[Config Support]: Storage Location Configuration

[dwdonnelly]

Describe the problem you are having

Recordings are not appearing in the configured storage location.``

Version

0.14.1-f4f3cfa

Frigate config file

mqtt:
  enabled: false

ffmpeg: #move the ffmpeg stuff to global level when using go2rtc
  hwaccel_args: preset-rpi-64-h264 #Enable Hardware Acceleration
  input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
  output_args:
    record: preset-record-generic-audio-copy
go2rtc:
  streams:
    Front_Door: #change the IP and add user pass to the camera's rtsp info.
      - "ffmpeg:http://192.168.0.42/flv?port=1935&app=bcs&stream=channel0_main.bcs&user=username&password=password#video=copy#audio=copy#audio=opus"
      - rtsp://uid:pwd@192.168.0.42:8554/h264Preview_01_main
#    Front_Door_sub:
#      - "ffmpeg:http://192.168.0.42:8554/flv?port=1935&app=bcs&stream=channel0_ext.bcs&user=username&password=password"

cameras:
  Front_Door:
    enabled: true
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/Front_Door #this is a loopback ip to access the go2rtc stream, after the "/" is the camera name, defined in the go2rtc section. 8554 is the port used for rtsp restream. previously you had 8555, which is not right, that port is for the webrtc stuff, don't worry about that yet.
          roles:
            - record
#        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/Front_Door_sub
#          roles:
#            - detect
    detect:
      enabled: True # Detection is enabled
      width: 896 #correct sub stream res
      height: 672 #correct sub stream res
      fps: 5 #limit the fps that the detector has to detect on.
    record:
      enabled: True
      retain:
        days: 0
        mode: all
      events:
        retain:
          default: 30
          mode: motion

version: 0.14

Relevant Frigate log output

log appears normal

Relevant go2rtc log output

log appears normal

Frigate stats

No response

Operating system

Other Linux

Install method

Docker Compose

docker-compose file or Docker CLI command

services:
  frigate:
    container_name: frigate
    privileged: true # this may not be necessary for all setups
    restart: unless-stopped
    image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:0.14.1-standard-arm64
    shm_size: "64mb"
    devices:
      - /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb #Used for Coral if Available
      - /dev/video10 #Map the Pi hardware acceleration
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - ./config.yml:/config/config.yml
      - ./storage:/media/frigate
      - type: tmpfs #Remove this if using a Pi with 2GB or Less RAM
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000
    ports:
      - "8971:8971"
      - "8554:8554" # RTSP feeds
      - "8555:8555/tcp" # WebRTC over tcp
      - "8555:8555/udp" # WebRTC over udp
    environment:
      FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD: pwd

Object Detector

CPU (no coral)

Screenshots of the Frigate UI's System metrics pages

No response

Any other information that may be helpful

This newbie to Docker and Frigate would appreciate some help on storage configuration.
I have confirmed Frigate is recording. The recordings are going to /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/storage/recordings...date...hour...videos.

But as I understand, docker created these volumes:

volumes:
     - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
     - ./config.yml:/config/config.yml
     - ./storage:/media/frigate

And so the storage location is the volume named: storage, which that location maps to /media/frigate

Now the path location: /media/frigate does exist, but nothing is being recorded here. All recordings are going to /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/storage/recordings/(date)/(hour) folder(s).

Questions: Why is it not going to /media/frigate? How / why is the mapping wrong or not working?
Once I understand this mapping issue, I want to map the file storage to an external USB 8TB drive.

All help is appreciated - Happy and safe New Year.

[hawkeye217]

First, you should have a look at the official Getting Started Guide, specifically the section on setting up your docker-compose.yaml file: https://docs.frigate.video/guides/getting_started#setup-directories

You're incorrectly mapping the config folder.

You should also read up a bit more on Docker and volumes. The line in question:

- ./storage:/media/frigate

tells Docker to take a subdirectory on your host filesystem named "storage" and map it to the /media/frigate directory inside the Docker container.

[dwdonnelly]

@hawkeye217 Thanks for the quick reply. I have been reading to understand.
Ok - first off, thanks - in my mind, I had this mapping backwards (I think): ./storage:/media/frigate
So - for clarity, as I slowly walk into this, ./storage on my host system is actually or physically located here: /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/storage
The ./ id's the working directory which is in this case is: /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr
Correct?
And as you said, inside the Docker container, the directory: /media/frigate is being mapped to my host system's/opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/storage folder. Correct? (if true - I had this backwards in my mind.)

