How to update the Docker containers?

naesh

Hey,

I updated the images for the Ghost CMS (https://hub.docker.com/_/ghost/) and PhantomBot (https://hub.docker.com/r/gmt2001/phantombot-stable) yesterday.

New instances get the latest version, but existing instances keep their old image. How can I update these containers properly, or allow the users to decide whether to update the image or not?
Especially with images like these that are designed to be replaced for updates, a user cannot independently create a new instance for an update.

With Plesk, for example, you can simply recreate the instances with the latest image and retain the data and settings.

stefan

naesh hello, same like on plesk: set latest tag on the image, then user can disable/enable it on Containers page and it will recreate with latest image.

naesh

Hey stefan ,

thank you very much for your answer.

When I select one of the containers under Docker -> Change image tag, the page reloads and I get the request to select an image again. This time the dropdown is empty. So I can't test this at the moment.

But if this works, I would simply change it from latest to latest, or leave it selected, and after I or the user has confirmed this, the instance is then recreated with the new :latest image?
Wouldn't it be easier and more user-friendly not to hide this behind the change from latest to latest, but to insert a button directly under Docker -> Container next to the status for the recreation with the latest or the set image?

stefan

naesh Hello, dropdown is empty if tag is already "stable" or "latest", I admit its a bit confusing, I'll edit that.

In the case when image tag is already latest, its enough to just 'Disable' then again 'Enable' that service from Containers page.

naesh

Hi stefan ,

That’s not the case. Containers that I disabled and then re-enabled did not update. I’ll check later to see if there’s an update for Phantombot, and I’ll report back to you with my findings. Only new instances have been using the latest image.

stefan

naesh my bad, you're absolutely right—images are indeed reused.

I just edited the 'Enable' button in 0.2.2 to make it so that:

right-clicking will first pull the image before starting;
left-clicking will just start it immediately from existing image;

I hope this is suitable for now!

naesh

Hi stefan ,

thanks a lot for the quick update and for adding this feature!

I’m curious though - what was the idea behind the UX design here? It feels a bit hidden, and I wonder if users will intuitively understand that a right-click on the enable button pulls the latest image. Personally, I doubt that many will discover this on their own without documentation or prior knowledge.

Would love to understand the thinking behind this approach!

stefan

naesh this option is mostly just for you as a temporary option 😅

most regular users install additional components inside their containers, so I'm concerned this feature might cause them to unintentionally lose work and increase the number of support tickets we get.

Ideally, this should be done from the Images page, only when changing image tag:

stop the container if it's running
update the tag
pull the new image
start the container with the new image
remove the previous image

This approach minimizes the risk of users unintentionally deleting important stuff by just stop/start from Containers page.

That said, this is just my opinion. Since the source is open, if you think adding a simple button with a confirmation dialog on *Containers/ page is a better approach and you’ve got time to work on it, I’d be happy to assist updating the template. 🙌

naesh

Hey stefan ,

thanks for adding that option just for me – really appreciate it! 🙂

I can’t promise I’ll have a lot of time to dive deep into it right now, but I’m happy to take a look at the template and the implementation – maybe I can squeeze in a few changes. Would be great if you could just send me the template and the related CSS files directly. I’d rather not dig through the Docker image to find them. 🫡