Install with Portainer

ChannelWatch runs as a Docker container. These steps show how to run that container with Portainer. ChannelWatch does not have a native Portainer package.

Before you start

Portainer is a Docker management UI, not a separate runtime platform. You still need a working Docker host underneath it.

Have these ready:

A Docker environment already connected to Portainer
A persistent host path for /config
A reachable Channels DVR server on your LAN

Deploy with a stack

Use Stacks in Portainer instead of the manual container form. The stack editor is the closest match to the main Docker Compose guide and keeps updates simpler.

Paste a compose file like this:

services:
  channelwatch:
    image: coderluii/channelwatch:latest
    container_name: channelwatch
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - /opt/channelwatch/config:/config
    environment:
      TZ: "America/New_York"
    restart: unless-stopped

If your Docker host needs explicit user and group ownership for the bind mount, add PUID and PGID just like the base Docker guide.

Networking in Portainer

For stack deployments, set host networking directly in the compose content with network_mode: host.

If you choose Portainer’s manual container wizard instead, the equivalent setting is in the container networking section where you select the host network instead of a bridge network.

Volumes and environment variables

Map a persistent host folder to /config. That folder stores settings, logs, migration backups, and the encryption key file.

Set TZ to your local timezone. For most installs, leave DVR connection details out of the stack and add them through the web UI after first launch.

Open the web UI

With host networking, open:

http://your-docker-host-ip:8501

Then complete First-Run Configuration.

Upgrading via Portainer

Pull the latest image, redeploy the stack, and keep the same /config mount in place.