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Install Netdata with Docker

Limitations running the Agent in Docker​

We do not officially support running our Docker images with the Docker CLI --user option or the Docker Compose user: parameter. Such usage will usually still work, but some features will not be available when run this way. Note that the Agent will drop privileges appropriately inside the container during startup, meaning that even when run without these options almost nothing in the container will actually run with an effective UID of 0.

Our POWER8+ Docker images do not support our FreeIPMI collector. This is a technical limitation in FreeIPMI itself, and unfortunately not something we can realistically work around.

Create a new Netdata Agent container​

You can create a new Agent container using either docker run or docker-compose. After using any method, you can visit the Agent dashboard http://NODE:19999.

The Netdata container requires different privileges and mounts to provide functionality similar to that provided by Netdata installed on the host. Below you can find a list of Netdata components that need these privileges and mounts, along with their descriptions.

Privileges
ComponentPrivilegesDescription
cgroups.pluginhost PID mode, SYS_ADMINContainer network interfaces monitoring. Map virtual interfaces in the system namespace to interfaces inside containers.
proc.pluginhost network modeHost system networking stack monitoring.
go.d.pluginhost network modeMonitoring applications running on the host and inside containers.
local-listenershost network mode, SYS_PTRACEDiscovering local services/applications. Map open (listening) ports to running services/applications.
network-viewer.pluginhost network mode, SYS_ADMINDiscovering all current network sockets and building a network-map.
Mounts
ComponentMountsDescription
netdata/etc/os-releaseHost info detection.
diskspace.plugin/Host mount points monitoring.
cgroups.plugin/sys, /var/run/docker.sockDocker containers monitoring and name resolution.
go.d.plugin/var/run/docker.sockDocker Engine and containers monitoring. See docker collector.
go.d.plugin/var/logWeb servers logs tailing. See weblog collector.
apps.plugin/etc/passwd, /etc/groupMonitoring of host system resource usage by each user and user group.
proc.plugin/procHost system monitoring (CPU, memory, network interfaces, disks, etc.).
systemd-journal.plugin/var/logViewing, exploring and analyzing systemd journal logs.

Both methods create a volume for Netdata's configuration files within the container at /etc/netdata. See the configure section for details. If you want to access the configuration files from your host machine, see host-editable configuration.

Using the docker run command

Run the following command in your terminal to start a new container.

docker run -d --name=netdata \
  --pid=host \
  --network=host \
  -v netdataconfig:/etc/netdata \
  -v netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata \
  -v netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata \
  -v /:/host/root:ro,rslave \
  -v /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro \
  -v /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro \
  -v /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro \
  -v /proc:/host/proc:ro \
  -v /sys:/host/sys:ro \
  -v /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro \
  -v /var/log:/host/var/log:ro \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --cap-add SYS_PTRACE \
  --cap-add SYS_ADMIN \
  --security-opt apparmor=unconfined \
  netdata/netdata

📑 Note

If you plan to connect the node to Netdata Cloud, you can find the command with the right parameters by clicking the " Add Nodes" button in your Space's "Nodes" view.

With systemd units monitoring​

Monitoring systemd units requires mounting /run/dbus. This mount is not available on non-systemd systems, so we cannot use it in the Recommended Way.

Mounting /run/dbus provides:

  • go.d/systemdunits.
  • Systemd-list-units function: information about all systemd units, including their active state, description, whether they are enabled, and more.

Using the docker run command

Add -v /run/dbus:/run/dbus:ro to your docker run.

With NVIDIA GPUs monitoring​

Monitoring NVIDIA GPUs requires:

Using the docker run command

Add --gpus 'all,capabilities=utility' to your docker run.

With host-editable configuration​

Use a bind mount for /etc/netdata rather than a volume.

This example assumes that you have created netdataconfig/ in your home directory.

mkdir netdataconfig

Using the docker run command

Run the following command in your terminal to start a new container.

docker run -d --name=netdata \
  --pid=host \
  --network=host \
  -v $(pwd)/netdataconfig/netdata:/etc/netdata \
  -v netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata \
  -v netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata \
  -v /:/host/root:ro,rslave \
  -v /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro \
  -v /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro \
  -v /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro \
  -v /proc:/host/proc:ro \
  -v /sys:/host/sys:ro \
  -v /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro \
  -v /var/log:/host/var/log:ro \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --cap-add SYS_PTRACE \
  --cap-add SYS_ADMIN \
  --security-opt apparmor=unconfined \
  netdata/netdata

With SSL/TLS enabled HTTP Proxy​

For a permanent installation on a public server, you should secure the Netdata instance. This section contains an example of how to install Netdata with an SSL reverse proxy and basic authentication.

You can use the following docker-compose.yml and Caddyfile files to run Netdata with Docker. Replace the domains and email address for Let's Encrypt before starting.

