It is recommended to update your configuration to enable hardware accelerated decoding in ffmpeg. Depending on your system, these parameters may not be compatible. More information on hardware accelerated decoding for ffmpeg can be found here: https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/HWAccelIntro
# Officially Supported
@ -28,10 +30,10 @@ If running Frigate in docker, you either need to run in priviliged mode or be su
```yaml
docker run -d \
--name frigate \
...
--device /dev/video10 \
ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
--name frigate \
...
--device /dev/video10 \
ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
```
:::
@ -251,7 +253,7 @@ These instructions were originally based on the [Jellyfin documentation](https:/
# Community Supported
## NVIDIA Jetson (Orin AGX, Orin NX, Orin Nano*, Xavier AGX, Xavier NX, TX2, TX1, Nano)
## NVIDIA Jetson (Orin AGX, Orin NX, Orin Nano\*, Xavier AGX, Xavier NX, TX2, TX1, Nano)
A separate set of docker images is available that is based on Jetpack/L4T. They comes with an `ffmpeg` build
with codecs that use the Jetson's dedicated media engine. If your Jetson host is running Jetpack 4.6, use the
VSCode (and VSCode addon) supports the JSON schemas which will automatically validate the config. This can be added by adding `# yaml-language-server: $schema=http://frigate_host:5000/api/config/schema.json` to the top of the config file. `frigate_host` being the IP address of Frigate or `ccab4aaf-frigate` if running in the addon.
### Full configuration reference
### Environment Variable Substitution
:::caution
It is not recommended to copy this full configuration file. Only specify values that are different from the defaults. Configuration options and default values may change in future versions.
:::
**Note:** The following values will be replaced at runtime by using environment variables
- `{FRIGATE_MQTT_USER}`
- `{FRIGATE_MQTT_PASSWORD}`
- `{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}`
- `{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}`
for example:
Frigate supports the use of environment variables starting with `FRIGATE_`**only** where specifically indicated in the configuration reference below. For example, the following values can be replaced at runtime by using environment variables:
```yaml
mqtt:
@ -60,6 +47,14 @@ onvif:
password: "{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}"
```
### Full configuration reference:
:::caution
It is not recommended to copy this full configuration file. Only specify values that are different from the defaults. Configuration options and default values may change in future versions.
:::
```yaml
mqtt:
# Optional: Enable mqtt server (default: shown below)
This command starts a local development server and open up a browser window. Most changes are reflected live without having to restart the server.
The docs are built using [Docusaurus v2](https://v2.docusaurus.io). Please refer to the Docusaurus docs for more information on how to modify Frigate's documentation.
The docs are built using [Docusaurus v3](https://docusaurus.io). Please refer to the Docusaurus docs for more information on how to modify Frigate's documentation.
The shm size cannot be set per container for Home Assistant add-ons. However, this is probably not required since by default Home Assistant Supervisor allocates `/dev/shm` with half the size of your total memory. If your machine has 8GB of memory, chances are that Frigate will have access to up to 4GB without any additional configuration.
### Raspberry Pi 3/4
By default, the Raspberry Pi limits the amount of memory available to the GPU. In order to use ffmpeg hardware acceleration, you must increase the available memory by setting `gpu_mem` to the maximum recommended value in `config.txt` as described in the [official docs](https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/computers/config_txt.html#memory-options).
@ -81,23 +80,7 @@ Additionally, the USB Coral draws a considerable amount of power. If using any o
## Docker
Running in Docker with compose is the recommended install method:
:::note
The following officially supported builds are available:
`ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable` - Standard Frigate build for amd64 & RPi Optimized Frigate build for arm64
`ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable-standard-arm64` - Standard Frigate build for arm64
`ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable-tensorrt` - Frigate build specific for amd64 devices running an nvidia GPU
The following community supported builds are available:
If you want to use the password template feature, you should add the "FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD" environment variable and set it to your preferred password under advanced settings. The rest of the environment variables should be left as default for now.
The network mode should be set to `bridge`. You need to map the default frigate container ports to your local Synology NAS ports that you want to use to access Frigate.
@ -236,7 +229,6 @@ There may be other services running on your NAS that are using the same ports th
@ -250,14 +242,15 @@ You need to configure 2 paths:
These instructions were tested on a QNAP with an Intel J3455 CPU and 16G RAM, running QTS 4.5.4.2117.
QNAP has a graphic tool named Container Station to install and manage docker containers. However, there are two limitations with Container Station that make it unsuitable to install Frigate:
QNAP has a graphic tool named Container Station to install and manage docker containers. However, there are two limitations with Container Station that make it unsuitable to install Frigate:
1. Container Station does not incorporate GitHub Container Registry (ghcr), which hosts Frigate docker image version 0.12.0 and above.
