Running Nova Tracker with Docker (Command Line)

These instructions are for users comfortable with the command line (Terminal). The application includes default settings and will generate necessary files on first run if they are not provided.

Prerequisites

You must have Docker installed and running on your computer:

See the Docker Engine installation overview.

Steps

1. Pull the Docker Image

Open your Terminal application and run:

docker pull mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

2. Run the Image as a Container (Basic)

Start the container using the default settings:

docker run -d \
  --name nova-tracker-app \
  -p 5001:5001 \
  mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

Explanation:

  • -d: Run container in detached mode (background).
  • --name nova-tracker-app: Assigns a name to the running container.
  • -p 5001:5001: Maps port 5001 on your host to port 5001 inside the container.
  • mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest: Specifies the Docker image to use.

3. Access Nova Tracker

  • Wait a few seconds for the container to start.
  • Check the container status:
docker ps
  • View logs (optional):
docker logs nova-tracker-app
  • Open your web browser and navigate to:
http://localhost:5001

You should see the Nova DSO Altitude Tracker using default settings!

4. (Optional) Overriding Configuration with Volumes

If you want to use your own .env, config_default.yaml, or user-specific config: (you can also later upload the config file under configuration in the nova app)

  1. Create a local folder, e.g., ~/nova-config, and place your custom files inside.
  2. Stop and remove the previous container:
docker stop nova-tracker-app
docker rm nova-tracker-app
  1. Run the container with mounted volumes:
docker run -d \
  --name nova-tracker-app \
  -p 5001:5001 \
  -v ~/nova-config/.env:/app/.env \
  -v ~/nova-config/config_default.yaml:/app/config_default.yaml \
  # Optional: Mount a user-specific config
  # -v ~/nova-config/config_yourusername.yaml:/app/config_yourusername.yaml \
  mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

Tip: The -v flag maps a file from your host machine (left side) to a location inside the container (right side).

You can later:

  • Stop the container:
docker stop nova-tracker-app
  • Start it again:
docker start nova-tracker-app
  • Remove it completely (after stopping):
docker rm nova-tracker-app

Updating the Application (Command Line)

When a new version of Nova Tracker is released:

1. Pull the Latest Image

docker pull mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

2. Stop the Old Container

docker stop nova-tracker-app

3. Remove the Old Container

docker rm nova-tracker-app

4. Run the New Image

If you did not use volumes originally:

docker run -d --name nova-tracker-app -p 5001:5001 mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

If you used volumes (recommended):

docker run -d \
  --name nova-tracker-app \
  -p 5001:5001 \
  -v ~/nova-config/.env:/app/.env \
  -v ~/nova-config/config_default.yaml:/app/config_default.yaml \
  # Add other volumes if needed
  mrantonsg/nova-tracker:latest

Your updated Nova Tracker container should now be running!

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