Portainer

What is Portainer?

Portainer is a lightweight management UI that makes Docker and Kubernetes easy for everyone. No more complex command-line operations – manage containers, images, networks, volumes, and stacks from a beautiful web interface accessible from anywhere.

Whether you’re a Docker beginner or an experienced DevOps engineer, Portainer simplifies container management with visual tools, templates, and point-and-click operations. Deploy applications, monitor performance, manage access control, and troubleshoot issues – all from one centralized dashboard.

Portainer Community Edition is free and open source, perfect for home labs and small teams. Manage single hosts or entire Docker Swarm and Kubernetes clusters with an intuitive interface that reduces complexity without sacrificing power.

Requirements

• Docker: Docker Engine 20.10+ or later
• CPU: Any modern CPU (1 core minimum)
• RAM: 512 MB minimum for Portainer
• Storage: 100 MB for Portainer + data volume
• Browser: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (modern versions)
• Port: 9443 (HTTPS) and 8000 (Edge Agent, optional)

Supported Platforms

• Container Platforms: Docker Standalone, Docker Swarm, Kubernetes
• Operating Systems: Linux, Windows, macOS
• Architecture: x86_64, ARM, ARM64
• Cloud: AWS, Azure, GCP, DigitalOcean
• Edge: Raspberry Pi, IoT devices
• NAS: Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS

1. Create Portainer Volume

Create a volume to persist Portainer data:

docker volume create portainer_data

2. Deploy Portainer Container

Run Portainer with a single Docker command:

docker run -d 
  -p 8000:8000 
  -p 9443:9443 
  --name portainer 
  --restart=always 
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock 
  -v portainer_data:/data 
  portainer/portainer-ce:latest

3. Alternative: Docker Compose Method

Create docker-compose.yml for Portainer:

version: '3'

services:
  portainer:
    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
    container_name: portainer
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "9443:9443"
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      - portainer_data:/data

volumes:
  portainer_data:

Deploy with:

docker-compose up -d

4. Initial Setup

Access Portainer at https://your-server-ip:9443:

1. Accept self-signed certificate warning (normal)
2. Create admin account (username and password)
3. Complete within 5 minutes or installation will timeout
4. Select “Get Started” to use local Docker environment
5. Portainer will connect to your Docker host

5. Optional: Set Up with Reverse Proxy

For custom domain access, use Nginx:

server {
    listen 443 ssl http2;
    server_name portainer.yourdomain.com;

    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass https://localhost:9443;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_ssl_verify off;
    }
}

Quick Reference

Container Management

• Deploy: Create containers from images
• Control: Start, stop, restart, pause containers
• Logs: View real-time and historical logs
• Console: Access container shell directly in browser
• Stats: Monitor CPU, RAM, network, disk I/O
• Inspect: View all container details and config
• Duplicate: Clone container configuration
• Remove: Delete containers and associated volumes

Image Management

• Pull images from Docker Hub or custom registries
• Build images from Dockerfiles
• Import/export images as TAR files
• Tag and push to registries
• Remove unused images to free space

Stacks (Docker Compose)

Deploy and manage multi-container applications:

• Upload docker-compose.yml files
• Edit stacks with built-in YAML editor
• Web editor with validation
• Deploy from Git repositories
• Update stacks with new configurations
• View stack services and their status

Networks & Volumes

• Networks: Create, configure, and manage Docker networks
• Volumes: Manage persistent storage volumes
• Browse: Explore volume contents from UI
• Backup: Export volumes for backup

Built-in App Templates

Deploy popular applications with one click:

• Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redis
• Web Servers: Nginx, Apache, Caddy
• CMS: WordPress, Joomla, Ghost
• Dev Tools: GitLab, Jenkins, SonarQube
• Monitoring: Prometheus, Grafana, Node Exporter
• Networking: Traefik, Nginx Proxy Manager
• And 100+ more pre-configured templates!

Using App Templates

1. Go to App Templates in sidebar
2. Browse or search for application
3. Click on template
4. Configure settings (ports, volumes, env vars)
5. Deploy container with one click

Custom Templates

Create your own application templates:

• Define container configuration as template
• Set default values for ports, volumes, variables
• Share templates with team members
• Standardize deployments across environments

Template Sources

Add custom template repositories:

• Settings → App Templates
• Add URL to template repository
• Use community template collections
• Create company-specific template libraries

Example: Deploy WordPress

1. Click App Templates
2. Search “WordPress”
3. Click template, configure database password
4. Deploy – WordPress ready in seconds!

User Roles

• Administrator: Full access to all features
• User: Limited access to assigned resources
• Custom Roles: Create roles with specific permissions (Business Edition)

Creating Users

1. Go to Settings → Users
2. Click “Add user”
3. Set username and password
4. Assign role (admin or user)
5. Grant access to specific environments
6. User receives login credentials

Teams (Business Edition)

• Group users into teams
• Assign team-level permissions
• Manage access at scale

Environment Management

Manage multiple Docker environments from single Portainer:

• Local: Docker on same host as Portainer
• Agent: Remote Docker hosts via Portainer Agent
• Edge Agent: Remote hosts behind firewall/NAT
• API: Direct Docker API connection
• Kubernetes: Connect to K8s clusters

Adding Remote Environments

1. Go to Environments → Add environment
2. Select environment type (Agent, Edge, API)
3. Follow connection instructions
4. For Agent, deploy agent container on remote host
5. Switch between environments from UI

Dashboard Overview

• Container, image, volume, network counts
• Running vs stopped container ratio
• Stack deployment status
• Quick actions for common tasks
• Environment health indicators

Container Stats

Real-time resource monitoring for each container:

• CPU usage percentage
• Memory consumption
• Network I/O (sent/received)
• Block I/O (read/write)
• Historical graphs

Logs & Console Access

• View container logs in real-time
• Search and filter log output
• Access container shell via web console
• Execute commands without SSH

Notifications & Webhooks

• Email notifications for events
• Webhook integrations for automation
• Alert on container failures
• Activity log tracking

Host Information

View Docker host details:

• Docker version and info
• Host system resources
• Storage driver information
• Engine plugins and configuration

Backup & Restore

• Backup Portainer configuration
• Export container definitions
• Volume backup/restore
• Disaster recovery planning

Security Best Practices

• Use strong admin password
• Enable HTTPS with valid SSL certificates
• Limit access with firewall rules
• Use Portainer’s RBAC for team access
• Regularly update Portainer
• Don’t expose port 9443 to internet without VPN

Update Portainer

Keep Portainer updated for latest features and security:

docker stop portainer
docker rm portainer
docker pull portainer/portainer-ce:latest
# Re-run deployment command from step 2

Common Issues

Can’t connect to Docker:

Verify Docker socket is mounted correctly. Check Docker is running. Ensure Portainer has access permissions.

Certificate warnings:

Normal for self-signed cert. Install custom certificate or use reverse proxy with Let’s Encrypt.

Setup timeout:

Restart Portainer container and access UI immediately to complete setup within 5 minutes.

Performance Tips

• Use labels to organize containers
• Clean up unused images/volumes regularly
• Monitor Portainer container resources