dockcheck
A CLI tool to automate Docker image updates with interactive or unattended modes, notifications, image backups, and auto-pruning.
What is dockcheck?
dockcheck is a command-line tool that automates checking for and applying updates to Docker container images. It scans your running containers, identifies available image updates, and allows you to update them interactively or unattended. The tool solves the problem of manually tracking and updating numerous Docker containers, reducing maintenance overhead and ensuring applications stay current.
Developers and system administrators who manage Docker containers in self-hosted or homelab environments, particularly those running multiple containers and seeking an automated, lightweight update solution.
Developers choose dockcheck for its simplicity, flexibility, and safety features like image backups. Unlike heavier solutions, it's a single Bash script with no dependencies beyond Docker, offering granular control over updates, extensive notification support, and integration with existing workflows via cron or monitoring tools.
Overview
CLI tool to automate docker image updates. Interactive or unattended with notifications, image backups, autoprune, no pre-pulling and more.
Use Cases
Best For
- Automating Docker image updates in homelab or self-hosted environments
- Managing updates for multiple Docker Compose stacks with selective control
- Receiving notifications when new container image versions are available
- Creating image backups before updates for easy rollback in case of issues
- Integrating container update metrics into Prometheus monitoring setups
- Running scheduled, unattended updates via cron jobs with notification alerts
Not Ideal For
- Teams using Kubernetes or cloud-native orchestration beyond Docker Compose
- Projects requiring a web dashboard or GUI for container management (e.g., Portainer-centric workflows)
- Environments where containers are primarily managed via 'docker run' without recreation automation
Pros & Cons
Pros
As a single Bash script, it integrates easily into cron jobs or shell aliases, with no external dependencies beyond Docker, jq, and regctl, making deployment straightforward.
Supports multiple channels like Discord, Telegram, and SMTP via configurable templates, with snooze features to avoid duplicate alerts, as detailed in the README's notification section.
Automatically backs up previous images before updates for rollback, with configurable retention periods, providing a safety net against breaking changes, as explained in the Image Backups section.
Uses xargs for parallel update checks, speeding up scans across many containers, with tested limits up to 32+ subprocesses, reducing wait times in large environments.
Cons
The README admits 'No detailed error feedback (just skip + list what's skipped)', making debugging difficult when containers fail to update or check correctly.
Relies on regctl, which only provides binaries for amd64/arm64; other architectures require a workaround script, adding complexity and potential maintenance overhead.
Known issues with tools like Portainer and Watchtower, which can cause conflicts or require manual intervention, limiting its use in mixed environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
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