[comment]: # ( SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT )

[comment]: # ( SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2017-2025 Carles Fernandez-Prades carles.fernandez@cttc.es ) <!-- prettier-ignore-end -->

docker-gnsssdr

This repository contains a Dockerfile that creates a Docker image with GNSS-SDR and its dependencies installed via .deb packages. This includes GNU Radio and drivers for a wide range of RF front-ends through UHD, gr-osmosdr and gr-iio.

This image uses baseimage-docker, a special Docker image that is configured for correct use within Docker containers. It is Ubuntu, plus:

• Modifications for Docker-friendliness.
• Administration tools that are especially useful in the context of Docker.
• Mechanisms for easily running multiple processes, without violating the Docker philosophy.
• Reduced footprint on RAM.

If you still have not done so, install Docker and verify your installation before proceeding to use or build the Docker image.

Pull docker image

You can download (pull) the image via the following command:

  $ docker pull carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr

Run docker image

Run:

$ docker run -it carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr

Run with access to a folder in the host machine

Maybe you want to include a local folder with GNSS raw data to process in your container, or to extract output files generated during its execution. You can do that by running the container as:

$ docker run -it -v /home/user/data:/data carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr

This will mount the /home/user/data folder in the host machine on the /data folder inside the container, with read and write permissions.

Run with graphical environment:

• On GNU/Linux host machines

Install the X11 server utilities in the host machine:

• Debian: apt install x11-xserver-utils
• Ubuntu: apt install x11-xserver-utils
• Arch Linux: pacman -S xorg-xhost
• Kali Linux: apt install x11-xserver-utils
• CentOS: yum install xorg-xhost
• Fedora: dnf install xorg-xhost
• Raspbian: apt install x11-xserver-utils

Each time you want to use the graphical environment, adjust the permission of the X server in the host by the following command:

  $ xhost +local:root

Then run the container with:

  $ sudo docker run -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY -v $HOME/.Xauthority:/root/.Xauthority \
  --net=host -it carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr

In case you want to revoke the granted permission:

  $ xhost -local:root

• On macOS host machines

Do this once:

• Install the latest XQuartz version and run it.
• Activate the option "Allow connections from network clients" in XQuartz settings.
• Quit and restart XQuartz to activate the setting.

Each time you want to use the graphical environment, type in the host machine (with XQuartz already running):

  $ xhost + 127.0.0.1

Then run the container with:

  $ docker run -e DISPLAY=host.docker.internal:0 -v $HOME/.Xauthority:/root/.Xauthority \
  --net=host -it carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr

• Test it!

In the container:

  root@ubuntu:/home# gnuradio-companion

Build docker image

This step is not needed if you have pulled the docker image. If you want to build an updated Docker image on your own, go to the repository root folder and run the following command:

 $ docker build -t carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr .

You can change the tag name carlesfernandez/docker-gnsssdr at your own preference.

By default, this will build the content in the next branch of the upstream repository https://github.com/gnss-sdr/gnss-sdr. You can change the default Github user, repo and branch with the following building flags:

 $ docker build -t username/docker-gnsssdr \
 --build-arg GITHUB_USER=my_github_username \
 --build-arg GITHUB_REPO=my_repo \
 --build-arg GITHUB_BRANCH=my_branch .

The default values are GITHUB_USER=gnss-sdr, GITHUB_REPO=gnss-sdr, and GITHUB_BRANCH=next.

Copyright and License

Copyright: © 2017-2025 Carles Fernández-Prades, CTTC. All rights reserved.

The content of this repository is published under the MIT license.

Acknowledgements

This work is partially supported by PID2021-128373OB-I00 (2022-2025).

This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities through the Statistical Learning and Inference for Large Dimensional Communication Systems (ARISTIDES, RTI2018-099722-B-I00) project (2018-2022).