Installing Programs as Containers

Get familiar with editing the docker-compose.yml. You'll find it at /home/[user]/ei23-docker/docker-compose.yml.

I have a detailed video about this:

Editing

There are several ways to edit:

Templates

Templates, or "installation patterns," for subsequent installation are available in /home/[user]/ei23-docker/compose_templates. You can use them and copy them accordingly into the docker-compose.yml.

Available Templates

Templates are located in the ei23-docker/compose_templates/ folder. Here are some examples:

Inserting a Template

1. Open the docker-compose.yml
2. Paste the template content at the end of the file
3. Pay attention to correct indentation (YAML is sensitive!)
4. Save the file
5. Run ei23 dc

Applying the Template

After adjusting the docker-compose.yml, run:

ei23 dc

Or via the Dashboard: Server page → "Docker Compose" button.

Understanding Docker Compose

Ports

Docker routing works like port forwarding on a router:

ports:
  - HOST_PORT:CONTAINER_PORT

• HOST_PORT: External port accessible on the server
• CONTAINER_PORT: Internal port in the container

Example:

  image: nginx:1.24.0
  ports:
    - 8080:80

Here 8080 is the external port (on the server) and 80 is the internal port (in the container).

Volumes

Volumes bind host system folders into the container:

volumes:
  - HOST_PATH:CONTAINER_PATH

Example:

volumes:
  - ./volumes/nginx:/etc/nginx/templates

• ./volumes/nginx - Folder on the host (relative to docker-compose.yml)
• /etc/nginx/templates - Path in the container

Devices

Devices bind hardware into the container:

devices:
  - /dev/video0:/dev/video0

Important for: - Zigbee sticks (/dev/ttyUSB0) - Cameras (/dev/video0) - GPIO (Raspberry Pi)

Environment Variables

Environment variables configure the container:

environment:
  - TZ=Europe/Berlin
  - MYSQL_PASSWORD=password_placeholder

Networks

Networks connect containers together:

networks:
  - default
  - custom_network

# Define at end of docker-compose.yml:
networks:
  custom_network:
    driver: bridge
    internal: true

Depends_on

Defines startup order:

depends_on:
  - database
  - redis

Restart Policy

Controls restart behavior:

restart: unless-stopped  # Always restart, unless manually stopped
restart: always          # Always restart
restart: on-failure      # Only on error
restart: "no"            # Never restart

Architecture Notes

Depending on the architecture (armv7/arm64/amd64), there may not be a current image for the container. You can check this on hub.docker.com.

Example: Using an Older Image

  image: nginx:1.24.0

Here :1.24.0 was appended to use a specific version.

Port Conflicts

If a port is already in use, change the host port:

# Before (port 8080 in use)
ports:
  - 8080:80

# After (use port 8081)
ports:
  - 8081:80

Example: Complete docker-compose.yml

services:
  homeassistant:
    image: ghcr.io/home-assistant/home-assistant:stable
    container_name: homeassistant
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - ./volumes/homeassistant/config:/config
      - /run/dbus:/run/dbus:ro
    environment:
      - TZ=Europe/Berlin

  mosquitto:
    image: eclipse-mosquitto:2
    container_name: mosquitto
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "1883:1883"
    volumes:
      - ./volumes/mosquitto/config:/mosquitto/config
      - ./volumes/mosquitto/data:/mosquitto/data
      - ./volumes/mosquitto/log:/mosquitto/log

  grafana:
    image: grafana/grafana:latest
    container_name: grafana
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./volumes/grafana:/var/lib/grafana
    environment:
      - GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_USER=admin
      - GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=password_placeholder

# Networks (if needed)
# networks:
#   my_network:
#     driver: bridge

Troubleshooting

Container Won't Start

# Check logs
docker compose logs [container_name]

# Start container manually
docker compose up -d [container_name]

Port in Use

# Check which port is in use
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep [PORT]

# Or
sudo ss -tulpn | grep [PORT]

YAML Syntax Errors

# Validate YAML
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('docker-compose.yml'))"

Reset Container

# Simply via the script
ei23 fullreset [container_name]

# Manually
cd ~/ei23-docker/
docker compose stop [container_name]
docker compose rm -f [container_name]
sudo rm -r volumes/[container_name]/
docker compose up -d

Further Information

• Docker Compose Documentation
• Docker Hub - Search for images
• ei23 Dashboard - Template overview