Generic Procedures to update Docker Compose installed applications on Ubuntu server VMs

Note: If you have multiple Docker Compose applications running in a single VM, it is recommended that you use DockPeek for easier management and updates. The installation and usage guide can be found here: How to install DockPeek on an Ubuntu VM with many Docker containers running

Generic Docker Compose Service Update Procedure¶

NOTE: to see if new docker containers exist for your project, so you can update them, run these commands inside the directory containing the docker-compose.yml file:¶

docker compose pull

Or to be extra careful, specify the specific docker container name - which you can get by running docker ps.

docker compose -p speedtest-tracker pull

TL;DR¶

docker compose pull

docker compose up -d

docker ps

docker system prune

Overview¶

This document provides a standardized procedure for updating Docker services running with docker-compose.yml files on Ubuntu VMs in Proxmox.

Applicable Services¶

This procedure applies to any Docker Compose-based service including: - Homepage - Immich - LibreNMS - Jellyfin - Ghostfolio - Mealie - Paperless-ngx - Any other containerized service

Pre-Update Checklist¶

Identify current version of the service
Check release notes for breaking changes
Verify backup status
Schedule maintenance window (if applicable)
Have SSH access to the VM
Know the location of docker-compose.yml file

Update Procedure¶

Step 1: Review Release Notes¶

Before updating, always review the change log:

# Most projects have releases on GitHub
# Example format:
https://github.com/[organization]/[project]/releases

Look for: - Breaking changes - Required migration steps - New environment variables - Configuration changes - Known issues

Common sources: - GitHub releases page - Project documentation - Docker Hub change log - Project website/blog

Step 2: Create Proxmox VM Snapshot¶

This is mandatory - snapshots provide instant rollback capability.

Via Proxmox Web Interface: 1. Select the VM in Proxmox 2. Navigate to Snapshots tab 3. Click Take Snapshot 4. Name format: before-[service]-[version]-[date] - Example: before-immich-2.0.1-20241214 5. Add description noting current version 6. Wait for completion (usually 10-30 seconds)

Via Proxmox CLI:

# On Proxmox host
qm snapshot [VMID] before-[service]-update --description "Before updating [service] to [version]"

Step 3: Connect to the VM¶

ssh [VM-IP-ADDRESS]

Example:

ssh 192.168.1.108

Step 4: Document Current Configuration¶

Locate docker-compose.yml:

# Common locations:
ls -la /home/*/docker/*/docker-compose.yml
ls -la /opt/docker/*/docker-compose.yml
ls -la ~/docker-compose.yml

Inspect running container:

# List running containers
docker ps

# Get detailed configuration
docker inspect [container-name]

# View mounts
docker inspect [container-name] --format='{{json .Mounts}}' | jq

# View environment variables
docker inspect [container-name] --format='{{json .Config.Env}}' | jq

# View restart policy
docker inspect [container-name] --format='{{json .HostConfig.RestartPolicy}}'

Save current configuration:

# Optional: Backup docker-compose.yml
cp docker-compose.yml docker-compose.yml.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Step 5: Navigate to Service Directory¶

cd /path/to/service/docker-compose-directory/

Examples:

cd /home/mark/docker/homepage/
cd /opt/docker/immich/
cd ~/jellyfin/

Step 6: Review docker-compose.yml¶

cat docker-compose.yml

Check image tag: - latest - Always pulls the newest version - v1.2.3 - Pinned to specific version - stable - Follows stable channel - 2 - Follows major version

Note the current tag before updating.

Step 7: Pull New Image(s)¶

For single service:

docker compose pull

For specific service in multi-container setup:

docker compose pull [service-name]

Manually pull specific version (if needed):

docker pull [image]:[tag]

Expected output:

[+] Running 1/1
 ✔ [service] Pulled

Step 8: Check for Migration Requirements¶

Some services require database migrations or configuration updates:

# Check service documentation for migration steps
# Examples:

# Immich often requires migrations between major versions
# Paperless-ngx may need to run migrations
# LibreNMS requires database updates

Common migration patterns:

# Run one-time migration command
docker compose run --rm [service] migrate

# Or via docker exec
docker exec [container] /app/migrate.sh

Step 9: Update the Service¶

Standard update (recreates containers):

docker compose up -d

What this does: - Stops existing container(s) - Removes old container(s) - Creates new container(s) with updated image - Preserves volumes and networks - Starts container(s) in detached mode

Force recreate (if compose doesn't detect changes):

docker compose up -d --force-recreate

For specific service only:

docker compose up -d [service-name]

Step 10: Verify Service Health¶

Check container status:

docker ps | grep [service-name]

Look for: - Status: "Up" (not "Restarting") - Health: "healthy" (if health checks configured)

View real-time logs:

docker compose logs -f

Or specific service:

docker compose logs -f [service-name]

Press Ctrl+C to exit log view.

