CCTV

Moonfire NVR: Free and Open-Source – Install and Run a Powerful CCTV System in Minutes with Docker (Setup Guide)

Hazem Abbas

Oct 21, 2024 — 6 min read

Moonfire NVR, originally developed by Scott Lamb, is an open-source network video recorder designed to capture H.264-over-RTSP streams from IP cameras efficiently. It saves video frames to disk while storing metadata in a SQLite3 database, keeping CPU usage low by skipping video decoding or re-encoding.

A Raspberry Pi 2 can handle six 1080p/30fps streams with less than 10% CPU load.

The web interface offers basic functionality, such as a filterable video list and trimming tools, with an experimental live view. However, it lacks motion detection, HTTPS support, and an intuitive web-based configuration UI.

Moonfire NVR is still in early development (pre-1.0), so expect evolving formats and configurations.

It is important to note that Moonfire NVR app lacks native HTTPS/ TLS support, requiring a proxy server for secure connections.

Features

RTSP support: Captures H.264-over-RTSP streams from IP cameras, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of devices.
Stores video frames on spinning disks for efficient storage.
Saves metadata in a SQLite3 database on flash storage for fast access.
Generates .mp4 files for any selected time range in real-time without delays.
Skips video decoding, analysis, and re-encoding to minimize resource consumption.
Runs six 1080p/30fps streams on a Raspberry Pi 2 using less than 10% CPU.
Provides a filterable list of video segments and trimming tools for easy management.
Offers an experimental live view UI.
Runs on minimal hardware like Raspberry Pi, making it a cost-effective solution.
Future updates aim to include video analytics and advanced functionalities.
Pre-1.0 version with evolving storage and configuration formats.
Console-based configuration UI, with web-based setup planned for the future.

Install Moonfire NVR with Docker

In the following is the docker-compose.yml file.

version: 3
services:
  moonfire-nvr:
    # The `vX.Y.Z` images will work on any architecture (x86-64, arm, or
    # aarch64); just pick the correct version.
    image: ghcr.io/scottlamb/moonfire-nvr:v0.7.11
    command: run

    volumes:
      # Pass through `/var/lib/moonfire-nvr` from the host.
      - "/var/lib/moonfire-nvr:/var/lib/moonfire-nvr"

      # Pass through `/etc/moonfire-nvr.toml` from the host.
      # Be sure to create `/etc/moonfire-nvr.toml` first (see below).
      # Docker will "helpfully" create a directory by this name otherwise.
      - "/etc/moonfire-nvr.toml:/etc/moonfire-nvr.toml:ro"

      # Pass through `/var/tmp` from the host.
      # SQLite expects to be able to create temporary files in this dir, which
      # is not created in Moonfire's minimal Docker image.
      # See: <https://www.sqlite.org/tempfiles.html>
      - "/var/tmp:/var/tmp"

      # Add additional mount lines here for each sample file directory
      # outside of /var/lib/moonfire-nvr, e.g.:
      # - "/media/nvr:/media/nvr"

      # The Docker image doesn't include the time zone database; you must mount
      # it from the host for Moonfire to support local time.
      - "/usr/share/zoneinfo:/usr/share/zoneinfo:ro"

    # Edit this to match your `moonfire-nvr` user.
    # Note that Docker will not honor names from the host here, even if
    # `/etc/passwd` is passed through.
    # - Be sure to run the `useradd` command below first.
    # - Then run `echo $(id -u moonfire-nvr):$(id -g moonfire-nvr)` to see
    #   what should be filled in here.
    user: UID:GID

    # Uncomment this if Moonfire fails with `clock_gettime failed` (likely on
    # older 32-bit hosts). <https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/40734>
    # security_opt:
    # - seccomp:unconfined

    environment:
      # Edit zone below to taste. The `:` is functional.
      TZ: ":America/Los_Angeles"
      RUST_BACKTRACE: 1

    # docker's default log driver won't rotate logs properly, and will throw
    # away logs when you destroy and recreate the container. Using journald
    # solves these problems.
    # <https://docs.docker.com/config/containers/logging/configure/>
    logging:
      driver: journald
      options:
        tag: moonfire-nvr

    restart: unless-stopped

    ports:
    - "8080:8080/tcp"