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ChannelWatch

Environment Bootstrap Config

The web UI is the primary configuration surface for DVR servers. Use this page only when you need a headless or compose-managed bootstrap path.

Supported setup paths in v0.9.10

Section titled “Supported setup paths in v0.9.10”
PathStatusUse it when
First-run wizard and Settings UISupported and recommendedYou can open the browser UI and want validation before settings are saved.
CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERSSupportedYou want to seed one or more DVR entries from Docker Compose or another container environment.
/config/settings.jsonSupported with careYou manage config files directly and can keep valid JSON plus backups.
CHANNELS_DVR_HOST and CHANNELS_DVR_PORTLegacy compatibilityYou are carrying an older single-DVR install forward. These still work with startup warnings.
CW_DVR_<N>_*DeferredDo not use in v0.9.10.
/config/dvrs.yamlDeferredDo not use in v0.9.10.

CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS

Section titled “CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS”

CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS accepts comma-separated entries in this form:

Name@host:port,Name@host:port

Example:

services:
  channelwatch:
    image: coderluii/channelwatch:0.9.10
    container_name: channelwatch
    init: true
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - /opt/channelwatch:/config
    environment:
      TZ: "America/New_York"
      CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS: "Living [email protected]:8089,[email protected]:8089"
    restart: unless-stopped

Behavior:

  • entries are parsed at startup into the saved dvr_servers list
  • matching existing DVRs keep their IDs and overrides where possible
  • manual DVR entries that are already in settings are preserved
  • saved /config/settings.json remains the runtime source of truth after bootstrap

Use static IP addresses or stable hostnames. ChannelWatch derives DVR identity from host and port, so changing either value creates a new DVR identity unless an existing saved ID is preserved by the merge path.

Legacy single-DVR variables

Section titled “Legacy single-DVR variables”

Older compose files may contain:

environment:
  CHANNELS_DVR_HOST: "192.168.1.10"
  CHANNELS_DVR_PORT: "8089"

Those variables still work in v0.9.10 so existing installs can start safely, but ChannelWatch logs startup warnings and recommends moving to CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS, the web UI, or saved dvr_servers in /config/settings.json.

For a one-DVR compose file, the replacement is:

environment:
  CHANNELS_DVR_SERVERS: "[email protected]:8089"

Direct settings file edits

Section titled “Direct settings file edits”

If you manage /config/settings.json yourself, make a backup first and keep the JSON valid:

{
  "dvr_servers": [
    {
    "id": "dvr_17c621dc",
    "name": "Living Room",
    "host": "192.168.1.10",
    "port": 8089,
    "enabled": true,
    "api_key": "",
    "overrides": {},
    "deleted_at": null
    }
  ]
}

The web UI is safer because it validates values before saving and signals the core process to reload. If you edit the file manually, trigger a reload or restart the container and then verify the DVR appears in the UI.

Deferred paths

Section titled “Deferred paths”

Do not use these in ChannelWatch v0.9.10:

environment:
  CW_DVR_1_NAME: "Living Room"
  CW_DVR_1_HOST: "192.168.1.10"
  CW_DVR_1_PORT: "8089"
dvrs:
    name: "Living Room"
    host: "192.168.1.10"
    port: 8089

The v0.9.10 app changelog lists CW_DVR_<N>_* and /config/dvrs.yaml as deferred. If you see those names in older references, do not treat them as the shipped runtime startup path for this release.

Kubernetes and Helm

Section titled “Kubernetes and Helm”

The Helm chart is single-replica only in v0.9.10 and stores writable state under /config. Use Install (Kubernetes / Helm) for the chart values and keep secrets in Kubernetes Secrets. Do not assume the chart has a dedicated dvrs values block for CW_DVR_<N>_* or /config/dvrs.yaml.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”