If all that is true, then to change the location the files are being saved to, I would change the docker-compose.yml from:

volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - ./config.yml:/config/config.yml
      - ./storage:/media/frigate
      - type: tmpfs #Remove this if using a Pi with 2GB or Less RAM
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000

to my new storage location:

volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - ./config.yml:/config/config.yml
      - ./my-new-8TB-USB-drive-on-my-host-system:/media/frigate
      - type: tmpfs #Remove this if using a Pi with 2GB or Less RAM
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000

This will map the Docker container directory: /media/frigate to ./my-new-8TB-USB-drive-on-my-host-system
Now - when I make this change, will I need to create the folders: clips, exports and recordings or will the system automatically create them?
So the recorded savings behavior I am seeing - is correct. The system is working as designed. I had the mapping backwards.
I have been reading: https://docs.docker.com/engine/storage/volumes/
And I am still reading - Thanks !

ok - now the incorrect mapping of the config folder.
So in reading https://docs.frigate.video/guides/getting_started/#setup-directories, and the Docker Volumes guide, I have the following structure:

volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - ./config.yml:/config/config.yml
      - ./storage:/media/frigate
      - type: tmpfs #Remove this if using a Pi with 2GB or Less RAM
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000

but I should have this structure:

volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - ./config:/config
      - ./storage:/media/frigate
      - type: tmpfs #Remove this if using a Pi with 2GB or Less RAM
        target: /tmp/cache
        tmpfs:
          size: 1000000000

I should be mapping the Docker container /config/config.yml to the host system's /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/config folder
Correct?
I have not created the /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/config folder as of yet......pending your feedback on my understanding. When I do, I will need to copy the existing /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/config.yml to the new /opt/stacks/frigate-nvr/config folder
I need to do this copying of the config.yml file because it was not originally setup correctly.
Correct?

As I walk through this, I am making one change at a time.
First - if I am correct on the config.yml mapping issue, I will make that change and reboot my host system.
If that works, then I will work the new external USB 8TB drive change - in a few days. More reading and testing to understand.

Thanks in advance for your help, guidance, and counsel. Happy and Safe holidays.

[NickM-27]

correct, just restarting the container will not change the config

[dwdonnelly]

@hawkeye217 ok. Working it. Pls stand by.......

[dwdonnelly]

@hawkeye217 Got it! Ran command: docker compose up -d
Saw the system reinitailizing/starting/configuring, etc.....

Frigate started right up. YA!

Then got stumped on the pwd. Then recalled how the Frigate system generates a new password on each initailizing/starting/configuring, etc.....
Got that and logged in.

Phew - THanks ! :)

Now....moving to the next issue, switching over to the ext 8TB USB drive. (but first - have some notes to make on this learning - so I do not make the same mistakes in the future.

[dwdonnelly]

@hawkeye217 and @NickM-27 ops ! My humble apologies!! I got tunnel vision on the help. I appreciate you both helping me on these two issues.

[hawkeye217]

No worries. Where one of us leaves off, sometimes the other picks up. We're happy to help!

[dwdonnelly]

@hawkeye217 and @NickM-27 Followed the guidance to change the storage location to the external 8TB USB drive....but hit a snag.

I am using an RPi4/8GB using Buster.

Mainly, when I plug in the USB drive, it auto loads/mounts - ok, but it auto mounts to /media/Fritz/8.0 TB Volume (as displayed in File Manager)

Now when I do an ls cmd ($ ls /media/Fritz) I get:

which I know it is showing the UUID of the drive. But I should not have to list that entire ID in the path statement. So - sorry - but how change to something more readable like: 8TB_00

Then I should be able to change the docker-compose.yml volume line to read:

/mnt/8TB_00/frigate_storage:/media/frigate

My search has shown..."it will auto mount, don't worry where"....(really?) and I can not locate a source to show how to, in a more human way, reflect the drive name when using the ls cmd and referring to it in config files, etc.

Apologies upfront if this is a simple question. All help is appreciated.

BTW - my coral USB accelerator has been ordered and is on the way. The Frigate docs helped me a lot there - thanks !

[NickM-27]

your other option is you can just create a symlink to whatever you want and link it to the long path and then you can just refer to that specifically

[dwdonnelly]

@NickM-27 Many thanks ! Readup on symlinks. I started down that path....then a shiny object caught my eye (actually - got upset at myself for not knowing how to mount drives - I've done it before!!)......and I ended up adding the drive to fstab file, unmounting the automatically mounted location and remounted to a location that made more sense to me: /mnt/8TB_00.

I edited the docker-compose.yml file, ran the command: docker compose up -d

I just tested to ensure the videos are being recorded as expected and all seems to be working as expected! Phew!

ok - the config mapping issues solved - thanks to you both (@hawkeye217 and @NickM-27 )!
Ok - the storage location is solved - again - thanks to you both!

I have one last learning to understand: What is the purpose of these lines in the frigate configure file:

Under the go2rtc:

#    Front_Door_sub:
#      - "ffmpeg:http://192.168.0.42:8554/flv?port=1935&app=bcs&stream=channel0_ext.bcs&user=username&password=password"

and under cameras:

#        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/Front_Door_sub
#          roles:
#            - detect

They are commented out and the system appears to be working fine.
Again - thank you for your help.