docker-xeoma

This is a Docker container for running Xeoma, surveillance software developed by Felena Soft. It supports a wide range of security cameras, has low CPU overhead, and a very easy-to-use interface. The container is just for the server, and does not have a user interface. Run the client on any computer or mobile device, connecting to the server on port 8090. You can also configure Xeoma's cameras to be shown in the web UI, which is accessible on port 10090.

This docker image is available on Docker Hub.

You can try out Xeoma using the trial version of the software, then purchase it when you are ready. Note the limitations of the trial version however -- settings aren't saved, and archived videos get deleted after 1 hour. Avoid the free version, as it cannot connect to your container. Make sure you read the EULA as you are effectively agreeing to it by running this docker.

Running

There are two modes of running this container. The first is with environment variables:

docker run -d --name=Xeoma -p 8090:8090 -p 10090:10090 -v /local/path/to/config:/config -v /local/path/to/archive:/archive -e VERSION='latest' -e PASSWORD='<password>' coppit/xeoma

The second mode is with a config file. To create a template config file, run:

docker run -d --name=Xeoma -p 8090:8090 -p 10090:10090 -v /local/path/to/config:/config -v /local/path/to/archive:/archive coppit/xeoma

When run for the first time, a file named xeoma.conf will be created in the config dir, and the container will exit. Edit this file, setting the client password, and changing VERSION if you want to run a different version of Xeoma (see below). Then rerun the command.

The archive folder holds the saved video recordings.

To access your xeoma server, simply download the same version from the Xeoma website and set it up to connect to a remote server using the IP address of the docker host and the password you selected.

NOTE: If you're opening port 10090 for the web server, you need to actually add the web server to at least one camera. Otherwise you'll get a "404 Not Found" message when you access the webpage with a browser.

See the notes below for special networking considerations depending on your cameras, and for licensing issues.

View logs using:

docker logs xeoma

Using an Archive Cache

You can optionally use a folder for temporary storage of recording files until they are fully recorded, then moved to the archive. Using this parameter significantly reduces disk fragmentation. This can be useful for a large number of cameras, or when using an SSD for the main archive.

To use this feature, simply add an additional option when running the container: -v /local/path/to/archive-cache:/archive-cache.

Choosing a Version

The VERSION environment variable can be used to select the version of Xeoma to use. Values can be "latest", "latest_beta", a version string like "17.5.5", or a URL that starts with "http://", "https://" or "ftp://". The default value is "latest". The change history for Xeoma is here.

During startup, the desired version of Xeoma is downloaded as needed into the "downloads" subdirectory of the config directory. Any files in that directory matching the pattern xeoma_*.tgz will be deleted. It is then installed automatically.

Warning: By default, Xeoma will automatically detect new versions on startup and update itself. You should disable this feature in the user interface, and instead just rely on the container's version handling. If you're using a specific version of the software, this will prevent Xeoma from auto-updating it if the container restarts. If you're using the "latest" version, the container will already auto-update (even without a restart).

Notes

Licensing and Docker Containers

How licensing works is a bit unclear. As of version 16.12.26, the Lite version prohibits running inside virtual machines. Whether (and how!) this applies to docker containers is unclear. Your container may also need continuous internet access to validate the license.

When you register your software, the license will be stored in your config directory. So it will be carried across container updates, along with any configuration changes you made in the app. But if you ever delete the config directory, you might have to contact Felena soft for another registration key.

Be careful about choosing your networking settings before installing your license. If you have registered the software with host or bridged networking, then if you change to the other type of networking, you will see an error message. You should still be able to switch back.

However, if you have any issues, the container will append some information about the MAC address to the file macs.txt each time it starts. If you have trouble getting the license to work, try using the --mac-address flag to the run command to force your new container to have the same MAC address as your old one. This will only work if you are using bridged networking.

Finally, if all else fails, use the felenasoft website for help.

Discovering Cameras

Depending on how your security camera works, you might need to enable host networking by adding --net=host to your run command. If you are using IP cameras, you can run this container in bridged networking mode, which is more secure. However, you will need to manually enter the URL for the camera, because the camera search feature probably won't work. You can consult this website for information about rtsp:// URLs for accessing the camera's low and high quality video streams.

Support

If you find any bugs with the software that are related to the docker container, let me know and I'll investigate. If you find bugs that are related to the actual software or cameras, etc then contact FelenaSoft.

Credits

This docker container was initially based on the jedimonkey/xeoma container.

Thanks to https://github.com/skylord123 on github for the excellent suggestions about how to handle versioning.