Question 1

How do I persist Node-RED data in Docker?

Accepted Answer

Use Docker volumes or bind mounts to map the container's /data directory to a host path. The README shows commands like `-v node_red_data:/data` for named volumes or `-v /host/path:/data` for bind mounts, ensuring flows survive container restarts.

Question 2

Node-RED Docker vs running Node-RED directly: which is better?

Accepted Answer

Node-RED Docker offers container benefits like isolation, reproducibility, and multi-arch support, ideal for scalable deployments. Direct installation is simpler for single-machine setups without Docker overhead, but lacks portability.

Question 3

How to install custom nodes in Node-RED Docker?

Accepted Answer

You can use the node-red-admin tool from the host, exec into the container with `docker exec`, or build a custom image. For example, `docker exec -it mynodered npm install node-red-node-smooth` installs nodes directly, but minimal images may fail with native dependencies.

Question 4

Can I run Node-RED Docker on Raspberry Pi?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it supports ARM architectures like arm32v7 and arm64v8. However, native GPIO support was dropped in v1.0; you'll need to use node-red-node-pi-gpiod and run the PiGPIOd daemon on the host for GPIO access.

Question 5

How to debug Node-RED in Docker?

Accepted Answer

Use the provided debug scripts by running the container with `--entrypoint npm` and specifying `run debug` or `run debug_brk`, then connect a debugger to port 9229. The README details steps for tools like Chrome Developer Tools.

Question 6

What's the difference between standard and minimal Node-RED Docker images?

Accepted Answer

Standard images include Python and devtools, allowing installation of nodes with native dependencies. Minimal images are smaller but lack these tools, so they cannot install such nodes without custom builds.

Running under Docker

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