# Dockge — Fancy Self-Hosted Docker Compose Manager

> Dockge is a reactive, self-hosted Docker Compose management UI from the creator of Uptime Kuma. It lets you create, edit, start, stop, and monitor docker-compose.yaml stacks through a beautiful real-time web interface.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# Dockge — Fancy Self-Hosted Docker Compose Manager

## Quick Use
```bash
# Create directories
mkdir -p /opt/stacks /opt/dockge
cd /opt/dockge

# Download and start
curl -fsSL https://dockge.kuma.pet/compose.yaml -o compose.yaml
docker compose up -d

# Access at http://your-ip:5001
```

## Introduction
Dockge is a Docker Compose stack manager built by the creator of Uptime Kuma. It focuses on managing compose.yaml files directly — no abstraction layers, no vendor lock-in. You write real Compose files through a reactive web editor and Dockge handles the rest.

## What Dockge Does
- Manages Docker Compose stacks through a reactive, real-time web interface
- Creates, edits, starts, stops, restarts, and removes compose.yaml stacks visually
- Streams container logs and terminal output in real-time via WebSocket
- Converts docker run commands into docker-compose.yaml format automatically
- Manages multiple stacks with individual status monitoring and controls

## Architecture Overview
Dockge is a Node.js application using Socket.IO for real-time communication between the browser and server. It works directly with docker-compose.yaml files stored on disk rather than maintaining its own database of container state. The frontend is built with Vue.js and updates reactively as container states change. Each stack is a standard Compose project in a directory.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Deploy with a single docker-compose.yaml file in minutes
- Mount /var/run/docker.sock and a stacks directory for persistent storage
- Configure port, stacks directory path, and agent connections via environment variables
- Supports multi-host management through Dockge agents on remote servers
- Works alongside existing Docker Compose stacks without migration

## Key Features
- Interactive compose.yaml editor with real-time syntax validation
- Docker run to Compose converter for quick stack creation from CLI commands
- Real-time container logs and terminal streaming without page refresh
- Multi-agent architecture for managing Docker stacks across multiple servers
- No database — stacks are plain compose.yaml files you can version control

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **Portainer** — Full container management platform with Kubernetes support, but heavier and more complex
- **Yacht** — Simple Docker container manager, but lacks native Compose file editing and multi-host support
- **Lazydocker** — Terminal UI for Docker management, great for CLI users but no web interface
- **CasaOS** — Personal cloud with app store focus, but abstracts away Compose files rather than exposing them
- **Docker Desktop** — Official GUI for local development, but not designed for server management

## FAQ
**Q: Does Dockge replace Portainer?**
A: Dockge focuses specifically on Docker Compose stack management with a lighter footprint. Portainer offers broader container and Kubernetes management for enterprise needs.

**Q: Can I manage existing Compose stacks?**
A: Yes. Place existing compose.yaml directories in the stacks folder and Dockge will detect and manage them without modification.

**Q: Does Dockge support Docker Swarm or Kubernetes?**
A: No. Dockge is designed exclusively for Docker Compose workflows. Use Portainer or Rancher for orchestration platforms.

**Q: How does multi-host management work?**
A: Install a Dockge agent on each remote server and connect them to your main Dockge instance. You can then manage all hosts from a single dashboard.

## Sources
- https://github.com/louislam/dockge
- https://dockge.kuma.pet

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Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/4ed7c58c-39db-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source