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EZ-Homelab/wiki/service-docs/portainer.md
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Portainer - Docker Management Platform

Table of Contents

Overview

Category: Infrastructure Management
Docker Image: portainer/portainer-ce
Default Stack: infrastructure.yml
Web UI: https://portainer.${DOMAIN}
Authentication: Built-in (admin/password) + Authelia protection
Role: Secondary management tool (Dockge is primary)

What is Portainer?

Portainer is a comprehensive Docker and Kubernetes management platform with an intuitive web interface. It provides enterprise-grade features for managing containers, images, networks, volumes, and more across single hosts or entire clusters.

Key Features

  • Full Docker Management: Containers, images, networks, volumes, stacks
  • User Management: Multi-user support with role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Kubernetes Support: Manage K8s clusters (Community Edition)
  • App Templates: One-click deployment of popular applications
  • Registry Management: Connect to Docker registries
  • Resource Monitoring: CPU, memory, network usage
  • Container Console: Web-based terminal access
  • Webhooks: Automated deployments via webhooks
  • Environment Management: Manage multiple Docker hosts
  • Team Collaboration: Share environments with teams

Why Use Portainer?

  1. Backup Management Tool: When Dockge has issues
  2. Advanced Features: User management, registries, templates
  3. Detailed Information: More comprehensive stats and info
  4. Image Management: Better interface for managing images
  5. Network Visualization: See container networking
  6. Volume Management: Easy volume backup/restore
  7. Established Platform: Mature, well-documented, large community
  8. Enterprise Option: Can upgrade to Business Edition if needed

How It Works

User → Web Browser → Portainer UI
                         ↓
                   Docker Socket
                         ↓
                   Docker Engine
                         ↓
              All Docker Resources
         (Containers, Images, Networks, Volumes)

Architecture

Portainer consists of:

  1. Portainer Server: Main application with web UI
  2. Docker Socket: Connection to Docker Engine
  3. Portainer Agent: Optional, for managing remote hosts
  4. Database: Stores configuration, users, settings

Configuration in AI-Homelab

Directory Structure

/opt/stacks/infrastructure/portainer/
└── data/          # Portainer database and config (auto-created)

Initial Setup

First Login:

  1. Access https://portainer.yourdomain.com
  2. Create admin account (username: admin)
  3. Choose "Docker" environment
  4. Select "Connect via Docker socket"

Environment Variables

# No environment variables typically needed
# Configuration done through Web UI

Official Resources

Educational Resources

Videos

Articles & Guides

Concepts to Learn

  • Docker Management: Centralized control of Docker resources
  • RBAC: Role-Based Access Control for teams
  • Stacks: Docker Compose deployments via UI
  • Templates: Pre-configured app deployments
  • Registries: Docker image repositories
  • Environments: Multiple Docker hosts managed together
  • Agents: Remote Docker host management

Docker Configuration

Complete Service Definition

portainer:
  image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
  container_name: portainer
  restart: unless-stopped
  security_opt:
    - no-new-privileges:true
  networks:
    - traefik-network
  ports:
    - "9443:9443"   # HTTPS UI
    - "8000:8000"   # Edge agent (optional)
  volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    - /opt/stacks/infrastructure/portainer/data:/data
  environment:
    - TZ=America/New_York
  labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.portainer.rule=Host(`portainer.${DOMAIN}`)"
    - "traefik.http.routers.portainer.entrypoints=websecure"
    - "traefik.http.routers.portainer.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
    - "traefik.http.routers.portainer.middlewares=authelia@docker"
    - "traefik.http.services.portainer.loadbalancer.server.port=9443"
    - "traefik.http.services.portainer.loadbalancer.server.scheme=https"

Important Notes

  1. Port 9443: HTTPS UI (Portainer uses self-signed cert internally)
  2. Docker Socket: Read-only mount recommended for security
  3. Data Volume: Stores all Portainer configuration
  4. Edge Agent Port: 8000 for remote agent connections (optional)

Using Portainer

Dashboard Overview

Home Dashboard Shows:

