Start the instance

This page covers instructions on installing and accessing a Google Distributed Cloud Sandbox (GDC Sandbox) environment. You can access the environment using a Google Compute Engine (Compute Engine) virtual machine (VM), or the Linux, Windows, and macOS operating systems (OS) through a remote desktop client.

If you access the environment through an OS, choose an OS and the supported remote desktop client from the following options:

OS name OS version Supported remote desktop client
Windows 11
  • Microsoft Remote Desktop
  • IAP Desktop
Ubuntu 22.04 Remmina, version 1.4.32
Debian 10 Rodete Remmina, version 1.4.32
macOS Any version with Microsoft Remote Desktop support Microsoft Remote Desktop, latest version

Before you begin

Before you access the GDC Sandbox environment, ensure you complete the following based on your access method:

Access the environment

To access your GDC Sandbox environment, complete the following sections based on your access method:

Linux

  1. Ensure you've installed Remmina:

    sudo apt-get install remmina
    
  2. Start the tunnel to your GDC Sandbox instance:

    gcloud compute start-iap-tunnel GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME 3389 --project=PROJECT_NAME \
    --zone=ZONE --local-host-port=localhost:PORT_NUMBER
    

    Replace the following:

    • GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of your GDC Sandbox instance. You receive this name from the GDC Sandbox team.
    • PORT_NUMBER: a port number you define. For example, 8888.
    • PROJECT_NAME: the name of your project.
    • ZONE: the zone in which your environment is. You receive this name from the GDC Sandbox team.
  3. From your local environment, open Remmina.

  4. In the address bar, select RDP and enter your URL in the format localhost:PORT_NUMBER.

  5. Press ENTER.

  6. If successful, a login dialog appears.

  7. Enter your email address as your username. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your username becomes hello_abc.

  8. Enter your email address as your initial password. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your password becomes hello_abc.

  9. Click OK.

  10. Change your initial password to a new password:

    1. Open a terminal window.
    2. Type passwd and press Enter.
    3. Enter your current password if prompted.
    4. Enter your new password and confirm it by retyping it.
    5. The terminal window displays Password updated successfully.
  11. Open the Chrome browser.

  12. In the address bar, enter the URL https://console.org-1.zone1.google.gdch.test to access GDC Sandbox.

  13. To sign into the GDC Sandbox environment, follow the steps in Sign in.

Windows

  1. Open a PowerShell window.
  2. Start the tunnel to your GDC Sandbox instance:

    gcloud compute start-iap-tunnel GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME 3389 --project=PROJECT_NAME \
    --zone=ZONE --local-host-port=localhost:PORT_NUMBER
    

    Replace the following:

    • GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of your GDC Sandbox instance. You receive this name from the GDC Sandbox team.
    • PORT_NUMBER: a port number you define. For example, 8888.
    • PROJECT_NAME: the name of your project.
    • ZONE: the zone in which your environment is.
  3. From your local environment, open Microsoft Remote Desktop.

  4. In the Computer input field, enter the URL in the format localhost:PORT_NUMBER.

  5. Click Connect. If successful, a login dialog appears.

  6. Enter your email address as your username. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your username becomes hello_abc.

  7. Enter your email address as your initial password. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your password becomes hello_abc.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Change your initial password to a new password:

    1. Open a terminal window.
    2. Type passwd and press Enter.
    3. Enter your current password if prompted.
    4. Enter your new password and confirm it by retyping it.
    5. The terminal window displays Password updated successfully.
  10. Open the Chrome browser.

  11. In the address bar, enter the URL https://console.org-1.zone1.google.gdch.test to access the GDC Sandbox environment.

  12. To sign into the GDC Sandbox environment, follow the steps in Sign in.

macOS

  1. Open a terminal window.
  2. Start the tunnel to your GDC Sandbox instance:

    gcloud compute start-iap-tunnel GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME 3389 --project=PROJECT_NAME \
    --zone=ZONE --local-host-port=localhost:PORT_NUMBER
    

    Replace the following:

    • GDC_SANDBOX_INSTANCE_NAME: the name of your GDC Sandbox instance. You receive this name from the GDC Sandbox team.
    • PORT_NUMBER: a port number you define. For example, 8888.
    • PROJECT_NAME: the name of your project.
    • ZONE: the zone in which your environment is.
  3. Open Microsoft Remote Desktop.

  4. Click Add PC.

  5. In the PC name input field, enter a URL in the format localhost:PORT_NUMBER.

  6. Click Add. If successful, a login dialog appears.

  7. Enter your email address as your username. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your username becomes hello_abc.

  8. Enter your email address as your initial password. For example if your email address is hello.abc@gmail.com, your password becomes hello_abc.

  9. Click OK.

  10. Change your initial password to a new password:

    1. Open a terminal window.
    2. Type passwd and press Enter.
    3. Enter your current password if prompted.
    4. Enter your new password and confirm it by retyping it.
    5. The terminal window displays Password updated successfully.
  11. In the address bar, enter the URL https://console.org-1.zone1.google.gdch.test to access the GDC Sandbox environment.

  12. To sign into the GDC Sandbox environment, follow the steps in Sign in.

Compute Engine VM

To access the GDC Sandbox environment in a Compute Engine VM, you create the VM with a startup script and use the Chrome Remote Desktop. To create the VM and access the environment, do the following:

  1. Open a Cloud Shell terminal.
  2. View a list of available images:

    gcloud compute images list
    

    Note the Debian-10 image and the project name where the image resides.

  3. Create a text file. For example, startup-script.txt.

  4. In the file, add in the following startup script:

    sudo apt-get upgrade
    curl https://dl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub \
        | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/chrome-remote-desktop.gpg
    echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome-remote-desktop/deb stable main" \
        | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/chrome-remote-desktop.list
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
        apt-get install --assume-yes chrome-remote-desktop
    sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
        apt install --assume-yes xfce4 desktop-base dbus-x11 xscreensaver
    sudo bash -c 'echo "exec /etc/X11/Xsession /usr/bin/xfce4-session" > /etc/chrome-remote-desktop-session'
    sudo systemctl disable lightdm.service
    sudo apt install --assume-yes task-xfce-desktop
    curl -L -o google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb \
    https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
    sudo apt install --assume-yes --fix-broken ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
    sudo apt install --assume-yes remmina
    
  5. Create a Compute Engine VM:

    gcloud compute instances create VM_NAME \
    --image-project=PROJECT_NAME \
    --image-family=debian-10 \
    --metadata=startup-script-from-file=SCRIPT_FILENAME
    

    Replace the following:

    • VM_NAME: the name you give to the VM. For example, test-vm.
    • PROJECT_NAME: the name of the project that contains the image.
    • SCRIPT_FILENAME: the name of the file that contains the startup script. For example, startup-script.txt.
  6. Install Chrome Remote Desktop by following Install Chrome Remote Desktop on the VM instance.

  7. Activate Chrome Remote Desktop by following Connect to the VM instance.

Configure the screen resolution

  1. In the Remmina remote desktop client, click New Connection Profile.
  2. Navigate to Resolution, select custom, and pick 1920*1080 in the drop-down list.