Skip to content

Camera Monitoring

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"]