Docker App Management: How Your Seedbox Apps Work

Most apps on your EvoSeedbox run inside Docker containers — isolated environments that keep each app’s files and settings separate. This guide explains how Docker works on your seedbox, how to manage your containers, and how to troubleshoot app issues. You don’t need to know Docker to use your seedbox, but understanding the basics helps when things go wrong.

How Docker Works on Your Seedbox #

  YOUR SEEDBOX ARCHITECTURE
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Your Seedbox Server
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │                                                     │
  │  rTorrent (native)      ruTorrent (native)          │
  │  └── downloads/         └── web interface           │
  │                                                     │
  │  Docker Engine                                      │
  │  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐  │
  │  │ Sonarr  │ │ Radarr  │ │  Plex   │ │Jellyfin │  │
  │  │ :8989   │ │ :7878   │ │ :32400  │ │ :8096   │  │
  │  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘  │
  │  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐  │
  │  │Prowlarr │ │ Lidarr  │ │ Bazarr  │ │ Autobrr │  │
  │  │ :9696   │ │ :8686   │ │ :6767   │ │ :7474   │  │
  │  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘  │
  │                                                     │
  │  Each container is isolated with its own:           │
  │  • Config files  • Network port  • File access      │
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

App Lifecycle #

  APP INSTALLATION & MANAGEMENT
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Client Area: "Install"
       │
       ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ Docker pulls image      │     Downloads the app
  │ Creates container       │     from Docker registry
  │ Mounts your directories │
  │ Assigns unique port     │
  └─────────┬───────────────┘
            │
            ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ SSL proxy configured    │     HTTPS access via
  │ (Nginx/Caddy)           │     your-server:PORT
  └─────────┬───────────────┘
            │
            ▼
  ┌─────────────────────────┐
  │ Health monitoring       │     Auto-restarts
  │ (every 30 seconds)      │     if app crashes
  └─────────────────────────┘

  Container states:
  🟢 Running    — App is working normally
  🟡 Restarting — App crashed, auto-recovering
  🔴 Exited     — App stopped, needs attention
  ⚪ Created    — Installed but not started

Where App Data Lives #

  APP DATA LOCATIONS
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  /home/your_user/
  │
  ├── downloads/              ◀── Shared across all apps
  │   ├── movies/                 rTorrent, Sonarr, Radarr
  │   ├── tv-shows/               all read/write here
  │   └── music/
  │
  ├── .config/                ◀── Per-app config
  │   ├── sonarr/                 Database, settings,
  │   │   ├── config.xml          API keys stored here
  │   │   └── sonarr.db
  │   ├── radarr/
  │   ├── prowlarr/
  │   ├── lidarr/
  │   └── plex/
  │       └── Library/
  │           └── (metadata, thumbnails)
  │
  └── userdockers/            ◀── Some apps use this
      └── app-name/               for config instead
          └── config/

  ⚠️ Don't delete .config folders!
  They contain your app databases and settings.

Managing Apps with Portainer #

If you have Portainer installed, you can manage your containers visually:

• View all containers — See status, CPU/memory usage, port mappings
• Start/Stop/Restart — Control individual containers
• View logs — See app error messages for troubleshooting
• Inspect — View environment variables, mounts, network settings

Auto-Healing System #

Your seedbox has an automatic maintenance system that runs continuously:

  AUTOMATIC MAINTENANCE
  ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

  Every 30 seconds:
  └── Health check all containers
      ├── Healthy ✓ → do nothing
      └── Unhealthy → auto-restart

  Every 5 minutes:
  ├── Check for root-owned rTorrent (blocks ports)
  ├── Check for stale processes (orphaned htop, etc)
  └── Verify DNS resolution works

  Every hour:
  ├── Sync Filegator user list
  ├── Sync WireGuard peer configs
  ├── Fix Docker healthcheck configs
  ├── Fix file permissions
  └── Check/fix Nginx SSL proxy cache

  Every 24 hours:
  ├── Update Apache timeout settings
  └── Verify system packages

  ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Most app issues resolve automatically within    │
  │  minutes. If something breaks, wait 5 minutes    │
  │  before contacting support.                      │
  └──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Troubleshooting #

App Shows 502/503 Error #

  502/503 DIAGNOSTIC
  ══════════════════

  502 Bad Gateway / 503 Service Unavailable
       │
       ├── Wait 2-3 minutes
       │   └── Auto-heal may fix it ✓
       │
       ├── Still broken?
       │   ├── Restart from client area dashboard
       │   └── Or restart via Portainer
       │
       └── Still broken after restart?
           ├── Check disk space (full disk = app can't write)
           └── Contact support

App Lost Settings After Restart #

• Settings are stored in ~/.config/app-name/. If this folder was deleted, settings are gone
• Check if the config database file exists (e.g., sonarr.db, radarr.db)
• Some apps need to be reconfigured after a corrupted database. Contact support for recovery

Can’t Install New Apps #

• Check your disk quota — Docker images need space to download
• If the Install button doesn’t change to “Open” after 5 minutes, try refreshing the page
• Some apps are only available on certain plans. Check the app availability in your plan details

Tips #

• Don’t modify container configs via SSH unless you know what you’re doing. Use the app’s web interface for settings
• Back up before major changes — Your .config folder is your app data. Consider backing it up to Google Drive
• Uninstall unused apps — Each running container uses memory and CPU. Remove apps you don’t use
• Use Homarr — Set up Homarr as a dashboard to see all your apps and their status in one place

Related Guides #

• Docker for Beginners
• Portainer: Docker Management
• Homarr Dashboard
• One-Click Installs
• Disk Usage & Quotas