Caddyfile​

This file needs to be placed in /opt with name Caddyfile. Here you customize your domain, and you need to provide your email address to obtain a Let's Encrypt certificate. Certificate renewal will happen automatically and will be executed internally by the caddy server.

netdata.example.org {
  reverse_proxy host.docker.internal:19999
  tls [email protected]
}

docker-compose.yml​

After setting Caddyfile run this with docker-compose up -d to have a fully functioning Netdata setup behind an HTTP reverse proxy.

Make sure Netdata bind to docker0 interface if you've custom web.bind to setting in netdata.conf.

version: '3'
services:
  caddy:
    image: caddy:2
    extra_hosts:
      - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway" # To access netdata running with "network_mode: host".
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "443:443"
    volumes:
      - /opt/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile
      - caddy_data:/data
      - caddy_config:/config
  netdata:
    image: netdata/netdata
    container_name: netdata
    pid: host
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped
    cap_add:
      - SYS_PTRACE
      - SYS_ADMIN
    security_opt:
      - apparmor:unconfined
    volumes:
      - netdataconfig:/etc/netdata
      - netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata
      - netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata
      - /:/host/root:ro,rslave
      - /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro
      - /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /proc:/host/proc:ro
      - /sys:/host/sys:ro
      - /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro
      - /var/log:/host/var/log:ro
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
volumes:
  caddy_data:
  caddy_config:
  netdataconfig:
  netdatalib:
  netdatacache:

Restrict access with basic auth​

You can restrict access by following the official caddy guide and adding lines to Caddyfile.

With Docker socket proxy​

Note: Using Netdata with a Docker socket proxy might have some features not working as expected. It hasn't been fully tested by the Netdata team.

Deploy a Docker socket proxy that accepts and filters out requests using something like HAProxy or CetusGuard so that it restricts connections to read-only access to the /containers endpoint.

The reason it's safer to expose the socket to the proxy is because Netdata has a TCP port exposed outside the Docker network. Access to the proxy container is limited to only within the network.

HAProxy​

version: '3'
services:
  netdata:
    image: netdata/netdata
    container_name: netdata
    pid: host
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped
    cap_add:
      - SYS_PTRACE
      - SYS_ADMIN
    security_opt:
      - apparmor:unconfined
    volumes:
      - netdataconfig:/etc/netdata
      - netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata
      - netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata
      - /:/host/root:ro,rslave
      - /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro
      - /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /proc:/host/proc:ro
      - /sys:/host/sys:ro
      - /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro
      - /var/log:/host/var/log:ro
    environment:
      - DOCKER_HOST=localhost:2375
  proxy:
    network_mode: host
    image: tecnativa/docker-socket-proxy
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    environment:
      - CONTAINERS=1

volumes:
  netdataconfig:
  netdatalib:
  netdatacache:

Note: Replace 2375 with the port of your proxy.

CetusGuard​

Note: This deployment method is supported by the community

version: '3'
services:
  netdata:
    image: netdata/netdata
    container_name: netdata
    pid: host
    network_mode: host
    restart: unless-stopped
    cap_add:
      - SYS_PTRACE
      - SYS_ADMIN
    security_opt:
      - apparmor:unconfined
    volumes:
      - netdataconfig:/etc/netdata
      - netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata
      - netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata
      - /:/host/root:ro,rslave
      - /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro
      - /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /proc:/host/proc:ro
      - /sys:/host/sys:ro
      - /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro
      - /var/log:/host/var/log:ro
    environment:
      - DOCKER_HOST=localhost:2375
  cetusguard:
    image: hectorm/cetusguard:v1
    network_mode: host
    read_only: true
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro
    environment:
      CETUSGUARD_BACKEND_ADDR: unix:///var/run/docker.sock
      CETUSGUARD_FRONTEND_ADDR: tcp://:2375
      CETUSGUARD_RULES: |
        ! Inspect a container
        GET %API_PREFIX_CONTAINERS%/%CONTAINER_ID_OR_NAME%/json

volumes:
  netdataconfig:
  netdatalib:
  netdatacache:

You can run the socket proxy in its own Docker Compose file and leave it on a private network that you can add to other services that require access.

Rootless mode​

Netdata can be run successfully in a non-root environment, such as rootless Docker.

However, it should be noted that Netdata's data collection capabilities are considerably restricted in rootless Docker due to its inherent limitations. While Netdata can function in a rootless environment, it cannot access certain resources that require elevated privileges. The following components do not work:

  • container network interfaces monitoring (cgroup-network helper)
  • disk I/O and file descriptors of applications and processes (apps.plugin)
  • debugfs.plugin
  • freeipmi.plugin
  • perf.plugin
  • slabinfo.plugin
  • systemd-journal.plugin

This method creates a volume for Netdata's configuration files within the container at /etc/netdata. See the configure section for details. If you want to access the configuration files from your host machine, see host-editable configuration.

