This is a proof-of-concept for attaching a web-based terminal to a live Docker container.

You'll need Docker installed and running, probably on a Linux or Mac machine (– tested with Docker Version 1.12.0-rc2-beta16).

An express app will start, connect to Docker on /var/run/docker.sock and build a minimal Alpine linux image.

Visiting http://localhost:3000/ will spin up a new Docker container and connect your browser to it. Type away!

Using docker-compose:

docker-compose up --build web && open http://localhost:3000/

...or on your host, using Node 6.2+:

cd server
npm install
npm start
open http://localhost:3000/