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What is Docker?

Docker is a way to run programs in isolated boxes on a computer. Each box is called a container.

Saxon runs almost all homelab apps as Docker containers on TrueNAS — Jellyfin, Vaultwarden, Sonarr, and others.

Analogy

Imagine an apartment building:

Piece Docker equivalent
Building TrueNAS server (192.168.2.203)
Apartments Containers (one app each)
Building rules Docker engine — keeps apartments separate

If Jellyfin crashes, Sonarr usually keeps running — they are separate containers.

Why Saxon used Docker

  1. Easy updates — replace one container without rebuilding the whole server.
  2. Less conflict — each app has its own settings and ports.
  3. TrueNAS support — TrueNAS has an Apps section for Docker installs.

Technical list: Services on TrueNAS.

Containers Saxon likely has (names may vary in UI)

App What family might use it
Jellyfin Watch movies — stream.saxobroko.com
Vaultwarden Passwords — vault.saxobroko.com
Navidrome Music — music.saxobroko.com
Homepage Dashboard — dash.saxobroko.com
cloudflared Tunnel to Cloudflare — invisible but critical
Sonarr / Radarr / … Automatic media management

What Docker is NOT

Myth Truth
"Docker is a website" It is software on the server
"I need Docker on the Windows PC" Family apps run on TrueNAS, not the desk PC
"Deleting Docker deletes photos" Photos live on disks/pools — containers are apps, not the photo files themselves

Still be careful

Stopping the wrong container can take down passwords or movies until someone restarts it. When unsure, ask Ryan.

How Ryan sees Docker (high level)

  1. Log into TrueNAS — dsm.saxobroko.com or https://192.168.2.203 on home Wi‑Fi.
  2. Open Apps or Containers.
  3. See a list of running apps with Start / Stop / Restart buttons.

Deeper tasks: Server how-to after reading Basics index.

If this goes wrong

One website down, others fine

  • Restart that app's container in TrueNAS Apps. Wait two minutes.

Everything homelab down

"Out of disk space" errors