Check last 50 log lines:

docker compose logs --tail 50

Look for errors:

docker compose logs | grep -i error
docker compose logs | grep -i fail
docker compose logs | grep -i fatal

Step 11: Test Service Functionality¶

Web-based services:

# Access via browser
http://[VM-IP]:[PORT]

Verify: - [ ] Service loads without errors - [ ] Login works (if applicable) - [ ] Main features function correctly - [ ] Data is intact and accessible - [ ] API endpoints respond (if applicable) - [ ] Background jobs running (if applicable)

CLI-based verification:

# Example: Test API endpoint
curl http://localhost:[PORT]/api/health

# Example: Check database connection
docker compose exec [service] /check-db.sh

Step 12: Clean Up Old Images (Optional)¶

After successful update, remove old images to free space:

# List all images
docker images

# Remove specific old image
docker rmi [image]:[old-tag]

# Or clean up all unused images
docker image prune -a

Warning: Only do this after confirming the update works!

Rollback Procedures¶

Option 1: Proxmox Snapshot Rollback (Fastest)¶

Use when: - Service won't start - Data corruption detected - Critical functionality broken

Steps: 1. Stop the VM from Proxmox interface 2. Navigate to VM → Snapshots tab 3. Select the pre-update snapshot 4. Click Rollback 5. Confirm the rollback 6. Start the VM

Result: Complete system state restored to pre-update.

Option 2: Docker Image Downgrade (Targeted)¶

Use when: - Only the service needs rollback - VM configuration changes should be kept - Faster than full VM rollback

Steps:

# Navigate to service directory
cd /path/to/service/

# Edit docker-compose.yml
nano docker-compose.yml

# Change image tag back to previous version
# From: image: service:latest
# To:   image: service:v1.2.3

# Stop and remove containers
docker compose down

# Pull the old version
docker compose pull

# Start with old version
docker compose up -d

# Verify
docker compose logs -f

Option 3: Emergency Recovery¶

If service is completely broken:

# Stop everything
docker compose down

# Remove volumes (WARNING: DATA LOSS)
docker compose down -v

# Restore from backup (if available)
# Then recreate fresh
docker compose up -d

Best Practices¶

Timing¶

Update during low-usage periods
Avoid updating multiple services simultaneously
Test updates in development/staging first (if available)

Documentation¶

Keep a change log of updates in /home/[user]/update-log.txt
Note version numbers before and after
Document any issues encountered

Backup Verification¶

Test backup restoration periodically
Verify automated backups are running
Keep multiple snapshot/backup generations

Version Pinning¶

Consider pinning to specific versions instead of latest:

# Instead of:
image: immich:latest

# Use:
image: immich:v2.0.1

Advantages: - Predictable updates - Easier rollback - Better change control

Disadvantages: - Manual version tracking required - May miss security patches

Service-Specific Notes¶

Immich¶

Check for database migrations between major versions
Review migration guide
May require PostgreSQL updates

LibreNMS¶

Often requires database schema updates
Run: docker exec librenms /opt/librenms/daily.sh
Verify poller is running

Jellyfin¶

Usually straightforward updates
May need to rebuild library metadata
Check plugin compatibility

Paperless-ngx¶

May require document re-indexing
Check for OCR engine updates
Verify consumption folder permissions

Ghostfolio¶

Database migrations may be required
Check portfolio calculation accuracy post-update

Troubleshooting¶

Container Won't Start¶

# Check detailed logs
docker compose logs [service]

# Verify image was pulled
docker images | grep [service]

# Check resource usage
docker stats

# Verify port availability
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep [PORT]

Permission Errors¶

# Check volume permissions
ls -la /path/to/volume/

# Fix permissions (adjust user:group as needed)
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /path/to/volume/

# Check SELinux (if applicable)
getenforce

Database Connection Issues¶

# Check database container
docker compose ps

# Verify database is ready
docker compose logs [db-service] | grep ready

# Test database connection
docker compose exec [db-service] pg_isready  # PostgreSQL
docker compose exec [db-service] mysqladmin ping  # MySQL

Network Issues¶

# List networks
docker network ls

# Inspect network
docker network inspect [network-name]

# Recreate network (be cautious)
docker network rm [network-name]
docker network create [network-name]

Out of Disk Space¶

# Check disk usage
df -h

# Clean Docker system
docker system df
docker system prune -a

# Remove old volumes (careful!)
docker volume ls
docker volume prune

Automation Considerations¶

Update Notification Tools¶

Diun - Docker Image Update Notifier
Watchtower - Automated updates (use with caution)
Portainer - GUI for Docker management

Monitoring¶

Set up health checks in docker-compose.yml
Use Uptime Kuma or similar for service monitoring
Configure alerting for service downtime

Emergency Contacts¶

Service documentation: Check GitHub/official site
Docker logs location: /var/lib/docker/containers/[container-id]/[container-id]-json.log
Proxmox backups: /var/lib/vz/dump/ (on Proxmox host)

Standard Update Command Summary¶

# Quick reference for standard update
cd /path/to/service/
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f

Checklist Template¶

## Update Checklist - [Service Name] - [Date]

- [ ] Current version documented: ______
- [ ] Release notes reviewed
- [ ] Breaking changes identified: Yes / No
- [ ] Proxmox snapshot created: [Snapshot Name]
- [ ] docker-compose.yml location: ______
- [ ] Configuration backed up
- [ ] Image pulled successfully
- [ ] Migration steps completed (if any)
- [ ] Service updated
- [ ] Logs checked for errors
- [ ] Functionality verified
- [ ] Old images cleaned up
- [ ] Update logged in documentation
- [ ] Snapshot deleted (after 7 days)

## Issues Encountered
[None / List any issues]

## New version: ______

Save this checklist for each update to maintain an audit trail.