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Installing Watchtower on Synology NAS Using Docker

Jonathan Rhodes

Jonathan Rhodes

• 2 min read
Installing Watchtower on Synology NAS Using Docker

Installing Watchtower on Synology NAS Using Docker

Introduction
If you're running Docker containers on your Synology NAS, keeping them up-to-date can become a tedious task. This is where Watchtower comes into play – it's a tool designed to monitor your running Docker containers for updates and automatically update them. Here's a straightforward guide on how to get Watchtower running on your Synology NAS.

Prerequisites
Before we dive into the installation:

  • Ensure you have Docker installed on your Synology NAS. You can install it from the Package Centre under the Container category if it's not already there.
  • SSH access to your NAS for running commands that aren't available through the GUI. You can enable this in the Control Panel under Terminal & SNMP.
  • Basic familiarity with Docker and the command line.

Step-by-Step Guide
1. Create a Task in Task Scheduler

  • Navigate to Task Scheduler: Go to Control Panel > Task Scheduler.
  • Create a New Task: Click on Create > Scheduled Task > User-defined script.
  • General Settings:
    • Task: Name it something like "Watchtower Install".
    • User: Select root.
    • Uncheck Enabled: So it doesn't run automatically.
  • Schedule:
    • Run on the following date: Set it to today.
    • Do not repeat: Since we're doing this once.
  • Task Settings:
  • Save and Run: Save the task and run it immediately.

Under Run command, enter:

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

2. Alternative: Using Docker Compose

If you prefer using Docker Compose, you can do so by creating a docker-compose.yml file:

  • Create a YAML File:
    • Open File Station, navigate to your Docker folder or create one if it doesn't exist.
    • Create a new file named docker-compose.yml.
  • Edit the File: Paste the following content into the file:

yaml

version: '3.3'
services:
  watchtower:
    image: containrrr/watchtower
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    restart: unless-stopped
  • Run Docker Compose:
    • SSH into your NAS.

Start Watchtower with:

sudo docker-compose up -d

Navigate to the directory containing your docker-compose.yml:

cd /path/to/your/docker/folder

3. Post-Installation

  • Regular Maintenance: Remember that while Watchtower will keep your containers updated, it's crucial to back up your Docker data regularly, just in case an update introduces issues.

Watchtower Logs: You can check if Watchtower is working by looking at the logs:

docker logs watchtower

4. Troubleshooting

  • Permissions: Ensure you're running commands with root privileges or you've got the necessary permissions for Docker operations.
  • Updates Stopped: If you notice containers are stopping unexpectedly after an update, know that this is normal behaviour with Synology's Docker GUI not recognizing docker-compose initiated updates as expected.

Conclusion
With Watchtower installed, your Synology NAS will automatically keep your Docker containers updated, saving you time and ensuring your applications always run the latest versions. However, always be cautious with automatic updates; ensure you have backups in place for critical containers where an unexpected update could cause issues.
References:

  • Information on Docker and container management on Synology NAS can be found in various community discussions and guides, such as on Synology forums or specialized blogs like Marius Hosting for setup guides. However, the specific commands and configurations were inspired by general Docker practices and adapted for Synology environments.

This setup should provide you with an automated solution for container maintenance on your Synology NAS, enhancing the efficiency of your Docker ecosystem.

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