Steam-Headless
[Solved]: VNC can not connect to server x11org error
Describe the Bug
When opening webpage and clicking on connect to steam, there is the error "Can not connect so server" Logs show lots of x11 x11org x11vnc errors.
I just wanted to share my working config, it took me multiple days of troubleshooting and trying but it somehow works now, I just want to share for people searching for solutions in repo issues.
Im no expert, propably this solution is trivial, but I found quite a few issues with similar symptoms, so maybe it helps you if you got similar setup.
- For me using the docker compose deploy to use gpu didnt work as expected, instead I use
runtime: nvidiaand ìpc: host` - I also didnt mount the sockets because I want as little inteference with host system settings as possible
- notice that I use subdirectory for games path just because I like it better
- I enabled sunshine
- I set
FORCE_X11_DUMMY_CONFIG=true
Steps to Reproduce
- follow install guide regarding everything, including dir permissions *(notice that I use subdirectory for games path just because I like it better)
- use modified docker-compose.yml
- use modified .env
Expected Behavior
my working docker-compose.yml:
version: "3.8"
services:
steam-headless:
image: josh5/steam-headless:latest
restart: unless-stopped
shm_size: ${SHM_SIZE}
ipc: host # Could also be set to 'shareable'
ulimits:
nofile:
soft: 1024
hard: 524288
cap_add:
- NET_ADMIN
- SYS_ADMIN
- SYS_NICE
security_opt:
- seccomp:unconfined
- apparmor:unconfined
runtime: nvidia
# GPU PASSTHROUGH
# deploy:
# resources:
# reservations:
# Enable support for NVIDIA GPUs.
#
# Ref: https://docs.docker.com/compose/gpu-support/#enabling-gpu-access-to-service-containers
# devices:
# - capabilities: [gpu]
# device_ids: ["${NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES}"]
# NETWORK:
## NOTE: With this configuration, if we do not use the host network, then physical device input
## is not possible and your USB connected controllers will not work in steam games.
network_mode: host
hostname: ${NAME}
extra_hosts:
- "${NAME}:127.0.0.1"
# ENVIRONMENT:
## Read all config variables from the .env file
environment:
- DISPLAY=:55
# System
- TZ=${TZ}
- USER_LOCALES=${USER_LOCALES}
- DISPLAY=${DISPLAY}
# User
- PUID=${PUID}
- PGID=${PGID}
- UMASK=${UMASK}
- USER_PASSWORD=${USER_PASSWORD}
# Mode
- MODE=${MODE}
# Web UI
- WEB_UI_MODE=${WEB_UI_MODE}
- ENABLE_VNC_AUDIO=${ENABLE_VNC_AUDIO}
- PORT_NOVNC_WEB=${PORT_NOVNC_WEB}
- NEKO_NAT1TO1=${NEKO_NAT1TO1}
# Steam
- ENABLE_STEAM=${ENABLE_STEAM}
- STEAM_ARGS=${STEAM_ARGS}
# Sunshine
- ENABLE_SUNSHINE=${ENABLE_SUNSHINE}
- SUNSHINE_USER=${SUNSHINE_USER}
- SUNSHINE_PASS=${SUNSHINE_PASS}
# Xorg
- ENABLE_EVDEV_INPUTS=${ENABLE_EVDEV_INPUTS}
- FORCE_X11_DUMMY_CONFIG=${FORCE_X11_DUMMY_CONFIG}
# Nvidia specific config
- NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=${NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES}
- NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES=${NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES}
- NVIDIA_DRIVER_VERSION=${NVIDIA_DRIVER_VERSION}
# DEVICES:
devices:
