docker-yed

Install and run yEd in a container. This container (Dockerfile) can run with Docker or Podman.

Table of Contents

• Quick Start
  • Build and Start
  • Workspace
  • Bash Alias
    • Default Workspace
    • Custom Workspace
  • Installer Options
• FAQ and Common Problems
  • What Is yEd?
  • Installation Loop
  • Docker
    • Got Permission Denied
    • Docker is Not Running
    • Other X11 and Wayland Problems
  • Podman
    • Authorization Required
    • Access Files
  • Container Management
    • List All docker-yed Containers
    • Remove Container
    • Stop Container

Quick Start

Build and Start

By default, the container will use Docker. Just run make, this will build and start the container (using Docker). If you want to use Podman, just run make podman.

After building the yEd installer should pop up. Accept the agreement and use the default values and paths. Use yed inside the container to install and/or start yEd, if yEd didn't start automatically.

Press CTRL+D or use exit to shut down the container.

Workspace

• Inside the container: You can save your work in /home/yed/workspace
• Outside the container: You can access your work in ${GIT-PATH}/docker-yed/workspace

You can specify your own custom workspace directory by passing WORKSPACE=$DIRECTORY as an argument.

Example: make WORKSPACE=/opt

Bash Alias

Add one of these examples to your .bashrc (or elsewhere) to start the container and yEd easily.

Default Workspace

Docker

alias yed='make -C ${GIT-PATH}/docker-yed'

Podman

alias yed='make podman -C ${GIT-PATH}/docker-yed'

Custom Workspace

Docker

alias yed='make -C ${GIT-PATH}/docker-yed WORKSPACE=${OWN_WORKSPACE_PATH}'

Podman

alias yed='make podman -C ${GIT-PATH}/docker-yed WORKSPACE=${OWN_WORKSPACE_PATH}'

Installer Options

To install yEd simply run yed-install inside the container, if the installer didn't pop up or you closed it.

Recommendation: Just leave the default values as they are:

• Agreement: I accept the agreement (this is not default)
• Destination directory: /home/yed/yEd
• Create symlinks: /usr/local/bin
• Create a desktop icon: Yes (don't care)
• Run yEd Graph Editor: Yes (don't care)

You can now run yEd directly from the installer or just run yed-run inside the container shell.

yed-install    # install yed
yed-run        # run yed

FAQ and Common Problems

What is yEd?

It's a cross-platform application (Linux, Windows, and Mac OS) that can be used to draw diagrams.

You can export diagrams as GIF, JPEG, PNG, EMF, BMP, PDF, EPS, and SVG.

• Official yEd website
• Gallery of user-created diagrams

Installation Loop

You need to install yEd every time you run the container because the installer script doesn't provide a command line interface.

Docker

Got Permission Denied

Error:

Got permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket at ...:
Post ...: dial ...: connect: permission denied

Solution (add your user to docker group):

sudo groupadd docker
sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}
su -s ${USER}

Docker is not running

Error:

ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///var/run/docker.sock.
Is the docker daemon running?

Solution (start docker service):

sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker    # optional, docker will now start automatically

Other X11 and Wayland Problems

Please check this link: https://github.com/mviereck/x11docker

Podman

Authorization Required

Error:

Starting Installer ...
Authorization required, but no authorization protocol specified

Could not display the GUI. This application needs access to an X Server.

Solution:

xhost +local:root
xhost -local:root # optional, remove x server access after container usage

Access Files

Error:

File can't be saved (inside yEd)

This is what happens when you use Podman and Docker in alternation.

Solution:

chmod o+w workspace -R

Container Management

List All docker-yed Containers

Docker

docker images | grep docker-yed    # list containers, we only care about docker-yed container(s)

Podman

podman images | grep docker-yed    # list containers, we only care about docker-yed container(s)

Remove Container

Docker

docker image rm docker-yed    # by name
docker image rm ${ID}         # by ID, alternative option

Podman

podman image rm docker-yed    # by name
podman image rm ${ID}         # by ID, alternative option

Stop Container

Docker

docker container stop ${ID}

Podman

podman container stop ${ID}