  • Total containers (running, stopped)
  • Total images
  • Total volumes
  • Total networks
  • Stack count
  • Resource usage (CPU, memory)

Container Management

View Containers:

  • Home → Containers
  • See all containers with status
  • Quick actions: start, stop, restart, remove

Container Details:

  • Logs (real-time and download)
  • Stats (CPU, memory, network)
  • Console (terminal access)
  • Inspect (full container JSON)
  • Recreate (update container)

Container Actions:

  1. Start/Stop/Restart: One-click control
  2. Logs: View stdout/stderr output
  3. Stats: Real-time resource usage
  4. Exec Console: Access container shell
  5. Duplicate: Create copy with same config
  6. Recreate: Pull new image and restart

Stack Management

Deploy Stack:

  1. Stacks → Add Stack
  2. Name your stack
  3. Choose method:
    • Web editor (paste compose)
    • Upload compose file
    • Git repository
  4. Click "Deploy the stack"

Manage Existing Stacks:

  • View all services in stack
  • Edit compose configuration
  • Stop/Start entire stack
  • Remove stack (keep/delete volumes)

Image Management

Images View:

  • All local images
  • Size and tags
  • Pull new images
  • Remove unused images
  • Build from Dockerfile
  • Import/Export images

Common Operations:

Pull Image: Images → Pull → Enter image:tag
Remove Image: Images → Select → Remove
Build Image: Images → Build → Upload Dockerfile

Network Management

View Networks:

  • All Docker networks
  • Connected containers
  • Network driver type
  • Subnet information

Create Network:

  1. Networks → Add Network
  2. Name and driver (bridge, overlay)
  3. Configure subnet/gateway
  4. Attach containers

Volume Management

View Volumes:

  • All Docker volumes
  • Size and mount points
  • Containers using volume

Volume Operations:

  • Create new volumes
  • Remove unused volumes
  • Browse volume contents
  • Backup/restore volumes

App Templates

Quick Deploy:

  1. App Templates
  2. Select application
  3. Configure settings
  4. Deploy

Popular Templates:

  • WordPress, MySQL, Redis
  • Nginx, Apache
  • PostgreSQL, MongoDB
  • And many more...

Advanced Topics

User Management

Create Users:

  1. Users → Add User
  2. Username and password
  3. Assign role
  4. Set team membership (if teams exist)

Roles:

  • Administrator: Full access
  • Operator: Manage containers, no settings
  • User: Limited access to assigned resources
  • Read-only: View only

Team Collaboration

Create Team:

  1. Teams → Add Team
  2. Name team
  3. Add members
  4. Assign resource access

Use Case:

  • Family team: Access to media services
  • Admin team: Full access
  • Guest team: Limited access

Registry Management

Add Private Registry:

  1. Registries → Add Registry
  2. Choose type (Docker Hub, GitLab, custom)
  3. Enter credentials
  4. Test connection

Use Cases:

  • Private Docker Hub repos
  • GitHub Container Registry
  • Self-hosted registry
  • GitLab Registry

Webhooks

Automated Deployments:

  1. Select container/stack
  2. Create webhook
  3. Copy webhook URL
  4. Configure in CI/CD pipeline

Example:

# Trigger container update
curl -X POST https://portainer.domain.com/api/webhooks/abc123

Multiple Environments

Add Remote Docker Host:

  1. Environments → Add Environment
  2. Choose "Docker" or "Agent"
  3. Enter connection details
  4. Test and save

Agent Deployment:

portainer-agent:
  image: portainer/agent:latest
  ports:
    - "9001:9001"
  volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    - /var/lib/docker/volumes:/var/lib/docker/volumes

Custom Templates

Create Template:

  1. App Templates → Custom Templates
  2. Add template
  3. Define compose configuration
  4. Set categories and logo
  5. Save

Resource Limits

Set container limits in Portainer UI:

  1. Edit container
  2. Resources & Runtime
  3. Set CPU/memory limits
  4. Apply changes

Troubleshooting

Can't Access Portainer

# Check if running
docker ps | grep portainer

# View logs
docker logs portainer

# Check port
curl -k https://localhost:9443

# Verify Traefik routing
docker logs traefik | grep portainer

Forgot Admin Password

# Stop Portainer
docker stop portainer

# Remove admin user from DB
docker run --rm -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer-ce \
  --admin-password 'NewPassword123!'

