About this project

ActionBoxVM is a project that leverages GitHub Actions runners to host a temporary, graphical Linux desktop environment. It provides users with an Ubuntu-based system featuring the Fluxbox window manager, accessible remotely through VNC and noVNC web interfaces. Each session starts from a clean, isolated environment and remains active only for the duration of the workflow job, typically scheduled every 12 hours or triggered manually. The system includes a comprehensive set of development tools, command-line utilities, and system monitors, such as Git, Python 3, GCC, htop, and btop. A virtual display (Xvfb) runs at 1280x720 resolution, with live screenshots updated every five minutes and published to the repository. Access is provided via Cloudflare Quick Tunnels, generating temporary URLs that change with each session. Designed primarily for experimentation and demonstration, ActionBoxVM emphasizes security by treating all sessions as disposable and warning users against entering sensitive information. The repository automatically updates status files and screenshots using the GitHub Actions bot. Users can fork the project to create private virtual machines or customize the environment for specific needs, though it is not intended for persistent production hosting due to runner limits and security considerations.