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Setting up Camera.UI on Docker for Windows

Setting up Camera.UI on Docker for Windows

Overview

This guide outlines the process for setting up Camera.UI on Docker for Windows. Camera.UI is a versatile NVR-like Progressive Web App (PWA) designed to manage RTSP-capable cameras. With features like live streams, motion detection, and notifications, it provides a robust solution for home automation and monitoring.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

  • Docker Desktop is installed and running on your Windows system.
  • Your RTSP-capable cameras are configured and accessible.
  • Basic familiarity with Docker commands.
  • Internet connectivity for pulling Docker images.

Setup Steps

Step 1: Pull the Camera.UI Docker Image

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
  2. Pull the Docker image for Camera.UI: 
    docker pull camera.ui-linux

Step 2: Run the Container

Run the Camera.UI container using the following command: 

docker run -d -p 8081:8081 --name camera-ui --restart unless-stopped camera.ui-linux
- -d: Runs the container in detached mode. - -p 8081:8081: Maps the container’s port 8081 to the host’s port 8081. - --name camera-ui: Names the container camera-ui. - --restart unless-stopped: Ensures the container restarts on system reboot or Docker daemon restarts.

Step 3: Access the Web Interface

  1. Open your browser and go to: 
    http://localhost:8081
  2. Log in with the default credentials:
  3. Username: master
  4. Password: master
  5. Change your username and password immediately for security.

Step 4: Configure Camera.UI

  1. After logging in, go to the settings panel.
  2. Add your RTSP-capable cameras:
  3. Provide the RTSP stream URL for each camera.
  4. Configure additional settings like motion detection, zones, or notifications.

Step 5: Verify Restart Policy (Optional)

To ensure the container is set to restart automatically, verify the restart policy: 1. Run: 

docker inspect camera-ui | findstr RestartPolicy
(For PowerShell, use Select-String instead of findstr). 2. Ensure the output includes: 
"RestartPolicy": {
    "Name": "unless-stopped",
    "MaximumRetryCount": 0
}

Managing the Container

Start and Stop

  • Start the container: 
    docker start camera-ui
  • Stop the container: 
    docker stop camera-ui

View Logs

  • To view the container logs: 
    docker logs camera-ui

Remove the Container

If you ever need to remove the container without losing your data, make sure your container's data is mapped to a persistent volume. Otherwise, you can remove the container with: 

docker rm -f camera-ui

Step 6: Update the Container

If a new version of Camera.UI is released, update the container as follows: 1. Stop and remove the existing container: 

docker stop camera-ui
docker rm camera-ui
2. Pull the latest image: 
docker pull camera.ui-linux
3. Re-run the container with the same settings: 
docker run -d -p 8081:8081 --name camera-ui --restart unless-stopped camera.ui-linux

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Port Conflict: If port 8081 is already in use, choose another port: 

    docker run -d -p 8082:8081 --name camera-ui --restart unless-stopped camera.ui-linux
    Access it via http://localhost:8082.

  • Logs Not Showing: Use: 

    docker logs camera-ui

  • Web Interface Not Accessible: Ensure Docker Desktop is running and your firewall isn't blocking port 8081.

Error: spawn ffmpeg ENOENT

If you encounter an error related to ffmpeg: 1. Update the Dockerfile to install ffmpeg: 

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    curl \
    build-essential \
    nodejs \
    npm \
    ffmpeg \
    && apt-get clean
2. Rebuild and restart the container.

Dockerfile for Camera.UI

# Use a lightweight Debian base image
FROM debian:latest

# Set environment variables
ENV NODE_ENV=production
ENV NPM_CONFIG_PREFIX=/home/camerauser/.npm-global
ENV PATH=$PATH:/home/camerauser/.npm-global/bin

# Update and install necessary packages
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    curl \
    build-essential \
    nodejs \
    npm \
    ffmpeg \
    && apt-get clean

# Install the correct Node.js version (20.x)
RUN curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash - \
    && apt-get install -y nodejs

# Update npm to the latest version
RUN npm install -g npm@10.9.1

# Create a non-root user for security
RUN useradd -ms /bin/bash camerauser

# Install the camera.ui package globally
RUN npm install -g camera.ui@latest --unsafe-perm

# Set up directories and permissions for camera.ui
RUN mkdir -p /home/camerauser/.npm-global /home/camerauser/.camera.ui && \
    chmod 700 /home/camerauser/.camera.ui && \
    chown -R camerauser:camerauser /home/camerauser

# Set the working directory
WORKDIR /home/camerauser

# Expose the port for camera.ui
EXPOSE 8081

# Command to start camera.ui
CMD ["camera.ui", "--no-sudo", "--storage-path", "/home/camerauser/.camera.ui"]

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