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Docker Installation Guide

Clone is designed to work alongside your existing NVR system (Frigate, Shinobi, Blue Iris, etc.) to provide unified camera management across your entire network.

📋 Prerequisites​

Before installing Clone, ensure you have:

  • Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system
  • Existing NVR system (Frigate, Shinobi, Blue Iris, etc.) with a config.yml file
  • Network access to your IP cameras
  • Host system with at least 2GB RAM and 5GB free disk space

Supported Platforms​

  • ✅ x86_64 - Standard PCs, servers, NUCs
  • ✅ ARM64 - Raspberry Pi 4/5, ZimaBoard, ARM servers
  • ✅ Fanless NVR boxes and single board computers
  • ✅ Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, etc.)
  • ✅ Windows with WSL2 and Docker Desktop
  • ✅ macOS with Docker Desktop

🗂️ Step 1: Create Clone Directory​

Create a dedicated directory for Clone on your system. This can be on the same host as your NVR system.

Choose your preferred location:

Option 1: Standard Docker location

sudo mkdir -p /docker/clone
cd /docker/clone

Option 2: Opt directory (common for applications)

sudo mkdir -p /opt/clone
cd /opt/clone

Option 4: Any location you prefer

sudo mkdir -p /this_parrot_is_dead/clone
cd /this_parrot_is_dead/clone
(note: replace 'this_parrot_is_dead' with your actual directory 
or you will have an EX-application)

Set proper ownership (replace with your username):

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /your-chosen-directory/clone

📄 Step 2: Copy NVR Configuration​

Copy your existing NVR configuration file to the Clone directory:

For Frigate Users​

Copy from Frigate installation directory

cp /path/to/frigate/config/config.yml ./config.yml

Example locations:

cp /opt/frigate/config.yml ./config.yml
cp /docker/frigate/config.yml ./config.yml
cp ~/.config/frigate/config.yml ./config.yml

For Shinobi Users​

Copy Shinobi configuration (adapt as needed)

cp /path/to/shinobi/conf.json ./config.yml

For Blue Iris or Other NVR Users​

If you don't have a config.yml file, create a basic one:

cat > clone.yml << 'EOF'
cameras:
  # Replace with your camera details
  camera_01:
    name: "Front Door Camera"
    host: "192.168.1.100"
    # Clone will auto-detect protocol (Dahua, ONVIF, etc.)
    
  camera_02:
    name: "Backyard Camera"
    host: "192.168.1.101"
    
  # Add more cameras as needed
EOF

🐳 Step 3: Download Docker Compose File​

Download the sample compose.yml file:

# Download the official compose file
curl -o compose.yml https://raw.githubusercontent.com/pocovocho/clone/main/compose.yml

Or create compose.yml manually:

services:
  clone:
    container_name: clone
    image: ghcr.io/pocovocho/clone:latest
    network_mode: host  # Needed for direct camera access
    privileged: true
    stop_grace_period: 30s
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "1776:1776"  # Web UI
      - "1512:1512"  # go2rtc streaming
      - "1911:1911"  # FastAPI backend
      - "8555:8555"  # Additional streaming
      - "8554:8554"  # RTSP
    volumes:
      # Configuration and data persistence
      - ./config:/config:rw
      - ./config:/clone/config:rw
      - .:/root_mount:rw
      - ./clone/db:/clone/db:rw
      
      # System time synchronization
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro
      
      # Optional: RAM cache to reduce disk wear
      - type: tmpfs 
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000
    tmpfs:
      - /dev/shm:rw,exec,nosuid,size=64m
    environment:
      # Core Clone settings
      - CLONE_CONFIG=/config/clone.yml
      - CLONE_API_HOST=127.0.0.1
      - CLONE_API_PORT=1911
      - CLONE_BASE_PATH=
      
      # Streaming settings
      - ENABLE_GO2RTC=true
      - GO2RTC_HOST=127.0.0.1
      - GO2RTC_PORT=1512
      - INTERNAL_GO2RTC_PORT=1512
      - EXTERNAL_GO2RTC_PORT=1984

⚙️ Step 4: Customize Configuration​

Edit the compose.yml file to match your system:

nano compose.yml

Required Changes​

Update directory paths - Replace /user_defined_directory/clone with your actual directory:

volumes:
  # Change this line:
  - /user_defined_directory/clone/config:/config:rw
  # To your actual path:
  - /docker/clone/config:/config:rw

Optional Customizations​

Go2RTC Settings:

  • Set ENABLE_GO2RTC=false if you already have Frigate's go2rtc running
  • Adjust Go2RTC ports if they conflict

Resource Limits (add if needed):

deploy:
  resources:
    limits:
      memory: 2G
      cpus: '1.0'

🚀 Step 5: Launch Clone​

Start Clone using Docker Compose:

# Pull latest image and start Clone
docker compose up -d

# View logs to ensure successful startup
docker compose logs -f clone

🌐 Step 6: Access Clone Web Interface​

Open your web browser and navigate to:

Local access:

http://localhost:1776

Remote access (replace with your server's IP):

http://192.168.1.50:1776
http://your-server-ip:1776

🔐 Default Login Credentials​

Username: admin
Password: admin

⚠️ Security Note: Change the default password immediately after first login!

📁 Directory Structure​

After installation, your directory should look like:

/your-chosen-directory/clone/
├── compose.yml          # Docker Compose configuration
├── config.yml           # Your NVR configuration file
├── clone/
│   └── db/              # Clone database (created on first run)
│       └── clone.db
└── config/              # Clone configuration directory (created on first run)
    └── clone.yml        # Processed configuration

🔧 Useful Commands​

Managing Clone Service​

# Start Clone
docker compose up -d

# Stop Clone
docker compose down

# Restart Clone
docker compose restart

# Update to latest version
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

# View logs
docker compose logs -f clone

# View last 100 log lines
docker compose logs --tail 100 clone

Troubleshooting Commands​

# Check container status
docker ps

# Enter Clone container for debugging
docker exec -it clone bash

# Check disk usage
docker system df

# Remove unused Docker resources
docker system prune

🔍 Verification​

To verify your installation is working correctly:

  1. Check container status:

    docker ps

    Should show clone container with status Up

  2. Check logs for errors:

    docker compose logs clone | grep -i error

    Should return no critical errors

  3. Test web access:

    • Navigate to http://localhost:1776
    • Should see Clone login page

  4. Verify camera discovery:

    • Check logs: docker compose logs clone | grep -i "discovered"
    • Should show cameras found from your config file

⚡ Quick Health Check​

# Run this one-liner to check Clone status
echo "Clone Status:" && docker ps --filter name=clone --format "table {{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}" && echo -e "\nRecent Logs:" && docker logs --tail 5 clone

🎯 Next Steps​

Once Clone is running successfully:

  1. Complete the Quick Start Tutorial - Configure your first cameras
  2. Set up Camera Authentication - Add camera credentials
  3. Synchronize Camera Settings - Import existing camera configurations

🆘 Common Issues​

Port conflicts:

  • Change port 1776 to another port in compose.yml
  • Ensure ports aren't used by other services

Permission issues:

  • Check directory ownership: ls -la
  • Fix with: sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ./

Config file not found:

  • Verify config.yml exists in the correct location
  • Check volume mapping in compose.yml

Can't access web interface:

  • Verify container is running: docker ps
  • Check firewall settings
  • Try using server IP instead of localhost

For additional help, see the Troubleshooting Guide or join our Discord Community.