I have decades of engineering and computer experience, but I'm struggling to get Immich running in a Docker container on my UGREEN NAS. Many tutorials describe the process as easy, yet they assume knowledge that I don't have. For example, when a guide says to enter a Docker restart command, I'm unsure whether that belongs in PowerShell, Command Prompt, a Linux terminal, or somewhere on the NAS itself.
I tried using PowerShell, but Docker commands weren't recognized. I then installed Docker Desktop, only to encounter a mostly blank window saying that my environment wasn't configured or enabled. That led to more unfamiliar topics such as WSL and Hyper-V. Every attempted solution seems to create several new questions.
Is there a beginner-friendly guide that starts with the fundamentals—where Docker commands are run, how Docker relates to Windows, Linux, WSL, and NAS systems, and how Docker Compose fits into deploying an application like Immich?
4 Answers
Step-by-step NAS tutorials can be useful for getting one application running, especially when they include screenshots. Just be aware that guides using a graphical container manager may hide important Docker concepts. They can get you started, but it’s worth learning what the generated Compose file does, where the media and database data are stored, and how backups and upgrades work.
Docker can run from Windows terminals, but Docker Desktop depends on a working Linux backend through WSL 2 or another virtualization layer. That extra integration is one reason the Windows experience can feel confusing. A native Linux host or a Docker installation directly supported by the NAS is usually simpler for self-hosted services, while Docker Desktop is mainly a convenience layer for running containers from Windows.
Docker Desktop does allow Docker commands from PowerShell or Command Prompt once its backend is configured. However, if the target is the NAS, configuring Docker on the PC won’t automatically control containers on the NAS; you need to connect to the NAS or run Docker there.
First decide where Docker is actually going to run. If Immich is meant to run on the NAS, the commands should generally be executed on the NAS through its terminal or an SSH session—not in PowerShell on the Windows computer. A web-based management tool can make the first setup easier, but learning Docker Compose and the command-line workflow will give you more control over updates, configuration, persistent data, and moving the setup to another machine.
A small Linux machine is another option if the NAS cannot run Docker reliably. In that case, you would administer the Linux host through its terminal and keep the Compose project and data volumes organized there.
Start with the official Docker introduction and a basic Linux command-line tutorial rather than jumping straight into an application as complex as Immich. It helps to first understand what Docker is, what containers and images are, how volumes and networks work, and the difference between Docker Engine and Docker Desktop. Once those concepts are clear, the application-specific setup makes much more sense.
That’s probably the foundation I was missing. I had looked through the documentation, but I was trying to use it without understanding the basic terminology.
That distinction is helpful. I mainly need something to get me unstuck, but I also want to understand the setup instead of blindly clicking through it.