Using the docker run command

Run the following command in your terminal to start a new container.

docker run -d --name=netdata \
  --hostname=$(hostname) \
  -p 19999:19999 \
  -v netdataconfig:/etc/netdata \
  -v netdatalib:/var/lib/netdata \
  -v netdatacache:/var/cache/netdata \
  -v /etc/passwd:/host/etc/passwd:ro \
  -v /etc/group:/host/etc/group:ro \
  -v /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro \
  -v /proc:/host/proc:ro \
  -v /sys:/host/sys:ro \
  -v /etc/os-release:/host/etc/os-release:ro \
  -v /run/user/$UID/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  --security-opt apparmor=unconfined \
  netdata/netdata

📑 Note

If you plan to connect the node to Netdata Cloud, you can find the command with the right parameters by clicking the " Add Nodes" button in your Space's "Nodes" view.

Docker tags​

See our full list of Docker images at Docker Hub.

The official netdata/netdata Docker image provides the following named tags:

TagDescription
stablethe most recently published stable build.
edgethe most recently published nightly build. In most cases, this is updated daily at around 01:00 UTC.
latestthe most recently published build, whether it’s a stable build or a nightly build. This is what Docker will use by default if you do not specify a tag.
vX.Y.Zthe full version of the release (for example, v1.40.0).
vX.Ythe major and minor version (for example, v1.40).
vXjust the major version (for example, v1).

The tags for minor and major versions are updated whenever a release that matches this tag is published (for example, if v1.40.1 were to be published, the v1.40 tag would be updated to it instead of pointing to v1.40.0).

Configure Agent containers​

If you started an Agent container using one of the recommended methods, and you want to edit Netdata's configuration, you must first use docker exec to attach to the container. Replace netdata with the name of your container.

docker exec -it netdata bash
cd /etc/netdata
./edit-config netdata.conf

You need to restart the Agent to apply changes. Exit the container if you haven't already, then use the docker command to restart the container: docker restart netdata.

Change the default hostname​

You can change the hostname of a Docker container, and thus the name that appears in the local dashboard and in Netdata Cloud, when creating a new container. If you want to change the hostname of a Netdata container after you started it, you can safely stop and remove it. Your configuration and metrics data reside in persistent volumes and are reattached to the recreated container.

If you use docker-run, use the --hostname option with docker run.

docker run -d --name=netdata \
  --hostname=my_docker_netdata

If you use docker-compose, add a hostname: key/value pair into your docker-compose.yml file, then create the container again using docker-compose up -d.

version: '3'
services:
  netdata:
    image: netdata/netdata
    container_name: netdata
    hostname: my_docker_compose_netdata

If you don't want to destroy and recreate your container, you can edit the Agent's netdata.conf file directly. See the above section on configuring Agent containers to find the appropriate method based on how you created the container.

Alternatively, you can directly use the hostname from the node running the container by mounting /etc/hostname from the host in the container. With docker run, this can be done by adding --volume /etc/hostname:/host/etc/hostname:ro to the options. If you are using Docker Compose, you can add an entry to the container's volumes section reading - /etc/hostname:/host/etc/hostname:ro.

Adding extra packages at runtime​

By default, the official Netdata container images do not include a number of optional runtime dependencies. You can add these dependencies, or any other APT packages, at runtime by listing them in the environment variable NETDATA_EXTRA_DEB_PACKAGES.

Commonly useful packages include:

  • apcupsd: For monitoring APC UPS devices.
  • lm-sensors: For monitoring hardware sensors.
  • netcat-openbsd: For IRC alert support.

Health Checks​

Our Docker image provides integrated support for health checks through the standard Docker interfaces.

You can control how the health checks run by using the environment variable NETDATA_HEALTHCHECK_TARGET as follows:

  • If left unset, the health check will attempt to access the /api/v1/info endpoint of the Agent.
  • If set to the exact value 'cli', the health check script will use netdatacli ping to determine if the Agent is running correctly or not. This is sufficient to ensure that Netdata did not hang during startup, but does not provide a rigorous verification that the daemon is collecting data or is otherwise usable.
  • If set to anything else, the health check will treat the value as a URL to check for a 200 status code on. In most cases, this should start with http://localhost:19999/ to check the Agent running in the container.

In most cases, the default behavior of checking the /api/v1/info endpoint will be sufficient. If you are using a configuration which disables the web server or restricts access to certain APIs, you will need to use a non-default configuration for health checks to work.

Publish a test image to your own repository​

At Netdata, we provide multiple ways of testing your Docker images using your own repositories. You may either use the command line tools available or take advantage of our GitHub Actions infrastructure.


Do you have any feedback for this page? If so, you can open a new issue on our netdata/learn repository.