Portainer Container Management

beginner

Complete Docker and Kubernetes management solution with beautiful web UI, user management, and multi-environment support.

Overview

Portainer is a universal container management platform that transforms complex Docker, Kubernetes, and Docker Swarm operations into an intuitive web-based interface. Originally created to democratize container management, Portainer eliminates the need for command-line expertise while providing enterprise-grade features like role-based access control, multi-environment management, and GitOps workflows. The platform has evolved from a simple Docker GUI into a comprehensive container orchestration solution trusted by both homelab enthusiasts and enterprise teams. This deployment combines Portainer CE with its companion agent to create a powerful management hub for your container infrastructure. The main Portainer service provides the web interface and core management capabilities, while the Portainer agent enables secure communication with remote Docker environments and edge devices. Together, they form a centralized control plane that can manage multiple Docker hosts, Swarm clusters, and Kubernetes environments from a single dashboard. This stack is ideal for teams transitioning from manual Docker management to a more structured approach, system administrators managing multiple hosts, and organizations seeking to provide controlled container access to developers without exposing underlying infrastructure. The combination offers visual stack deployment, template-based application installation, and comprehensive logging and monitoring capabilities that bridge the gap between simple container tools and complex enterprise platforms like Rancher.

Key Features

Multi-platform container orchestration supporting Docker, Docker Swarm, and Kubernetes clusters
Visual stack deployment with drag-and-drop Docker Compose editing and validation
Template marketplace with pre-configured applications and custom template support
Role-based access control with team management and environment-specific permissions
Edge agent deployment for managing remote locations and IoT devices
GitOps integration with automatic stack updates from Git repositories
Container registry management with support for private registries and image scanning
Real-time resource monitoring with container logs, stats, and performance metrics

Common Use Cases

1Homelab management for self-hosted services and personal development environments
2Small to medium team Docker environments requiring user access control and collaboration
3Multi-site container deployments with centralized management across edge locations
4Development teams needing visual container management without CLI complexity
5Educational environments for teaching containerization and orchestration concepts
6Rapid prototyping and testing with template-based application deployment
7Legacy infrastructure modernization with gradual container adoption

Prerequisites

Docker Engine 20.10+ with Docker Compose plugin installed
Minimum 256MB RAM available for Portainer CE (512MB recommended for production)
Ports 9443 (HTTPS UI) and 8000 (tunnel server) available and accessible
Docker socket access permissions for container management operations
SSL/TLS certificates for production deployments (self-signed acceptable for development)
Network connectivity between Portainer server and any remote Docker hosts or agents

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  portainer: 
3    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
4    ports: 
5      - "9443:9443"
6      - "8000:8000"
7    volumes: 
8      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
9      - portainer_data:/data
10    restart: always
11    networks: 
12      - portainer_net
13
14  portainer-agent: 
15    image: portainer/agent:latest
16    volumes: 
17      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
18      - /var/lib/docker/volumes:/var/lib/docker/volumes
19    networks: 
20      - portainer_net
21
22volumes: 
23  portainer_data: 
24
25networks: 
26  portainer_net:

.env Template

.env

1# Portainer
2# Portainer at https://localhost:9443
3# Create admin account on first login

Usage Notes

1Portainer at https://localhost:9443
2Create admin on first access
3Manage Docker/Swarm/K8s
4Agent for remote environments
5Edge agent for edge devices

Individual Services(2 services)

Copy individual services to mix and match with your existing compose files.

portainer

portainer:
  image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
  ports:
    - "9443:9443"
    - "8000:8000"
  volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    - portainer_data:/data
  restart: always
  networks:
    - portainer_net

portainer-agent

portainer-agent:
  image: portainer/agent:latest
  volumes:
    - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
    - /var/lib/docker/volumes:/var/lib/docker/volumes
  networks:
    - portainer_net

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  portainer:
5    image: portainer/portainer-ce:latest
6    ports:
7      - "9443:9443"
8      - "8000:8000"
9    volumes:
10      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
11      - portainer_data:/data
12    restart: always
13    networks:
14      - portainer_net
15
16  portainer-agent:
17    image: portainer/agent:latest
18    volumes:
19      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
20      - /var/lib/docker/volumes:/var/lib/docker/volumes
21    networks:
22      - portainer_net
23
24volumes:
25  portainer_data:
26
27networks:
28  portainer_net:
29EOF
30
31# 2. Create the .env file
32cat > .env << 'EOF'
33# Portainer
34# Portainer at https://localhost:9443
35# Create admin account on first login
36EOF
37
38# 3. Start the services
39docker compose up -d
40
41# 4. View logs
42docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/portainer-complete/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Cannot access Portainer UI after startup: Verify port 9443 is not blocked by firewall and container logs show 'Portainer started on :9443'
Docker socket permission denied errors: Add your user to docker group with 'usermod -aG docker $USER' and restart session
Agent connection fails with 'tunnel server unreachable': Ensure port 8000 is accessible from agent host and check network connectivity
Stack deployment fails with 'compose file invalid': Use Portainer's built-in validator or verify YAML syntax and indentation
High memory usage or slow performance: Increase container memory limits and consider using Portainer Business Edition for better resource optimization
Lost admin access after initial setup: Reset admin password by stopping container, removing portainer_data volume, and recreating stack

Community Notes

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Get all files in a ready-to-deploy package

Includes docker-compose.yml, .env template, README, and license

Components

portainerportainer-agent

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