Docker - Unifi Controller Container Setup

Here I describe my setup of the Unifi Controller container.

I run this Docker container on a Ubuntu VM that runs via [[ Proxmox VE ]]. I perform the following on the CLI.

Docker pull command:

docker pull jacobalberty/unifi

Within my home folder I have created a Docker folder where I create a subfolder for each container:

cd ~
mkdir -p docker/unifi
cd docker/unifi

Also create folders where the data and log files can be stored:

mkdir data
mkdir log

I use the Nano text editor to create a shell script:

sudo nano unifi_run.sh

With this shell script we are going to create the container. Copy the following into unifi_run.sh:

IDu=$(id -u $(logname)) # Saves the logged in user id in the IDu variable
IDg=$(id -g $(logname)) # Saves the logged in user group in the IDg variable

docker run -d \
 --init \
 --name=unifi \
 --hostname=unifi \
 --net=host \
 -v $PWD/data:/unifi \
 -e TZ="Europe/Amsterdam" \
 -e RUNAS_UID0=false \
 -e UNIFI_UID=$IDu \
 -e UNIFI_GID=$IDg \
 --cap-add=NET_ADMIN \
 --restart=unless-stopped \
 jacobalberty/unifi

If necessary, adjust the following:

$PWD/data:/unifi
Choose the location for the Unifi Controller data. In this example it is the data map we created

-e ‘TZ=Europe/Amsterdam’
Pick the right timezone

Exit Nano (CTRL-X) and save the changes.

Now create the container:

sudo sh unifi_run.sh

Check if the container is running properly.

If the container fails to start because port 8080 is already in use, the port can be modified as follows:

docker stop unifi
cd data #unifi/data map
sudo nano system.properties

And add the following:

unifi.http.port=8081

Exit Nano (CTRL-X) and save the changes. Now you can start the container again:

docker start unifi

Using Unifi Controller

The website can be reached via the URL:

http://<IP DOCKER SERVER>:8080/

Optionally adjust the port if it has been changed within the system.properties.
Now you will be redirected to https://<IP DOCKER SERVER>:8443/manage/wizard/

See also my notes about updating containers with Portainer or via the CLI. With Synology’s Docker Application, updating a container is also very easy.

Read other notes