Deploy and Host Arch Linux Desktop (XFCE, lightweight) in your browser on Railway

A lightweight Arch Linux desktop with XFCE that runs in the cloud and opens in any modern browser. Arch's rolling release gives you the newest software, and XFCE keeps memory use low, so it stays snappy on small Railway plans.

About Hosting Arch Linux Desktop (XFCE, lightweight) in your browser

The template runs the open source LinuxServer.io image webtop:arch-xfce as one Railway service. The Arch Linux XFCE 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

An always-current Linux desktop you can open from any device
Trying Arch and pacman without installing anything on your own computer
A remote workspace that keeps running when your laptop is closed

Dependencies for Arch Linux Desktop (XFCE, lightweight) 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 pacman -Syu --noconfirm gimp vlc

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

Why Deploy Arch Linux Desktop (XFCE, lightweight) 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 Arch Linux Desktop (XFCE, lightweight) 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.