SSH / Command Line Setup — Pellicle Help

This guide covers deploying the pellicle-watcher container using SSH and Docker Compose on any NAS or Linux server (Unraid, generic Linux, etc.). Before starting, create a config.yml file following the Watcher Configuration reference.

Create the Docker Compose File

SSH into your NAS or server. Create a directory for the project and place both your config.yml and a new docker-compose.yml file in it:

mkdir -p ~/pellicle-watcher
cd ~/pellicle-watcher

Create docker-compose.yml with the following content:

services:
  pellicle-watcher:
    image: robotmay/pellicle-watcher:latest
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - /path/to/Photography:/data/Photography:ro
      - ./config:/etc/pellicle-watcher

Note: network_mode: host is required for mDNS discovery to work. Adjust the volume path (/path/to/Photography) to match where your photos are stored. The config directory stores the configuration file, TLS certificates, and admin database — mounting it as a volume ensures everything persists across container restarts. Place your config.yml in this directory before starting the container.

Start the Watcher

docker compose up -d

Check the logs to confirm it started:

docker compose logs -f

You should see a message indicating the watcher is listening on the configured port.

Updating

To update to a newer version of the watcher image:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Now continue with Connecting Pellicle.