2. Container Station uses default 64 Mb shared memory size (shm-size), and does not have a mechanism to adjust it. Frigate requires a larger shm-size to be able to work properly with more than two high resolution cameras.
2. Container Station uses default 64 Mb shared memory size (shm-size), and does not have a mechanism to adjust it. Frigate requires a larger shm-size to be able to work properly with more than two high resolution cameras.
Because of above limitations, the installation has to be done from command line. Here are the steps:
Because of above limitations, the installation has to be done from command line. Here are the steps:
**Preparation**
1. Install Container Station from QNAP App Center if it is not installed.
2. Enable ssh on your QNAP (please do an Internet search on how to do this).
3. Prepare Frigate config file, name it `config.yml`.
@ -268,7 +261,8 @@ Because of above limitations, the installation has to be done from command line.
**Installation**
Run the following commands to install Frigate (using `stable` version as example):
# Create directory to host Frigate config file on QNAP file system.
@ -309,6 +303,4 @@ docker run \
ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
```
Log into QNAP, open Container Station. Frigate docker container should be listed under 'Overview' and running. Visit Frigate Web UI by clicking Frigate docker, and then clicking the URL shown at the top of the detail page.
Log into QNAP, open Container Station. Frigate docker container should be listed under 'Overview' and running. Visit Frigate Web UI by clicking Frigate docker, and then clicking the URL shown at the top of the detail page.
Frigate uses a sophisticated video pipeline that starts with the camera feed and progressively applies transformations to it (e.g. decoding, motion detection, etc.).
This guide provides an overview to help users understand some of the key Frigate concepts.
## Overview
At a high level, there are five processing steps that could be applied to a camera feed
At a high level, there are five processing steps that could be applied to a camera feed
As the diagram shows, all feeds first need to be acquired. Depending on the data source, it may be as simple as using FFmpeg to connect to an RTSP source via TCP or something more involved like connecting to an Apple Homekit camera using go2rtc. A single camera can produce a main (i.e. high resolution) and a sub (i.e. lower resolution) video feed.
Typically, the sub-feed will be decoded to produce full-frame images. As part of this process, the resolution may be downscaled and an image sampling frequency may be imposed (e.g. keep 5 frames per second).
As the diagram shows, all feeds first need to be acquired. Depending on the data source, it may be as simple as using FFmpeg to connect to an RTSP source via TCP or something more involved like connecting to an Apple Homekit camera using go2rtc. A single camera can produce a main (i.e. high resolution) and a sub (i.e. lower resolution) video feed.
Typically, the sub-feed will be decoded to produce full-frame images. As part of this process, the resolution may be downscaled and an image sampling frequency may be imposed (e.g. keep 5 frames per second).
These frames will then be compared over time to detect movement areas (a.k.a. motion boxes). These motion boxes are combined into motion regions and are analyzed by a machine learning model to detect known objects. Finally, the snapshot and recording retention config will decide what video clips and events should be saved.
Use of the bundled go2rtc is optional. You can still configure FFmpeg to connect directly to your cameras. However, adding go2rtc to your configuration is required for the following features:
- WebRTC or MSE for live viewing with higher resolutions and frame rates than the jsmpeg stream which is limited to the detect stream
This guide walks through the steps to build a configuration file for Frigate. It assumes that you already have an environment setup as described in [Installation](../frigate/installation.md). You should also configure your cameras according to the [camera setup guide](/frigate/camera_setup). Pay particular attention to the section on choosing a detect resolution.
# Getting Started
## Setting up hardware
This section guides you through setting up a server with Debian Bookworm and Docker. If you already have an environment with Linux and Docker installed, you can continue to [Installing Frigate](#installing-frigate) below.
### Install Debian 12 (Bookworm)
There are many guides on how to install Debian Server, so this will be an abbreviated guide. Connect a temporary monitor and keyboard to your device so you can install a minimal server without a desktop environment.
#### Prepare installation media
1. Download the small installation image from the [Debian website](https://www.debian.org/distrib/netinst)
1. Flash the ISO to a USB device
1. Boot your device from USB
#### Install and setup Debian for remote access
1. You will be prompted to set the root user password and create a user with a password
1. Install the minimum software. Fewer dependencies result in less maintenance.
1. Uncheck "Debian desktop environment" and "GNOME"
1. Check "SSH server"
1. Keep "standard system utilities" checked
1. After reboot, login as root at the command prompt to add user to sudoers
1. Install sudo
```bash
apt update && apt install -y sudo
```
1. Add the user you created to the sudo group (change `blake` to your own user)
```bash
usermod -aG sudo blake
```
1. Shutdown by running `poweroff`
At this point, you can install the device in a permanent location. The remaining steps can be performed via SSH.
