Defining record retention period

[18923]

Which is the proper syntax for retention for recorded files:

record:
  enabled: true
  events:
    retain:
      default: 4

OR

record:
  enabled: true
  events:
    retain:
      days: 4

My files do not get deleted after 4 days no matter which syntax I use.

Thank you

[blakeblackshear]

This is not a valid config. If frigate starts when you use this config, then you may be changing a different file than the one frigate uses when running. It should immediately exit with an error message.

record:
  enabled: true
  events:
    retain:
      days: 4

[18923]

Sorry that was a cut and paste error, should have been

   record:
      enabled: true
        # events:
      retain:
        days: 2
        # mode: motion

Hard to keep things straight after having been around the sun 79 times

I'll set up a test machine with a single camera to try and work this out.

Thanks to both of you for the quick response.

[blakeblackshear]

By default frigate will retain recordings of events for 10 days and discard recordings not related to events.

record:
  enabled: true
  retain:
    days: 0
  events:
    retain:
      default: 10

Setting retain -> days will increase the number of days to keep all recordings regardless of events, but will not impact event storage:

record:
  enabled: true
  retain:
    days: 4    # <---- keeps all recordings, not just events for 4 days
  events:
    retain:
      default: 10

Setting events -> retain -> default will adjust the number of days to keep recordings related to events:

record:
  enabled: true
  retain:
    days: 0
  events:
    retain:
      default: 4     # <---- deletes recordings related to events after 4 days 

[18923]

Thank you for the clear and concise explanation, it's much easier to decipher when shown this way.

Just curious as to why under events, retain, default: is used instead of days:?

Have a great day.

[blakeblackshear]

You can define different retention times per object. This is the "default" value for all objects, but you could override and have longer or shorter retention for person if desired.

I guess it could have been days too, but that's not how the config has evolved over time.