In this article, we've covered the process of creating and launching the latest version of Multilogin 6 inside a Docker container. Docker allows you to package and deploy your application in a consistent and portable manner, making it easier to manage it across different environments.

By following the steps outlined here, you can use Docker to run Multilogin 6 on your local machine, in a cloud environment, or on any system that supports Docker, providing flexibility and scalability for your web automation needs. Multilogin 6 supports ‌running in headless mode and can be run on remote hosts.

Before you start

Before following the instructions from this article, make sure that you have:

• A setup that allows you to create and run Docker containers: this could be a cloud service, a server, a virtual machine, or simply your own computer with Docker installed
• A Docker Hub account to download the necessary images for building your container (for example, a Linux distribution)
• A Multilogin 6 account to use the application inside your container

Step 1: Installing Docker

If you haven't installed Docker yet, you can do so by following the official installation guide for your operating system:

• Docker for Linux
• Docker for macOS
• Docker for Windows

Step 2: Building a Docker container

To build a Docker container, you'll need a Dockerfile in your project directory. This file defines your container's configuration. Here's an example Dockerfile:

# Use an official base image with a compatible OS
FROM ubuntu:22.04

# List of basic dependancies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y ca-certificates fonts-liberation libasound2 libatk-bridge2.0-0 libatk1.0-0 libatspi2.0-0 libc6 libcairo2  libcups2 libcurl4 libdbus-1-3  libdrm2  libexpat1  libgbm1  libglib2.0-0  libgtk-4-1 libnspr4  libnss3  libpango-1.0-0  libu2f-udev libvulkan1 libx11-6  libxcb1  libxcomposite1  libxdamage1  libxext6 libxfixes3 libxkbcommon0  libxrandr2 wget xdg-utils

# Dependancies to install and launch Multilogin application
RUN apt-get update && DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive TZ=Etc/UTC apt-get install -y openjdk-18-jre-headless curl unzip openssh-client

# Set environment variables for Multilogin login
ENV ML_USERNAME="your_multilogin_username"
ENV ML_PASSWORD="your_multilogin_password"

# Install Multilogin app
RUN mkdir -p /opt/multilogin/
RUN cd /opt/multilogin/ && \
    curl --location --fail --output multiloginapp-linux-x64-client "https://cdn-download.multiloginapp.com/multilogin/6.3.6/multilogin-6.3.6-1-linux_x86_64.zip" && \
    unzip multiloginapp-linux-x64-client && \
    chmod +x multiloginapp-linux-x64-client && \
    rm multiloginapp-linux-x64-client && \
    apt-get -y install ./multilogin.deb

# Copy our main run script into workdir
COPY ./run.sh /opt/Multilogin/

# Add permission to execute and run our script
RUN chmod +x /opt/Multilogin/run.sh
CMD bash /opt/Multilogin/run.sh

Additionally, you'll need a run.sh file placed in the same directory as your Dockerfile. This file is necessary to run Multilogin 6 with login parameters because Dockerfile CMD instructions don't support them:

#!/bin/bash

echo "Multilogin account is $ML_USERNAME with password of length $ML_PASSWORD"

cd opt/Multilogin/headless

bash ./cli.sh -login -u "$ML_USERNAME" -p "$ML_PASSWORD"

bash ./headless.sh -port 35000

Step 3: Running a Docker container

To build a Docker container, ensure your Docker daemon is running, and then execute the following command in the directory containing your Dockerfile:

docker build -t multilogin-container .

To run it in your preferred environment, use the following command:

docker run -d --name multilogin-app -p <host_port>:<container_port> multilogin-container

Specify ports to link your host and Docker container for HTTP request access.