Deploy and Host Alpine Linux Desktop (MATE, classic) in your browser on Railway

A classic MATE desktop on tiny, fast Alpine Linux that runs in the cloud and opens in any modern browser. MATE keeps the familiar two-panel layout, starts quickly and uses little memory.

About Hosting Alpine Linux Desktop (MATE, classic) in your browser

The template runs the open source LinuxServer.io image webtop:alpine-mate as one Railway service. The Alpine Linux MATE desktop is streamed to your browser over Railway's HTTPS domain on port 3000, and HTTP basic auth protects it with CUSTOM_USER and a generated PASSWORD that you copy from the service Variables. A volume is mounted at /config, the desktop user's home folder, so your files, settings and browser profiles survive restarts and redeploys. The first boot takes a minute or two.

Common Use Cases

A familiar, traditional Linux desktop you can reach from any device
Running GUI apps in the cloud on a modest memory budget
A remote workspace that keeps running when your laptop is closed

Dependencies for Alpine Linux Desktop (MATE, classic) in your browser Hosting

No other services: one container plus a volume
A modern browser; Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all work

Implementation Details

Open the Railway domain, sign in with CUSTOM_USER and PASSWORD, and the desktop loads. The desktop user has passwordless sudo, so you can install software:

sudo apk add gimp vlc

Give the service at least 1 GB of memory for a smooth session. Image: lscr.io/webtop:alpine-mate (https://github.com/linuxserver/docker-webtop).

Why Deploy Alpine Linux Desktop (MATE, classic) in your browser on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Alpine Linux Desktop (MATE, classic) in your browser on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.