improve GUI applications documentation

.devcontainer/.install_utils/xauth_setup.sh

@@ -5,4 +5,4 @@ XAUTH=$HOME/.Xauthority
 export XAUTH_LOC=$XAUTH
 xhost +local:$USER
 
-touch $XAUTH
+touch $XAUTH

.devcontainer/devcontainer.json

@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
         }
     },
     "containerEnv": {
-        "DISPLAY": "${localEnv:DISPLAY}",
+        // "DISPLAY": "${localEnv:DISPLAY}", // this has to be set anyway once the devcontainer is opened
         "USER" : "${localEnv:USER}",
         "XAUTHORITY" : "/tmp/.Xauthority",
         "ROS_HOSTNAME" : "${localEnv:ROS_HOSTNAME}"

.docker_utils/Dockerfile.jet

@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ RUN catkin init && . /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash && . /.install_utils/catkin_skip
 RUN . /.install_utils/cartographer_dep.sh
 
 USER root
-RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}
+RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}\
+    && apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y sudo \
+    && echo $USER ALL=\(root\) NOPASSWD:ALL > /etc/sudoers.d/$USER \
+    && chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/$USER
 USER $USER
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "bash", "/.install_utils/ros_entrypoint.sh" ]

.docker_utils/Dockerfile.nuc

@@ -23,8 +23,12 @@ RUN catkin init && . /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash && . /.install_utils/catkin_skip
 RUN . /.install_utils/cartographer_dep.sh
 
 USER root
-RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}
-RUN echo "${USER}:password" | chpasswd
+RUN apt-get install -y x11-apps
+RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}\
+    && apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y sudo \
+    && echo $USER ALL=\(root\) NOPASSWD:ALL > /etc/sudoers.d/$USER \
+    && chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/$USER
 USER $USER
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "bash", "/.install_utils/ros_entrypoint.sh" ]

.docker_utils/Dockerfile.sim_arm

@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ RUN mkdir -p /home/${USER}/catkin_ws/src
 RUN catkin init && . /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash && . /.install_utils/catkin_skiplist_car.sh
 
 USER root
-RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}
+RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}\
+    && apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y sudo \
+    && echo $USER ALL=\(root\) NOPASSWD:ALL > /etc/sudoers.d/$USER \
+    && chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/$USER
 USER $USER
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "bash", "/.install_utils/ros_entrypoint.sh" ]

.docker_utils/Dockerfile.sim_x86

@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ RUN mkdir -p /home/${USER}/catkin_ws/src
 # initialize workspace and make sure no car packages are built
 RUN catkin init && . /opt/ros/noetic/setup.bash && . /.install_utils/catkin_skiplist_car.sh
 
+
 USER root
-RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}
-RUN echo "${USER}:password" | chpasswd
+RUN apt-get install -y x11-apps
+RUN chown -R ${USER}:${USER} /home/${USER}\
+    && apt-get update \
+    && apt-get install -y sudo \
+    && echo $USER ALL=\(root\) NOPASSWD:ALL > /etc/sudoers.d/$USER \
+    && chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/$USER
 USER $USER
 
 ENTRYPOINT [ "bash", "/.install_utils/ros_entrypoint.sh" ]

.docker_utils/README.md

@@ -118,5 +118,9 @@ cd <race_stack folder>
 ./.docker_utils/sec_dock.sh
 ```
 
+## How to use GUI applications with the container
+To have more information on how to use GUI applications with the container, please refer to the [GUI applications documentation](./README_GUI.md).
+
+
 ---
 [Go back to the main README](../README.md)

.docker_utils/README_GUI.md

@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+GUI applications in remote containers are a bit of a pain in the neck. Which makes GUI applications in remote VSCode devcontainers are even more of a pain.
+
+## GUI applications in remote Docker containers
+If you want to launch a GUI application from a remote docker container, as for example during [mapping](https://git.ee.ethz.ch/pbl/research/f1tenth/race_stack/-/tree/master/base_system/pbl_f110_system?ref_type=heads#mapping), a couple of specific steps need to be taken. 
+
+1. Connect to a car via SSH, enabling X forwarding with the `-X` flag: 
+```bash
+ssh -X <username>@<car_ip>
+```
+
+2.  Move to the ForzaETH race stack directory, and run the `xauth_setup.sh` script:
+```bash
+cd <racestack_directory>
+source .devcontainer/.install_utils/xauth_setup.sh
+```
+You should get at least the first line of the following output:
+```
+non-network local connections being added to access control list
+xhost:  must be on local machine to add or remove hosts.
+```
+
+3. run the container with the appropriate script. If had you never run the container, running `main_dock.sh` should be fine, otherwise consider attaching to the already built container with `main_attach_dock.sh`.
+```bash
+.docker_utils/main_dock.sh
+```
+
+4. Enjoy a terminal with GUI forwarding!
+
+
+## GUI applications in remote VSCode devcontainers
+Due to the complicatedness of how a VSCode container is spun up, connecting to GUI applications requires a bit more involvement and a secondary SSH connection, to which we can relay the X forwarding.
+Due to this reason, both a terminal **and** VSCode need to be opened in the car. 
+
+1. Connect to a car via SSH, enabling X forwarding with the `-X` flag: 
+```bash
+ssh -X <username>@<car_ip>
+```
+
+2.  Move to the ForzaETH race stack directory, and run the `xauth_setup.sh` script:
+```bash
+cd <racestack_directory>
+source .devcontainer/.install_utils/xauth_setup.sh
+```
+You should get at least the first line of the following output:
+```
+non-network local connections being added to access control list
+xhost:  must be on local machine to add or remove hosts.
+```
+
+3. Mmeorize the `DISPLAY` number in this SSH-connected terminal, afeter printing it to screen:
+```bash
+echo $DISPLAY
+```
+
+an example output could be 
+```
+localhost:10.0
+```
+
+
+4. open up the devcontainer on the car, first by opening up VSCode, then connecting to the car with the remote connection button to the bottom left (Connect to Host...), then open the race stack folder, and reopen in the devcontainer.
+
+5. In the devcontainer terminal where you want to use the GUI application, export now the `DISPLAY` variable number. For example:
+```bash
+export DISPLAY=:10.0
+```
+
+6. Enjoy a terminal with GUI forwarding!
+