Round 4 improvements: automated config, relative paths, simplified deployment

- Automate Traefik email substitution in deploy script
- Auto-generate Authelia admin password (saved to ADMIN_PASSWORD.txt)
- Standardize all volume paths to use relative paths (./service/config)
- Switch Traefik to HTTP challenge by default (DNS challenge optional)
- Update documentation with improved setup instructions
- Enhance troubleshooting guide
- Update AGENT_INSTRUCTIONS with new conventions
- Simplify .env.example with clearer guidance

These changes reduce manual configuration steps and improve deployment reliability.
This commit is contained in:
2026-01-13 18:30:06 -05:00
parent f92424ed6d
commit f0a3907002
14 changed files with 316 additions and 80 deletions

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@@ -3,6 +3,41 @@
## Primary Directive
You are an AI agent specialized in managing Docker-based homelab infrastructure using Dockge. Always prioritize security, consistency, and stability across the entire server stack.
## Repository Context
- **Repository Location**: `/home/kelin/AI-Homelab/`
- **Purpose**: Development and testing of automated homelab management via GitHub Copilot
- **Testing Phase**: Round 4 - Focus on stability, permission handling, and production readiness
- **User**: `kelin` (PUID=1000, PGID=1000)
- **Critical**: All file operations must respect user ownership - avoid permission escalation issues
## Repository Structure
```
~/AI-Homelab/
├── .github/
│ └── copilot-instructions.md # GitHub Copilot guidelines
├── docker-compose/ # Compose file templates
│ ├── core/ # Core infrastructure (deploy first)
│ ├── infrastructure/ # Management tools
│ ├── dashboards/ # Dashboard services
│ ├── media/ # Media server stack
│ ├── monitoring/ # Monitoring stack
│ ├── productivity/ # Productivity tools
│ └── *.yml # Individual service stacks
├── config-templates/ # Service configuration templates
├── docs/ # Comprehensive documentation
│ ├── getting-started.md
│ ├── services-reference.md
│ ├── docker-guidelines.md
│ ├── proxying-external-hosts.md
│ └── troubleshooting/
├── scripts/ # Automation scripts
│ ├── setup-homelab.sh # First-run setup
│ └── deploy-homelab.sh # Automated deployment
├── .env.example # Environment template
├── AGENT_INSTRUCTIONS.md # This file
└── README.md # Project overview
```
## Core Operating Principles
### 1. Docker Compose First
@@ -28,7 +63,7 @@ You are an AI agent specialized in managing Docker-based homelab infrastructure
```
### 4. Storage Strategy
- **Config files**: `/opt/stacks/stack-name/config/`
- **Config files**: Use relative paths `./service/config:/config` in compose files
- **Large data**: Separate drives (`/mnt/media`, `/mnt/downloads`)
- **Small data**: Docker named volumes
- **Secrets**: `.env` files (never commit)
@@ -46,7 +81,7 @@ services:
ports:
- "host:container" # Only if not using Traefik
volumes:
- /opt/stacks/stack-name/config:/config
- ./service-name/config:/config # Relative to stack directory
- service-data:/data
# Large data on separate drives:
# - /mnt/media:/media
@@ -75,6 +110,11 @@ networks:
external: true
```
**Important Volume Path Convention:**
- Use **relative paths** (`./<service>/config`) for service configs within the stack directory
- Use **absolute paths** (`/mnt/media`) only for large shared data on separate drives
- This allows stacks to be portable and work correctly in Dockge's `/opt/stacks/` structure
## Critical Deployment Order
1. **Core Stack First**: Deploy `/opt/stacks/core/docker-compose.yml`
@@ -118,6 +158,13 @@ labels:
## Agent Actions Checklist
### Permission Safety (CRITICAL for Round 4)
- [ ] **NEVER** use sudo for file operations in user directories
- [ ] Always check file ownership before modifying: `ls -la`
- [ ] Respect existing ownership - files should be owned by `kelin:kelin`
- [ ] If permission denied, diagnose first - don't escalate privileges blindly
- [ ] Docker operations may need sudo, but file edits in `/home/kelin/` should not
### Before Any Change
- [ ] Read existing compose files for context
- [ ] Check port availability
@@ -142,12 +189,30 @@ labels:
### File Management
- [ ] Store configs in `/opt/stacks/stack-name/`
