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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.novosky.app/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Overview

Instead of a separate Windows machine, NOVOSKY can run the MT5 terminal inside a KVM-accelerated Windows VM managed by Docker. The VM is controlled with a single command and its desktop is accessible from any browser via noVNC, password-protected by Caddy.
ComponentRole
dockurr/windowsWindows 11 VM with KVM acceleration
noVNCBrowser-based desktop viewer (port 8006 internally)
CaddyReverse proxy — exposes port 8006 with HTTP basic auth
setup-vm.shOrchestrates the whole stack (make up)

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Prerequisites

  • Linux host with KVM enabled (/dev/kvm must exist)
  • Docker and Docker Compose installed
  • Ports 80, 443, and NOVNC_PORT (default 8006) open on the host firewall
To verify KVM is available: 
ls /dev/kvm
If the file is missing, enable virtualization in your BIOS/UEFI settings.

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Configuration

Add these to your .env before the first make up: 
# Port the noVNC browser interface listens on
NOVNC_PORT=8006

# Password shown in the browser login prompt at :8006
VNC_PASS=your_password_here
VariableRequiredDefaultDescription
NOVNC_PORTNo8006Host port Caddy binds for noVNC
VNC_PASSNo—Browser login password. If unset, noVNC is accessible without a password
Set VNC_PASS before exposing the server to the internet. Without it, anyone who can reach the port sees the Windows desktop.

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Starting the VM

make up
This runs setup-vm.sh, which:
  1. Sources .env to read VNC_PASS and other variables
  2. Generates docker-compose.override.yml with the correct API port mappings
  3. Bcrypt-hashes VNC_PASS using the Caddy image and writes a Caddyfile with basicauth
  4. Starts the mt5 (Windows VM) and caddy containers
  5. Waits for the VM health check to pass
First boot takes 10–15 minutes while Windows installs. Subsequent starts are under a minute.
setup-vm.sh only updates .env when a managed key (API_TOKEN, NOVNC_PORT) has actually changed. It will not overwrite VNC_PASS or other keys you have set manually.

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Accessing the desktop

Once make up completes, open a browser and go to: 
http://<your-server-ip>:8006
A login prompt appears. Enter:
FieldValue
Usernameadmin
Passwordyour VNC_PASS value
After login you see the full Windows desktop running inside the VM.

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Port and network architecture

The mt5 container does not expose port 8006 directly on the host. All external traffic goes through Caddy: 
Browser → host:8006 → Caddy → mt5:8006 (noVNC, internal)
Browser → host:443  → Caddy → mt5:<api_port> (MT5 REST API, HTTPS)
MT5 REST API ports are added dynamically from config/terminals.json via docker-compose.override.yml — they bypass Caddy and bind directly on the host.

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Stopping and restarting

# Stop all containers (VM state is preserved on disk)
docker compose down

# Start again (fast — no reinstall)
make up

# Full wipe (deletes the VM disk image)
make distclean
make distclean deletes data/storage/data.img — the VM disk. Windows will reinstall from scratch on the next make up. Use only when you want a clean slate.

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Changing the noVNC password

  1. Update VNC_PASS in .env
  2. Run make up — setup-vm.sh detects the change, regenerates the Caddyfile with the new hash, and restarts Caddy
No VM restart is needed; only Caddy reloads.