A lightweight setup to run Kali Linux with a GUI using Docker and Docker Compose.

1. 🐳 Docker and Docker Compose must be installed on your system.

2. 🖥️ Install a VNC client:

   • Linux: tigervnc-viewer or remmina
   • Windows: RealVNC Viewer or TightVNC (choco install tightvnc)
   • macOS: RealVNC Viewer or Chicken of the VNC

3. 🔑 Create a .env file with the following content:

   VNC_PASSWORD=your_password_here

To pull the official Kali Linux image:

docker pull docker.io/kalilinux/kali-rolling

1. Build the image:

   docker build -t kali-gui .

2. Start the service:

   docker-compose up -d

The kali-gui service allows you to access the Kali Linux desktop environment via VNC.

1. Start the Docker container:

   docker-compose up -d

2. Connect to the VNC server:

   • Open your VNC client.
   • Enter the address: localhost:5901 (or 127.0.0.1:5901).
   • Enter the VNC password (configured in the .env file).

3. Access the desktop:

   • Once connected, you should see the Kali Linux desktop environment.

• 🌐 If running on a remote server, replace localhost with the server's IP address and ensure port 5901 is open in the firewall.

• 🛠️ To check container logs for troubleshooting:

  docker logs kali-gui

• 🔒 Ensure the .env file contains the VNC_PASSWORD variable.

To stop the kali-gui service:

docker-compose down

• Kali Linux Documentation
• Docker Documentation
• VNC Viewer