# Use the host fuse device [REQUIRED].
- /dev/fuse
# Add the host uinput device [REQUIRED].
- /dev/uinput
# Add NVIDIA HW accelerated devices [OPTIONAL].
# NOTE: If you use the nvidia container toolkit, this is not needed.
# Installing the nvidia container toolkit is the recommended method for running this container
#- /dev/nvidia0
#- /dev/nvidiactl
#- /dev/nvidia-modeset
#- /dev/nvidia-uvm
#- /dev/nvidia-uvm-tools
#- /dev/nvidia-caps/nvidia-cap1
#- /dev/nvidia-caps/nvidia-cap2
# Ensure container access to devices 13:*
device_cgroup_rules:
- 'c 13:* rmw'
# VOLUMES:
volumes:
# The location of your home directory.
- ${HOME_DIR}/:/home/default/:rw
# The location where all games should be installed.
# This path needs to be set as a library path in Steam after logging in.
# Otherwise, Steam will store games in the home directory above.
- ${GAMES_DIR}/:/mnt/games/:rw
# The Xorg socket.
# - ${SHARED_SOCKETS_DIR}/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix/:rw
# - /tmp/.X11-unix/:/tmp/.X11-unix/:rw
# Pulse audio socket.
# - ${SHARED_SOCKETS_DIR}/pulse/:/tmp/pulse/:rw
my working .env
# ____ _
# / ___| _ _ ___| |_ ___ _ __ ___
# \___ \| | | / __| __/ _ \ '_ ` _ \
# ___) | |_| \__ \ || __/ | | | | |
# |____/ \__, |___/\__\___|_| |_| |_|
# |___/
#
NAME=SteamHeadless
TZ=Pacific/Auckland
USER_LOCALES=en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8
DISPLAY=:55
SHM_SIZE=12G
## HOME_DIR:
## Description: The path to the home directory on your host. Mounts to `/home/default` inside the container.
HOME_DIR=./home
## SHARED_SOCKETS_DIR:
## Description: Shared sockets such as pulse audio and X11.
SHARED_SOCKETS_DIR=./sockets
## GAMES_DIR:
## Description: The path to the games directory on your host. Mounts to `/mnt/games` inside the container.
GAMES_DIR=./games
# ____ __ _ _ _ _
# | _ \ ___ / _| __ _ _ _| | |_ | | | |___ ___ _ __
# | | | |/ _ \ |_ / _` | | | | | __| | | | / __|/ _ \ '__|
# | |_| | __/ _| (_| | |_| | | |_ | |_| \__ \ __/ |
# |____/ \___|_| \__,_|\__,_|_|\__| \___/|___/\___|_|
#
#
PUID=1000
PGID=1000
UMASK=000
USER_PASSWORD=password
# __ __ _
# | \/ | ___ __| | ___
# | |\/| |/ _ \ / _` |/ _ \
# | | | | (_) | (_| | __/
# |_| |_|\___/ \__,_|\___|
#
#
## MODE:
## Options: ['primary', 'secondary']
## Description: Steam Headless containers can run in a secondary mode that will only start
## a Steam process that will then use the X server of either the host or another
## Steam Headless container running in 'primary' mode.
MODE=primary
# ____ _
# / ___| ___ _ ____ _(_) ___ ___ ___
# \___ \ / _ \ '__\ \ / / |/ __/ _ \/ __|
# ___) | __/ | \ V /| | (_| __/\__ \
# |____/ \___|_| \_/ |_|\___\___||___/
#
#
# Web UI
## WEB_UI_MODE:
## Options: ['vnc', 'neko', 'none']
## Description: Configures the WebUI to use for accessing the virtual desktop.
## Supported Modes: ['primary']
WEB_UI_MODE=vnc
## ENABLE_VNC_AUDIO:
## Options: ['true', 'false']
## Description: Enables audio over for the VNC Web UI if 'WEB_UI_MODE' is set to 'vnc'.
ENABLE_VNC_AUDIO=true
## PORT_NOVNC_WEB:
## Description: Configure the port to use for the WebUI.
PORT_NOVNC_WEB=8083
## NEKO_NAT1TO1:
## Description: Configure nat1to1 for the neko WebUI if it is enabled by setting 'WEB_UI_MODE' to 'neko'.
## This will need to be the IP address of the host.
NEKO_NAT1TO1=
# Steam
## ENABLE_STEAM:
## Options: ['true', 'false']
## Description: Enable Steam to run on start. This will also cause steam to restart automatically if closed.
## Supported Modes: ['primary', 'secondary']
ENABLE_STEAM=true
## STEAM_ARGS:
## Description: Additional steam execution arguments.
STEAM_ARGS=-silent
