How to Install Apache Guacamole (Docker) on Rocky Linux 9

Apache Guacamole (Docker) on Rocky Linux 9 (Nginx + SSL)

Apache Guacamole is a clientless remote desktop gateway that supports RDP, VNC, and SSH, all accessible directly through a standard web browser. Because it runs entirely on HTML5, there’s no need for plugins or local clients — once deployed, users can securely access desktops and servers from anywhere using only a browser.

Running Guacamole with Docker packages all its components (the Guacamole web app, the guacd proxy daemon, and optional database backend) into containers, making deployment and upgrades simple. With Rocky Linux 9, a community-driven, RHEL-compatible enterprise distribution, you get a stable, secure, and long-term supported foundation that is trusted in production data centers worldwide.

Architecture Overview

Layer	Component	Role
OS	Rocky Linux 9	RHEL-compatible enterprise OS with long-term support and SELinux
Runtime	Docker Engine	Runs Guacamole and its supporting services in containers
Application	Apache Guacamole (Web UI)	Provides browser-based remote desktop gateway
Proxy Daemon	guacd (in container)	Handles RDP, VNC, and SSH protocols, streams sessions to the browser
Database	PostgreSQL/MySQL (optional)	Stores user accounts, roles, and connection configs (persistent)
Reverse Proxy	Nginx (recommended)	TLS termination, routing, authentication, and access control
TLS	Let’s Encrypt / PKI	Provides secure HTTPS connections for users

Why Use Apache Guacamole?

Clientless access – works entirely in the browser, no plugins required.
Supports multiple protocols – RDP, VNC, SSH in one gateway.
Centralized management – organize and control multiple systems from a single UI.
Enterprise security – HTTPS, SELinux, RBAC, optional MFA/SSO.
Containerized deployment – portable, consistent, and easy to maintain.

Guacamole vs Other Remote Access Solutions

Feature/Capability	Apache Guacamole	VPN-only Access	Proprietary Tools (AnyDesk, NoMachine)	Native RDP/VNC Clients
Client requirements	None (HTML5 browser)	VPN client	Proprietary client software	RDP/VNC client needed
Protocols supported	RDP, VNC, SSH	Network tunneling only	Limited/custom protocols	RDP/VNC only
Multi-user management	Yes (RBAC + DB)	No	Limited	No
Security	TLS + SELinux + RBAC	VPN encryption only	Vendor-dependent	Basic encryption

Guacamole shines when you need secure, browser-based remote access across multiple systems and protocols without installing any additional software.

Security & Best Practices

Run Guacamole behind Nginx with SSL for secure access.
Use Let’s Encrypt or corporate PKI for certificates.
Harden deployments with SELinux policies and Rocky Linux’s firewall (firewalld).
Store user accounts and permissions in PostgreSQL or MySQL for persistence.
Enable MFA/SSO where possible for stronger authentication.
Regularly update Docker images (guacamole/guacamole and guacamole/guacd).
Use Fail2Ban and Nginx rate limiting to prevent brute-force login attempts.

Typical Use Cases

Secure remote desktop gateway for IT teams and sysadmins.
Centralized SSH access to Linux servers.
Browser-based access to Windows desktops via RDP.
Lightweight, secure alternative to VPN-only solutions.
Enabling BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) access for remote workers.

1. Create a Shape.Host VPS Instance

Click “Create” → “Instance”.

Select the server location closest to your users.

Shape.host instance form with the data center location selector highlighted.

Choose Rocky Linux 9 (64-bit) as the operating system.

Pick a plan with at least 2 CPUs, 4 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD.

Shape.host instance form with the operating system image selector highlighted.

Click “Create Instance”.

Shape.host instance form with the Create Instance button highlighted.

Copy the server IP address from the Resources section.

Shape.host Resources dashboard with the server IP address highlighted.

2. Connect to Your VPS

On Linux/macOS

ssh root@your-server-ip

On Windows

On Windows 10/11 PowerShell: ssh root@your-server-ip
On older Windows, use PuTTY to log in as root.

