Docker Services¶

The Pattern: Docker Host LXC¶

Rather than creating a separate VM for each service, GoozLab uses a consistent pattern: privileged LXC containers with Docker installed inside.

┌───────────────────────────────────┐
│  Proxmox Node                     │
│                                   │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │  LXC Container              │  │
│  │  • Debian 12 minimal        │  │
│  │  • Docker + docker-compose  │  │
│  │  • nesting=1, keyctl=1      │  │
│  │                             │  │
│  │  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐   │  │
│  │  │ Service │ │ Service │   │  │
│  │  │  (Docker│ │  (Docker│   │  │
│  │  │  cont.) │ │  cont.) │   │  │
│  │  └─────────┘ └─────────┘   │  │
│  └─────────────────────────────┘  │
└───────────────────────────────────┘

Why this pattern?¶

Lighter than VMs: LXCs share the host kernel — ~50MB overhead vs ~512MB+ for a VM
Docker-compose for everything: Services are defined in YAML, version-controlled, and reproducible
Easy backups: Snapshot the entire LXC to capture both the Docker host and its data volumes
VLAN isolation: Each LXC can be placed on a different VLAN via its network tag

How to create a Docker Host LXC¶

# Create the LXC
pct create <ID> <template> \
  --hostname <service-name> \
  --cores 2 --memory 2048 \
  --rootfs local-zfs:16 \
  --net0 name=eth0,bridge=vmbr0,tag=<VLAN> \
  --features nesting=1,keyctl=1 \
  --unprivileged 0

# Start and enter
pct start <ID>
pct enter <ID>

# Install Docker
apt update && apt install -y curl
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

# Install docker-compose
apt install -y docker-compose-plugin

Standard docker-compose structure¶

Each service directory follows the same layout:

/opt/<service-name>/
├── docker-compose.yml
├── .env               # Environment variables (not committed to git)
├── .env.example        # Template showing required variables
└── data/               # Persistent data (bind-mounted volumes)

Deploying a Service¶

cd /opt/<service-name>
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your values
nano .env

# Start
docker compose up -d

# Check logs
docker compose logs -f

Updating Services¶

cd /opt/<service-name>
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Current Services¶

Service	Host	Type	Purpose	Docs
UniFi Controller	Docker Host LXC on pve1	LXC	Network management	Switching & Wireless
Monitoring Stack	Docker Host LXC on pve1	LXC	Prometheus + Grafana + Uptime Kuma + Homepage	Monitoring
Frigate NVR	Docker Host LXC on pve1	LXC	Camera recording + AI detection (4 cameras)	Frigate
Psiphon Conduit	Docker Host LXC on pve2	LXC	Internet freedom proxy	Psiphon Conduit
Home Assistant	VM on pve2	VM	Smart home — Frigate, solar, MQTT	Home Assistant

Note: Home Assistant runs as a HAOS VM (not a Docker Host LXC) because HAOS requires its own kernel and provides a managed add-on ecosystem.

Planned Services¶

Service	Purpose	Notes
Jellyfin	Media streaming	Google Photos / Netflix replacement
Immich	Photo management	FUTO-sponsored project
Vaultwarden	Password management	Bitwarden-compatible, self-hosted
Syncthing	File sync and phone backup	Google/iCloud replacement