Steven Johnston
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№ 07 · Docker Dashboard + AI Ops · 2026

DOCKERMATE

A self-hosted Docker dashboard with a chatbot that can actually do things: list, inspect, pull, restart, exec. Tiles pulse when a registry digest says an image is stale. Compose-aware upgrades keep your env, volumes, and networks.

Context
Personal project · homelab
Role
Sole designer / engineer
Status
In daily use
DockerMate · 12 containers
2 updates available
gladius-api
up 3d 4h
↑ update
chroma-db
up 12d
netbud
up 6h
↑ update
postgres-16
up 12d
ollama
up 2d
nginx
up —
"upgrade netbud" → compose_pull_service · compose_up_service ✓
Fig. 01 · stylised interface preview

The problem

Knowing whether a container is out of date means docker-pull roulette or handing the keys to a blind auto-updater. And every 'quick check' on the Docker host means SSHing in and typing the same five commands. The dashboard should know, and the chatbot should do.

The approach

01

A tile grid shows every container (image, tag, state, uptime, restarts, ports, health) with a soft pulse on any tile whose registry digest differs from the local image. A one-glance 'this needs upgrading' signal.

02

Update detection reads the local digest from docker inspect, then HEADs the registry's manifest endpoint. Docker Hub and GHCR out of the box, generic OCI fallback. No image is pulled during the check.

03

The chatbot drives 11 tools via OpenAI tool-calling: list, inspect, logs, update-check, pull, start/stop/restart, compose pull/up, and exec into running containers.

04

Compose-aware upgrades: when a container has compose labels, the bot recreates it via its original compose file rather than a bare docker run, preserving env, volumes, and network config. An access proxy is the only gate. Treat the URL like SSH.

Outcome

Chatbot tools
11
full container control
Update checks
HEAD only
no image pulls
Upgrades
Compose-aware
env / volumes / networks kept
Design note

There is no app-level auth. Whoever can chat can effectively root the host, so treat the URL like SSH. That honesty is the security model.

Built with

Node.jsExpressdockerodeOpenAI GPT-4o-miniTailwindDocker

More tools

08 WEBEX MIGRATE CUCM → Webex Calling 01 GLADIUS AI Network Auditor 02 SHELLMATE Terminal + AI Copilot
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Get in touch
stevie.johnston@gmail.com
Glasgow, Scotland
UTC+0 / UTC+1