# Sunshine
## ENABLE_SUNSHINE:
## Options: ['true', 'false']
## Description: Enable Sunshine streaming service.
## Supported Modes: ['primary']
ENABLE_SUNSHINE=true
## SUNSHINE_USER:
## Description: Set the Sunshine service username.
SUNSHINE_USER=admin
## SUNSHINE_PASS:
## Description: Set the Sunshine service password.
SUNSHINE_PASS=admin
# Xorg
## ENABLE_EVDEV_INPUTS:
## Available Options: ['true', 'false']
## Description: Enable Keyboard and Mouse Passthrough. This will configure the Xorg server to catch all
## evdev events for Keyboard, Mouse, etc.
## Supported Modes: ['primary']
ENABLE_EVDEV_INPUTS=true
## FORCE_X11_DUMMY_CONFIG:
## Available Options: ['true', 'false']
## Description: Forces the installation of xorg.dummy.conf. This should be used when your output device does not have a monitor connected.
## Supported Modes: ['primary']
FORCE_X11_DUMMY_CONFIG=true
# Nvidia specific config (not required for non Nvidia GPUs)
## NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES:
## Options: ['all', 'compute', 'compat32', 'graphics', 'utility', 'video', 'display']
## Description: Controls which driver libraries/binaries will be mounted inside the container.
## Supported Modes: ['primary', 'secondary']
NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=all
## NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES:
## Available Options: ['all', 'none', '<GPU UUID>']
## Description: Controls which GPUs will be made accessible inside the container.
## Supported Modes: ['primary', 'secondary']
NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES=all
## NVIDIA_DRIVER_VERSION:
## Description: Specify a driver version to force installation.
## Not meant to be used if nvidia container toolkit is installed.
## Detect current host driver installed with `nvidia-smi 2> /dev/null | grep NVIDIA-SMI | cut -d ' ' -f3`
## Supported Modes: ['primary', 'secondary']
NVIDIA_DRIVER_VERSION=
### Screenshots
_No response_
### Relevant Settings
_No response_
### Version
920bfa7
### Platform
My hardware:
- Ryzen 7 7700
- Nvidia RTX 4060TI
- OS: debian 12, headless (no desktop, no monitor connected)
- Nvidia container toolkit is installed
### Relevant log output
_No response_
I'm running the docker service on the GPU without a screen attached
After I set the following, VNC can be used normally
NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=compute,compat32,graphics,utility,video
To get steam-headless to run correctly on my system I had to set allowed_users=anybody in /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config. Without this, the x server would not start due to the error "Only console users are allowed to run the X server".
On my system the monitor is connected to the AMD GPU, while the Nvidia card has no display attached. I'm using the Nvidia card for Steam gaming.
I hope this helps someone.
To get steam-headless to run correctly on my system I had to set allowed_users=anybody in /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config. Without this, the x server would not start due to the error "Only console users are allowed to run the X server".
On my system the monitor is connected to the AMD GPU, while the Nvidia card has no display attached. I'm using the Nvidia card for Steam gaming.
I hope this helps someone.
Could you clarify - do you mean /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config on the host, or in the container? When I check the file in the container it is already set to that.
I'm running the docker service on the GPU without a screen attached
After I set the following, VNC can be used normally
NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=compute,compat32,graphics,utility,video
Finally, this was the solution, THANKS!
