---
title: Run Ubuntu Frame in your Desktop Environment
description: Canonical makes open source secure, reliable and easy to use, providing
  support for Ubuntu and a portfolio of enterprise-grade technologies. Founded in
  2004, Canonical operates globally with team members in over 80 countries.
url: https://canonical-com-2950.demos.haus/mir/docs/run-ubuntu-frame-on-your-desktop?format=md
---

*Submit*

# Run Ubuntu Frame in your Desktop Environment

This is how to run `ubuntu-frame` as an application window within your Linux desktop environment. For having Ubuntu Frame take over the whole display as you normally would for deployment, see the `daemon` configuration option in REFERENCE.md.

## Running on your desktop

When run on a desktop `ubuntu-frame` uses Mir’s X11 backend (and it appears as a “Mir on X” window).

There are two ways to do this, and they achieve slightly different things.

1. Running as the current user; and,
2. Running as root (but hosted on your desktop environment).

In both cases, you first need to install Ubuntu Frame

```
$ snap install ubuntu-frame
```

### Running as the current user

This will allow you to test applications you intend to use with `ubuntu-frame` without first packaging them as a snap or dealing with the complications of running as `daemons` under snapcraft.

This is as easy as running:

```
$ WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-99 ubuntu-frame
```

Or, if that doesn’t work (as has happened on some Nvidia enabled systems), run:

```
$ WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-99 ubuntu-frame --platform-display-libs mir:x11 --platform-rendering-libs mir:x11
```

This will create a “Mir on X” window on your desktop and a (new) Wayland socket in `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR`:

```
$ ls $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/wayland*
/run/user/1000/wayland-0       /run/user/1000/wayland-99
/run/user/1000/wayland-0.lock  /run/user/1000/wayland-99.lock
```

This what happens on a Wayland based desktop *(we suggest `wayland-99` to avoid clashing with your desktop session’s `wayland-0`)*. On an Xorg based desktop you’ll only see the `wayland-99*` files.

You can connect any Wayland supporting application (for example, one you are developing) using the `WAYLAND_DISPLAY` environment variable:

```
$ WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-99 gnome-system-monitor
```

You can supply also configuration options (see REFERENCE.md) on the commandline. For example, for testing multiple displays:

```
$ WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-99 ubuntu-frame --x11-output 800x600:800x600
```

### Running as root

This will create a “Mir on X” window on your desktop and a Wayland socket that root processes (such as `daemons`) can connect to. This is useful for testing the snap packaging of applications you plan to use with `ubuntu-frame`.

Running as root is complicated as desktops should normally reject connections from other users (even root).
To get this to work reliably create a script that automates the necessary logic:

```
#!/bin/sh
set -xe

frame="${1:-ubuntu-frame}"

sudo "${frame}" --help > /dev/null 2>&1 || true
sudo cp "${XAUTHORITY:-~/.Xauthority}" "/root/snap/${frame}/current/.Xauthority"
XAUTHORITY="/root/snap/${frame}/current/.Xauthority" exec sudo "${frame}"
```

When using this you will have to authorise `sudo` so please check you’re happy with the script before doing that.

Calling this script `fake-frame` and placing it a convenient location (such as `~/bin`) means that you just have to type:

```
$ fake-frame
```

To use this you need to install and enable a suitable snap (possibly one you are working on):

```
$ snap install wpe-webkit-mir-kiosk
$ snap connect wpe-webkit-mir-kiosk:wayland
$ snap set wpe-webkit-mir-kiosk daemon=true
```

---

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Last updated 4 years ago. [Help improve this document in the forum](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/run-ubuntu-frame-in-your-desktop-environment/29371).