#### Finish setup via SSH
1. Connect via SSH and login with your non-root user
1. Setup passwordless sudo so you don't have to type your password for each sudo command
```bash
echo 'blake ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL' | sudo tee /etc/sudoers.d/user
```
1. Logout and login again to activate passwordless sudo
1. Setup automatic security updates for the OS (optional)
Now you have a minimal Debian server that requires very little maintenance.
### Install Docker
1. Install Docker Engine (not Docker Desktop) using the [official docs](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/debian/)
1. Specifically, follow the steps in the [Install using the apt repository](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/debian/#install-using-the-repository) section
2. Add your user to the docker group as described in the [Linux postinstall steps](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/linux-postinstall/)
## Installing Frigate
This section shows how to create a minimal directory structure for a Docker installation on Debian. If you have installed Frigate as a Home Assistant addon or another way, you can continue to [Configuring Frigate](#configuring-frigate).
### Setup directories
Frigate requires a valid config file to start. The following directory structure is the bare minimum to get started. Once Frigate is running, you can use the built-in config editor which supports config validation.
This `docker-compose.yml` file is just a starter for amd64 devices. You will need to customize it for your setup as detailed in the [Installation docs](/frigate/installation#docker).
Now you should be able to start Frigate by running `docker compose up -d` from within the folder containing `docker-compose.yml`. Frigate should now be accessible at `server_ip:5000` and you can finish the configuration using the built-in configuration editor.
## Configuring Frigate
This section assumes that you already have an environment setup as described in [Installation](../frigate/installation.md). You should also configure your cameras according to the [camera setup guide](/frigate/camera_setup). Pay particular attention to the section on choosing a detect resolution.
@ -36,7 +171,21 @@ FFmpeg arguments for other types of cameras can be found [here](../configuration
Now that you have a working camera configuration, you want to setup hardware acceleration to minimize the CPU required to decode your video streams. See the [hardware acceleration](../configuration/hardware_acceleration.md) config reference for examples applicable to your hardware.
Here is an example configuration with hardware acceleration configured for Intel processors with an integrated GPU using the [preset](../configuration/ffmpeg_presets.md):
Here is an example configuration with hardware acceleration configured to work with most Intel processors with an integrated GPU using the [preset](../configuration/ffmpeg_presets.md):
`docker-compose.yml` (after modifying, you will need to run `docker compose up -d` to apply changes)
```yaml
version: "3.9"
services:
frigate:
...
devices:
- /dev/dri/renderD128 # for intel hwaccel, needs to be updated for your hardware
...
```
`config.yml`
```yaml
mqtt: ...
@ -53,6 +202,19 @@ cameras:
By default, Frigate will use a single CPU detector. If you have a USB Coral, you will need to add a detectors section to your config.
`docker-compose.yml` (after modifying, you will need to run `docker compose up -d` to apply changes)
```yaml
version: "3.9"
services:
frigate:
...
devices:
- /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb # passes the USB Coral, needs to be modified for other versions
- /dev/apex_0:/dev/apex_0 # passes a PCIe Coral, follow driver instructions here https://coral.ai/docs/m2/get-started/#2a-on-linux
##`WARNING : Unable to keep up with recording segments in cache for {camera}. Keeping the 5 most recent segments out of 6 and discarding the rest...`
### WARNING : Unable to keep up with recording segments in cache for camera. Keeping the 5 most recent segments out of 6 and discarding the rest...
This error can be caused by a number of different issues. The first step in troubleshooting is to enable debug logging for recording, this will enable logging showing how long it takes for recordings to be moved from RAM cache to the disk.
It is important to let this run until the errors begin to happen, to confirm that there is not a slow down in the disk at the time of the error.
### Copy Times > 1 second
#### Copy Times > 1 second
If the storage is too slow to keep up with the recordings then the maintainer will fall behind and purge the oldest recordings to ensure the cache does not fill up causing a crash. In this case it is important to diagnose why the copy times are slow.
#### Check Storage Type
##### Check Storage Type
Mounting a network share is a popular option for storing Recordings, but this can lead to reduced copy times and cause problems. Some users have found that using `NFS` instead of `SMB` considerably decreased the copy times and fixed the issue. It is also important to ensure that the network connection between the device running Frigate and the network share is stable and fast.
#### Check mount options
##### Check mount options
Some users found that mounting a drive via `fstab` with the `sync` option caused dramatically reduce performance and led to this issue. Using `async` instead greatly reduced copy times.
### Copy Times <1second
#### Copy Times <1second
If the storage is working quickly then this error may be caused by CPU load on the machine being too high for Frigate to have the resources to keep up. Try temporarily shutting down other services to see if the issue improves.
Blake Blackshear
6 months ago
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GitHub