Docker Tips

Providing Assets

Although not mandatory, you might want to provide a few assets to your Domain Locker instance. This is simple to do using Docker Volumes, which let you share files or directories between your host system and the container.

For example:

-v ~/my-custom-logo.svg:/app/src/assets/logo.svg

The path on the left is on your host, and the path on the right is inside the container. Any files you need for Domain Locker can be mounted in this way.

Running Commands

If Domain Locker is running in a Docker container, pass commands like so:

docker exec -it [container-id] bash

Find the container ID by running:

docker ps

You can also enter the container shell directly:

docker exec -it [container-id] /bin/sh

For self-hosted (non-Docker) setups, simply SSH into your server and run commands there.

Healthchecks

By default, Domain Locker may configure healthchecks to verify the app is running. If you’re using Docker, you can customize how often these checks run with the --health-interval option. Check health status by running:

docker inspect --format "{{json .State.Health }}" [container-id]

Use the --no-healthcheck flag if you’d like to disable these checks altogether.

To automatically restart containers marked as unhealthy, consider Autoheal. For instance:

docker run -d \
    --name autoheal \
    --restart=always \
    -e AUTOHEAL_CONTAINER_LABEL=all \
    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
    willfarrell/autoheal

Logs and Performance

Container Logs

View logs for a running container:

docker logs [container-id]

Add --follow to stream logs in real time. For more details, see the Docker Logging Docs.

Container Performance

Check resource usage:

docker stats

For a graphical view of container performance, cAdvisor or Portainer might help.

Advanced Logging and Monitoring

You can integrate Domain Locker logs with Prometheus for deeper analytics, or forward logs to external services like Splunk, Sematext, or Grafana Loki.

Auto-Starting at System Boot

Use Docker’s restart policies to restart containers on system boot or after a crash. For example:

docker run --restart=always -d [image-name]

For Podman, see its systemd integration docs.

Updating

Domain Locker is under active development. To get the latest features, occasionally update your instance.

Updating Docker Container

Pull the latest image:
```
docker pull domain-locker:latest
```

Stop and remove the existing container:

docker stop [container-id]
docker rm [container-id]

Spin up a new container:

docker run [params] domain-locker:latest

Automatic Docker Updates

Watchtower can automatically pull new images and replace your old container:

docker run -d \
  --name watchtower \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  containrrr/watchtower

Backing Up

Backing Up Containers

A container can be backed up by:

docker commit [container-id] my-backup
docker save -o ~/locker-backup.tar my-backup

This only saves container layers, not volumes.

Backing Up Volumes

If you store data in Docker volumes, you can back them up manually:

docker run --rm \
  -v domain_locker_data:/volume \
  -v /tmp:/backup alpine \
  tar -cjf /backup/locker_volume.tar.bz2 -C /volume ./

Or use a tool like offen/docker-volume-backup for automated S3 backups.

Scheduling

To schedule tasks (like backups, updates, or logs) in Docker, ofelia is a handy container-based cron solution:

version: '3'
services:
  ofelia:
    image: mcuadros/ofelia:latest
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    # define your jobs here

SSL Certificates

If your instance is public-facing, enable HTTPS:

Auto-SSL with NGINX Proxy Manager

Set up a proxy host, select “Request a new SSL certificate,” and follow the prompts. Let’s Encrypt is free and easy.

Self-Signed

Generate or obtain a certificate, then pass it into your container:

docker run -d \
  -p 443:443 \
  -v ~/locker-privkey.key:/etc/ssl/certs/locker.key:ro \
  -v ~/locker-cert.crt:/etc/ssl/certs/locker.crt:ro \
  domain-locker:latest

Authentication

Domain Locker supports multiple authentication methods, including integrated solutions with external providers (e.g., OAuth) or internal user management. Refer to the official docs or environment variables to configure your chosen auth system.

Managing with Compose

When multiple containers are involved (e.g., a database, Domain Locker, a reverse proxy), docker-compose simplifies management. For instance:

version: "3.8"
services:
  domain-locker:
    container_name: domain-locker
    image: domain-locker:latest
    volumes:
      - ./locker-config.yml:/app/configs/main-config.yml
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    restart: unless-stopped

Then just run:

docker compose up -d

Passing in Environmental Variables

Domain Locker uses environment variables for configuration. With docker-compose, define them under environment:

environment:
  - DL_ENV_TYPE=managed
  - DL_PG_HOST=postgres-db

You can also place them in a .env file:

DL_ENV_TYPE=managed
DL_PG_HOST=postgres-db

Setting Headers

If you’re hosting Domain Locker behind a reverse proxy (NGINX, Traefik, etc.), ensure the correct headers are set for cross-domain requests (CORS). For NGINX, for example:

location / {
  add_header Access-Control-Allow-Origin *;
}

Replace * with your actual domain for production.

Remote Access

WireGuard: A lightweight VPN solution for remote access.
Reverse SSH Tunnel: Initiate SSH from inside your network to a remote server.
Tunneling Tools: Ngrok, Inlets, or Local Tunnel provide instant secure tunnels to your local instance.

Custom Domain

Using DNS

Create a DNS A record pointing locker.example.com to your server’s IP. For local networks, set a DNS entry or edit /etc/hosts:

192.168.0.2 locker.local

Using NGINX

server {
  listen 80;
  server_name domain-locker.mydomain.com;

  location / {
    proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
  }
}

Container Security

Keep Docker updated, run containers with least privilege, and set resource quotas. For more specific guidance, see Docker’s Security Docs.

Web Server Configuration

This section only applies if you’re not using Docker and want to run Domain Locker behind your own server.

Domain Locker is a Node.js app that, once built, serves static content plus API routes. You can host it with NGINX, Apache, or Caddy. Make sure to configure your reverse proxy and environment variables accordingly.

Running a Modified Version of the App

If you need to customize Domain Locker:

Fork the GitHub repo.
Install dependencies:
```
yarn
```
Develop:
```
yarn dev
```
Build:
```
yarn build
```
Deploy the contents of ./dist using your container or web server.

Building your Own Container

Clone Domain Locker’s repository.
Build the image:
```
docker build -t domain-locker .
```
Run:
```
docker run -p 3000:3000 domain-locker
```

If desired, push to a container registry:

docker push ghcr.io/YOUR_USERNAME/domain-locker:latest