virtualization for their VPS's. If you are using MacOS, you are also out of luck, as only Linux and Windows support KVM.
If you don't receive any error from `kvm-ok` at all, but the container still complains that `/dev/kvm` is missing, it might help to add `privileged: true` to your compose file (or `--privileged` to your `run` command), to rule out any permission issue.
Yes, this project contains only open-source code and does not distribute any copyrighted material. Any product keys found in the code are just generic placeholders provided by Microsoft for trial purposes. So under all applicable laws, this project will be considered legal.
The product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks referred to within this project are the property of their respective trademark holders. This project is not affiliated, sponsored, or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation.