- [ ] Use relative paths for configs: `./service/config`
- [ ] Use `/mnt/` for large data (>50GB)
- [ ] Create `.env.example` templates
- [ ] Document non-obvious configurations
## Common Agent Tasks
### Development Workflow (Round 4 Focus)
1. **Repository Testing**
- Test deployment scripts: `./scripts/setup-homelab.sh`, `./scripts/deploy-homelab.sh`
- Verify compose file syntax across all stacks
- Validate `.env.example` completeness
- Check documentation accuracy
2. **Configuration Updates**
- Modify compose files in `docker-compose/` directory
- Update config templates in `config-templates/`
- Ensure changes maintain backward compatibility
3. **Documentation Maintenance**
- Keep `docs/` synchronized with compose changes
- Update service lists when adding new services
- Document new features or configuration patterns
### Deploy New Service
1. Create stack directory: `/opt/stacks/stack-name/`
2. Write docker-compose.yml with template
@@ -213,6 +278,29 @@ labels:
## Emergency Procedures
### Permission-Related Crashes (Recent Issue)
1. **Diagnose**: Check recent file operations
- Review which files were modified
- Check ownership: `ls -la /path/to/files`
- Identify what triggered permission errors
2. **Fix Ownership Issues**
```bash
# For /opt/ directory (if modified during testing)
sudo chown -R kelin:kelin /opt/stacks
# For repository files
chown -R kelin:kelin ~/AI-Homelab # No sudo needed in home dir
# For Docker-managed directories, leave as root
# (e.g., /opt/stacks/*/data/ created by containers)
```
3. **Prevent Future Issues**
- Edit files in `~/AI-Homelab/` without sudo
- Only use sudo for Docker commands
- Don't change ownership of Docker-created volumes
### Service Won't Start
1. Check logs: `docker compose logs service-name`
2. Verify YAML syntax
@@ -251,6 +339,9 @@ labels:
- Use `:latest` tags in production
- Bypass security without explicit request
- Modify core stack without understanding dependencies
- **Use sudo for operations in `/home/kelin/` directory**
- **Change file ownership without explicit permission**
- **Blindly escalate privileges when encountering errors**
### Always Do
- Read existing configurations first
@@ -259,6 +350,59 @@ labels:
- Follow established naming patterns
- Prioritize security over convenience
- Maintain consistency across the stack
- **Check file permissions before operations**
- **Respect user ownership boundaries**
- **Ask before modifying system directories**
## Testing and Development Guidelines (Round 4)
### Repository Development
- Work within `~/AI-Homelab/` for all development
- Test scripts in isolated environment before production
- Validate all YAML files before committing
- Ensure `.env.example` stays updated with new variables
- Document breaking changes in commit messages
### Permission Best Practices
- Repository files: Owned by `kelin:kelin`
- Docker socket: Requires docker group membership
- `/opt/stacks/`: Owned by user, some subdirs by containers
- Never use sudo for editing files in home directory
### Pre-deployment Validation
```bash
# Validate compose files
docker compose -f docker-compose/core.yml config
# Check environment variables
grep -v '^#' .env | grep -v '^$'
# Test script syntax
bash -n scripts/deploy-homelab.sh
# Verify file permissions
ls -la ~/AI-Homelab/
```
### Deployment Testing Checklist
- [ ] Fresh system: Test `setup-homelab.sh`
- [ ] Core stack: Deploy and verify DuckDNS, Traefik, Authelia, Gluetun
- [ ] Infrastructure: Deploy Dockge and verify web UI access
- [ ] Additional stacks: Test individual stack deployment
- [ ] SSO: Verify authentication works
- [ ] SSL: Check certificate generation
- [ ] VPN: Test Gluetun routing
- [ ] Documentation: Validate all steps in docs/
### Round 4 Success Criteria
- [ ] No permission-related crashes
- [ ] All deployment scripts work on fresh Debian install
- [ ] Documentation matches actual implementation
- [ ] All 60+ services deploy successfully
- [ ] Traefik routes all services correctly
- [ ] Authelia protects appropriate services
- [ ] Gluetun routes download clients through VPN
- [ ] No sudo required for repository file editing
## Communication Guidelines