# Or reset completely (deletes all data)
docker stop portainer
docker rm portainer
docker volume rm portainer_data
docker compose up -d portainer

Stacks Not Visible

# Portainer looks for compose files in specific location
# It doesn't automatically detect all stacks like Dockge

# Import existing stacks:
# Stacks → Add Stack → Web Editor → Paste compose content

Container Terminal Not Working

# Ensure container has shell
docker exec container-name which bash

# Check Portainer logs
docker logs portainer | grep console

# Try different shell
# In Portainer: Console → Command → /bin/sh

High Memory Usage

# Portainer uses more resources than Dockge
# Check stats
docker stats portainer

# If too high:
# - Close unused browser tabs
# - Restart Portainer
# - Reduce polling frequency (Settings)

Database Corruption

# Backup first
cp -r /opt/stacks/infrastructure/portainer/data /opt/backups/

# Stop and recreate
docker stop portainer
docker rm portainer
docker volume rm portainer_data
docker compose up -d portainer

Security Considerations

Best Practices

  1. Strong Admin Password: Use complex password
  2. Enable HTTPS: Always use SSL/TLS
  3. Use Authelia: Add extra authentication layer
  4. Limit Docker Socket: Use read-only when possible
  5. Regular Updates: Keep Portainer updated
  6. User Management: Create separate users, avoid sharing admin
  7. RBAC: Use role-based access for teams
  8. Audit Logs: Review activity logs regularly
  9. Network Isolation: Don't expose to internet without protection
  10. Backup Configuration: Regular backups of /data volume

Docker Socket Security

Risk: Full socket access = root on host

Mitigations:

  • Use Docker Socket Proxy (see docker-proxy.md)
  • Read-only mount when possible
  • Limit user access to Portainer
  • Monitor audit logs
  • Use Authelia for additional authentication

Portainer vs Dockge

When to Use Portainer

  • Need user management (teams, RBAC)
  • Managing multiple Docker hosts
  • Want app templates
  • Need detailed image management
  • Enterprise features required
  • More established, proven platform

When to Use Dockge

  • Simple stack management
  • Direct file manipulation preferred
  • Lighter resource usage
  • Faster for compose operations
  • Better terminal experience
  • Cleaner, modern UI

AI-Homelab Approach

  • Primary: Dockge (daily operations)
  • Secondary: Portainer (backup, advanced features)
  • Use Both: They complement each other

Tips & Tricks

Quick Container Recreate

To update a container with new image:

  1. Containers → Select container
  2. Click "Recreate"
  3. Check "Pull latest image"
  4. Click "Recreate"

Volume Backup

  1. Volumes → Select volume
  2. Export/Backup
  3. Download tar archive
  4. Store safely

Stack Migration

Export from one host, import to another:

  1. Select stack
  2. Copy compose content
  3. On new host: Add Stack → Paste
  4. Deploy

Environment Variables

Set globally for all stacks:

  1. Stacks → Select stack → Editor
  2. Environment variables section
  3. Add key=value pairs
  4. Update stack

Summary

Portainer is your backup Docker management platform. It provides:

  • Comprehensive Docker management
  • User and team collaboration
  • Advanced features for complex setups
  • Reliable, established platform
  • Detailed resource monitoring

While Dockge is the primary tool for daily stack management, Portainer excels at:

  • User management and RBAC
  • Multiple environment management
  • Detailed image and volume operations
  • Template-based deployments
  • Enterprise-grade features

Keep both running - they serve different purposes and complement each other well. Use Dockge for quick stack operations and Portainer for advanced features and user management.

Remember:

  • Portainer is backup/secondary tool in AI-Homelab
  • Different interface philosophy than Dockge
  • More features, higher resource usage
  • Excellent for multi-user scenarios
  • Always protect with Authelia
  • Regular backups of /data volume
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