Where to find a docker app when it's not in "appdata"

[severanced]

Hi, I had to manually install an application that was not in the normal App Store. I need to modify some files in the install but I can't seem to find where it's installed since it's not showing up in Appdata. If it's not there, where else can I look to see where it should be installed?

[itimpi]

Does not sound as if you understand how docker works?    On Unraid Docker container binaries are always installed into the docker.img file.   On UnRaid you then define in the template for the container what paths you want to be mapped to storage external to the container.  
 

The ‘appdata’ share is just a convention on Unraid as the preferred location for mapping container information such as configuration information, but you can have mapping to any location you want.  
 

perhaps given more information about what container you are talking about and what mappings (if any) you have setup you may get more useful feedback

[severanced]

Sure, I'm trying to work with this application (https://hub.docker.com/r/suika/hydrus/) which is not in the App store but is available if the advanced options are enabled. I need to modify some files in the install of it but it installs, like from what you were saying, inside the docker img file.

[itimpi]

55 minutes ago, severanced said:

Sure, I'm trying to work with this application (https://hub.docker.com/r/suika/hydrus/) which is not in the App store but is available if the advanced options are enabled. I need to modify some files in the install of it but it installs, like from what you were saying, inside the docker img file.

The obvious question is what is the path inside the container to the files you want to be able to edit.    If you know that then you could map this location to a folder under appdata.

 

it is also possible to open a shell inside the Docker if you want to make changes that way.    The problem with that technique is that if the container ever gets an update then you lose any changes you make inside the container - hence the reason why config folders for containers are typically mapped to folders within the ‘appdata’ share so they are external to docker.img and thus survive updates.

[trurl]

4 hours ago, itimpi said:

so they are external to docker.img and thus survive updates

And you don't want to store any significant amount of data inside docker.img. And you can't easily access anything stored there.

 

 

[severanced]

5 hours ago, itimpi said:

The obvious question is what is the path inside the container to the files you want to be able to edit.    If you know that then you could map this location to a folder under appdata.

 

it is also possible to open a shell inside the Docker if you want to make changes that way.    The problem with that technique is that if the container ever gets an update then you lose any changes you make inside the container - hence the reason why config folders for containers are typically mapped to folders within the ‘appdata’ share so they are external to docker.img and thus survive updates.

I have no idea where anything is stored, this is part of the problem. I don't know if there's something in Docker in Unraid that can show me the mapping because I haven't found anything to direct me anywhere.

[trurl]

1 minute ago, severanced said:

Docker in Unraid that can show me the mapping

The mappings are whatever you made them. Click on its icon, select edit, and post a screenshot.

[severanced]

25 minutes ago, trurl said:

The mappings are whatever you made them. Click on its icon, select edit, and post a screenshot.

I couldn't find anything in Edit settings that shows where its files are located.

 

[trurl]

Doesn't look like you configured any path mappings so the container only has access to internal storage (inside docker.img).

 

Do you know the path within the container of the files you need to modify?

 

Do you have any other working dockers?

 

 

[severanced]

38 minutes ago, trurl said:

Doesn't look like you configured any path mappings so the container only has access to internal storage (inside docker.img).

 

Do you know the path within the container of the files you need to modify?

 

Do you have any other working dockers?

 

 

So the path mappings aren't an issue, but that doesn't help my issue which is getting access to the Docker install/config files. Unless I'm missing something here.

[trurl]

7 minutes ago, severanced said:

So the path mappings aren't an issue

They are an issue because

8 hours ago, itimpi said:

The problem with that technique is that if the container ever gets an update then you lose any changes you make inside the container - hence the reason why config folders for containers are typically mapped to folders within the ‘appdata’ share so they are external to docker.img and thus survive updates.

3 hours ago, trurl said:

And you don't want to store any significant amount of data inside docker.img. And you can't easily access anything stored there.

 

What exactly do you mean by this?

