Get a XFCE Desktop on Github Codespaces using TigerVNC and noVNC

Video

Setup

1. Create a new github codespace from this repository
   
2. Ensure you have selected the 4 core machine
   
3. Execute chmod +x setup.sh in the codespace terminal
   
4. Execute ./setup.sh in the codespace terminal to set up the VM (This may take up to 5 minutes)
   
5. You may need to enter y to accept package installations or select a keyboard layout and language
   
6. Change YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE in line 10 of start.sh to your desired password
   
7. Continue to the next section for starting your VM.

Starting the VM

Every time you restart your codespace, you will need to do this. If you close the vnc session, start from step 4.

1. Ensure you have completed the setup. If something doesn't work in this process, thats probably the reason
   
2. Execute ./start.sh in your codespace terminal to start XFCE. You can similarily do
   
3. Assuming there are no errors, navigate to your ports tab
   
4. Click on the globe icon next to the port 6080
   
5. Click on the link to vnc.html
   
6. Click Connect
   
7. You can launch applications from the applications menu in the toolbar

Drawbacks and limitations

1. There is no sound driver built in
   
2. Only 32gb of storage
   
3. A lot of applications don't support plain ubuntu linux that this has
   
4. Bad display quality
   
5. Doesn't support steam
   
6. 60 hours a month
   

Benefits

1. Can be accessed from any device
   
2. Has 16gb of RAM
   
3. Internet speed of 1.3gb download and 2.2gb upload
   
4. No restrictions
   
5. Can be created in different countries
   
6. 60 hours a month