3. Update the System and Install Docker

Update packages:

dnf update

Terminal showing DNF/YUM package management commands and output.

Add Docker repository:

dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

Install Docker CE and plugins:

dnf install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Enable and start Docker:

systemctl enable --now docker

Check versions:

docker --version
docker compose version

Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

4. Set Up Guacamole with Docker Compose

Create working directory:

mkdir -p /opt/guacamole
cd /opt/guacamole

Create docker-compose.yml:

cat > docker-compose.yml <<'YML'
services:
  guacamole-db:
    image: postgres:15
    container_name: guac-db
    environment:
      POSTGRES_USER: guacuser
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: StrongPassword123!
      POSTGRES_DB: guacamole_db
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    restart: unless-stopped

  guacd:
    image: guacamole/guacd:1.5.5
    container_name: guacd
    restart: unless-stopped

  guacamole:
    image: guacamole/guacamole:1.5.5
    container_name: guacamole
    environment:
      POSTGRES_HOSTNAME: guacamole-db
      POSTGRES_DATABASE: guacamole_db
      POSTGRES_USER: guacuser
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: StrongPassword123!
      GUACD_HOSTNAME: guacd
      GUACD_PORT: 4822
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    depends_on:
      - guacamole-db
      - guacd
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  db_data:
YML

Terminal showing hostname configuration or system identification details.

5. Initialize PostgreSQL Database

Start database container:

docker compose up -d guacamole-db

Wait for DB initialization:

sleep 10

Terminal showing container image download progress.

Generate schema:

docker run --rm guacamole/guacamole:1.5.5 /opt/guacamole/bin/initdb.sh --postgresql > initdb.sql

Import schema:

docker exec -i guac-db psql -U guacuser -d guacamole_db < initdb.sql

Terminal showing SQL database import commands.

Verify tables:

docker exec -it guac-db psql -U guacuser -d guacamole_db -c "\dt"

Terminal showing docker commands or output during Initialize PostgreSQL Database.

6. Start Guacamole Services

Start containers:

docker compose up -d

Check status:

docker compose ps

View logs:

docker logs guacamole --tail=100

Now access Guacamole at:

http://<server-ip>:8080/guacamole

Default login:

Username: guacadmin
Password: guacadmin

👉 Change this password immediately after first login.

7. Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

Install Nginx:

dnf install nginx

Enable and start Nginx:

systemctl enable --now nginx

Create config:

cat > /etc/nginx/conf.d/guacamole.conf <<'NGINX'
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080/guacamole/;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

        # WebSockets (needed for RDP/VNC)
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_read_timeout 3600s;
    }
}
NGINX

Terminal showing web server configuration text.

Fix long domain names:

printf "server_names_hash_bucket_size 128;\n" > /etc/nginx/conf.d/hash_bucket.conf

Reload Nginx:

nginx -t && systemctl reload nginx

8. Configure SELinux and Firewall

Allow Nginx connections:

setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1

Terminal showing Nginx configuration test output.

Enable FirewallD:

systemctl unmask firewalld
systemctl enable --now firewalld

Allow traffic:

firewall-cmd --add-service=http --permanent
firewall-cmd --add-service=https --permanent
firewall-cmd --reload

9. Enable SSL with Let’s Encrypt

Install Certbot:

dnf install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

Request SSL certificate:

certbot --nginx -d rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host

Terminal showing Certbot certificate commands and messages.

10. Access Guacamole

Finally, open your browser and visit:

https://rockylinux-tutorials.shape.host

This tutorial was created and tested on a Shape.Host Linux SSD VPS.

With Shape.Host, you get:

High-performance Cloud VPS globally
OS options: Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, Debian
Instant scaling of CPU, RAM, and storage
Built-in backups, snapshots, and monitoring

Start your project today at https://shape.host and deploy Apache Guacamole in minutes.