9 minutes ago, severanced said:

getting access to the Docker install/config files

 

You didn't answer this question

48 minutes ago, trurl said:

Do you know the path within the container of the files you need to modify?

 

 

[severanced]

4 hours ago, trurl said:

They are an issue because

 

What exactly do you mean by this?

 

You didn't answer this question

 

 

What I mean is the config files that are installed with the Docker container, not paths that are explicitly defined, but the base install files, from what I'm told they are in the Docker IMG file but I don't know how to best get to them or how to set it up so it installs to Appdata instead of inside the docker IMG file if that's where they are.

 

So to answer the other question...No, I have no idea what the path is or even how to find it. That's what I've been asking.

 

I think this would be a lot easier if I could just set up that application to install to AppData instead.

[itimpi]

1 minute ago, severanced said:

So to answer the other question...No, I have no idea what the path is or even how to find it. That's what I've been asking.

 

Without knowing where the docker developer put those files then there is not much we can do to help you.   In a Docker container the application is ‘installed’ by the container developer and you are downloading an already ‘installed’ application when you get a container. 

[trurl]

If it was magically in appdata, do you know what files you want to edit?

[severanced]

7 minutes ago, itimpi said:

Without knowing where the docker developer put those files then there is not much we can do to help you.   In a Docker container the application is ‘installed’ by the container developer and you are downloading an already ‘installed’ application when you get a container. 

So from the sound of it, until the developer reconfigures it to install for Unraid to AppData I'm SOL?

6 minutes ago, trurl said:

If it was magically in appdata, do you know what files you want to edit?

I'm basically trying to write over the existing files with a current installation in order to retain a lot of settings

[trurl]

3 minutes ago, severanced said:

So from the sound of it, until the developer reconfigures it to install for Unraid to AppData I'm SOL?

You can create mappings yourself on that page you took the screenshot from.

 

4 minutes ago, severanced said:

I'm basically trying to write over the existing files with a current installation in order to retain a lot of settings

Don't understand that. What "existing files" and what "current installation"?

[trurl]

On 9/5/2021 at 1:00 AM, itimpi said:

Does not sound as if you understand how docker works?

5 hours ago, trurl said:

Do you have any other working dockers?

 

A few years old, but should give some idea of the basic concepts:

 

[itimpi]

5 minutes ago, severanced said:

o from the sound of it, until the developer reconfigures it to install for Unraid to AppData I'm SOL

No, the container developer has no need to know what host is running the container (which is a key point when using docker containers).   It could just as easily be Windows, MacOS or some other Linux based distribution.

 

if you know where inside the container the relevant configuration files are located then docker allows you you to map this location to be external to the container.   This means that those files are now both easier to access, and are no longer affected if that particular container gets updated.
 

Under UnRaid this is by convention it is under the ‘appdata’ share but that is only a convention, not a rule.    For instance the container might be running under docker on Windows and obviously that does not have an ‘appdata’ share so the mapping would be to a location that made sense on Windows

[severanced]

I'll happily delete the application and reinstall it since I've not done any configuration, but when I look at installing it, I don't see how to redirect where it installs to. Adding the host paths just adds access to the shares from what I've seen.

[Squid]

The docker page for that container explicitly states to add another mapping for persistence

Quote

For persisten storage you can either create a named volume or mount a new/existing db path -v /hydrus/client/db:/opt/hydrus/db. 

 

Additionally if you also running IPFS, then it states

Quote

As of v359 hydrus understands IPFS nocopy. And can be easily run with go-ipfs container. Read Hydrus IPFS help. Mount HOST_PATH_DB/client_files to /data/client_files in ipfs. Go manage the ipfs service and set the path to /data/client_files, you'll know where to put it in.

 

Whenever doing a dockerHub search, there is the additional link that goes to the dockerHub page for it which will (hopefully) have some instructions on how you use the container.  Additionally, when you actually install it you can click on the icon for it and select support which takes you to the dockerHub page.