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# Special Instructions for Installing with Docker on QNAP NAS (Intel/AMD)

These are preliminary instructions only!

User-supplied intelligence required! I'm not a QNAP user/owner but from what I was able to see in some searching and helping a user on the forums, the following is a generic guide to getting the container working on QNAP. I would appreciate screen shots and specific corrections (with detail, please).

1. Make a subdirectory tree to contain Reactor's data and configuration files. This can be anywhere on your NAS to which you have access, such as your user home directory. You can use other directories, even on other volumes, if you choose. If uncertain right now, just create a `reactor` subdirectory in your home directory, and then create two additional directories underneath that: `data` for your configuration, rules and states; and `reactor-ext` for any extensions you need to install (now or future).

       Home Directory
            |
            +---- reactor/
                     |
                     +---- data/
                     |
                     +---- reactor-ext/

2. Open Container Station;

3. Click Create Container;
4. In the search box, enter `reactor` and launch a search;
5. The QNAP-recommended list of results is probably going to be empty, but you should see a Docker Hub tab in the results area — click on that tab;
6. Scroll through the search results and find the `toggledbits/reactor` entry. Select the image for your system architecture (e.g. `toggledbits/reactor:latest-amd64` for an Intel/AMD-based NAS);
7. On the settings dialog that opens, leave all the defaults (Auto Start on, etc.);
8. Click the Advanced Settings link;
9. Click the Network nav item in the left navigation;
10. Set the network operating mode to Host;
11. Click the Environment nav item;
12. Leave all existing environment variables alone, but modify (or add) `TZ` and enter as its value the canonical name of your local timezone, which is of the form `area_name/locale_name` (e.g. `America/New_York` or `Europe/Prague`. If you don't know it, you can browse this list;
13. Click the Shared Folder nav item.
14. Add or modify a mount point `/var/reactor` to the full pathname of the `data` subdirectory you created in step 1 (put that pathname in the Volume from host field for that row).
15. Add an additional mount point `/opt/reactor/ext` to the full pathname of the `reactor-ext` subdirectory you created in step 1.
16. Start the container.

You should immediately observe that the directory you created for config and data is populated with some folders and files. You should then be able to access the UI by going to `http://nas-ip-address:8111/`

You may now proceed to Concepts & Terminology, where you'll learn some basics about Reactor's objects, and then start to configure your hubs/controllers and get access to their devices.

# Upgrading the Container

I need instructions from a knowledgeable QNAP user for this. On other systems, the typical way is to stop the container, pull the new image, clear the container (not delete it), then restart it. I don't know how it works on QNAP.

Updated 2026-Jun-22