I'm running Ubuntu 22.04 with Frigate deployed in Docker. Frigate reports that the container's shared-memory size needs to be increased. I was wondering whether Docker has a graphical management interface that I can install on top of my existing setup without removing or disrupting the current installation. If a GUI is useful, what should I install, and is it actually necessary for changing the shared-memory limit?
My deployment appears to use a Compose file with a `frigate` service, bind mounts for `./config` and `./storage`, and a tmpfs cache. I'd also like to know where the Compose file is usually located and how to apply the change without losing my existing configuration or recordings.
3 Answers
The shared-memory limit is normally configured in the Compose file, not through a GUI. Add `shm_size: "512m"` inside the `frigate` service, at the same indentation level as `image:`, `volumes:`, and `ports:`. The exact value depends on the number and resolution of your cameras, so increase it if Frigate still reports a limit problem.
After saving the file, recreate the service with `docker compose up -d` from the directory containing the Compose file. Simply restarting the existing container will not change its shared-memory allocation. Since the configuration and recordings are mounted from `./config` and `./storage`, keep those volume mappings unchanged so the data survives recreation.
Docker itself doesn’t include a graphical interface. Docker Desktop provides one, but on Linux it adds an extra virtual machine and usually isn’t the best choice for a native Docker installation. If you want a web interface for managing containers, tools such as Portainer, Dockge, Dockhand, or Komodo can be deployed separately. None of them is required for this particular fix, though—learning the Docker Compose file and command line will be more direct.
Yes, the file you described is a Docker Compose file, commonly named `compose.yml`, `compose.yaml`, or sometimes `docker-compose.yml`. It is often stored in the directory where Frigate was installed. In your example, the setting would look like this:
`services:`
` frigate:`
` image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable`
` shm_size: "512m"`
` volumes:`
Make sure the indentation is consistent. Run the Compose command from that directory, and check the output for errors before opening Frigate again. The tmpfs entry for `/tmp/cache` is separate from Docker’s `/dev/shm`, so changing one does not automatically change the other.
The file I found has a `services:` section and a `frigate:` service with the config and storage mounts. Is that the Compose file, and should `shm_size` go directly under `frigate:`?