I test out a lot of Docker containers, and not all of those stay in my stack forever, or even make it to my dashboard. This presents a big problem. You see, you start off by setting up a few containers, think you'll remember port mappings, even take down the port numbers on sticky notes, and then you forget about them. Grafana, Karakeep, and among all the other self-hosted services, there are only so many bookmarks you can keep before things get out of hand again. Of course, you just open up Portainer or keep guessing containers, but that's a time sink. There's got to be a solution. Turns out, there is a Docker container to solve exactly that Docker container-finding problem.

I discovered Dockpeek a few days back, and it solves such a straightforward problem that it has essentially become my new homepage. The lightweight self-hosted dashboard requires zero configuration on your end. Instead of juggling ports or digging through Compose files, Dockpeek presents all the Docker containers running on your home network in one neat interface, and lets you click straight through to the interface. Nothing more, nothing less. It's fantastic.

What is Dockpeek, and why it's so important to my stack

Instant visibility into your container stack

Dockpeek isn't a full-fledged dashboard, but depending on what you need from one, it could pass off as one, as it gives you instant visibility into all the containers running on your network. The idea is beautifully simple and does exactly what it says on the, ahem, container. Once up and running, Dockpeek automatically detects all your containers, lists the ports they expose, and turns them into clickable links. So, for example, if you've got Karakeep on port 3022, you no longer need to remember that. Just click the link, and you'll be bounced straight into Karakeep with a one-click shortcut.

Dockpeek also handles multiple Docker hosts simultaneously using socket proxies. This is a great feature if you divide your Docker containers between more powerful server hardware, and say a Raspberry Pi for lightweight tasks. Just add in the relevant details, and they'll all auto-populate on the dashboard.

Look, Docker is great at the entire abstraction of complexity, but when it comes to running self-hosted applications, managing containers is a fairly messy task still. More importantly, I still struggle to remember port numbers even for commonly used services. Heck, I've plastered my NAS drive's IP address on it using a labeler. Dockpeek makes that extremely simple, and it does this not by being a Docker multi-tool or a full-blown dashboard like Portainer. It does this by being quick, minimal, and a frictionless way to have quick access shortcuts.

How to get Dockpeek up and running

Quick, painless, and easy to access

Running Dockpeek is refreshingly simple. I installed Dockpeek using Portainer on my Synology NAS, and outside of providing a secret key, changing the default username and password, there was no additional configuration needed at my end. That's a big help when adding a fresh collection to your stack, especially for first-timers.

Point your browser at the default 3420 port, enter your login details, and Dockpeek will instantly populate all your containers. There's no long configuration, messing around with YAML, or further work needed.

There are other minor additions to Dockpeek that make it stand out further. For example, the zero-config container detection is the obvious one. But there's more. Dockpeek is smart enough to detect whether the clickable URLs should point to HTTP or HTTPS addresses, depending on the ports and containers. There's built-in search functionality that comes in clutch if you are running a large number of containers. A one-click refresh button is also provided to update the list of containers as they start and stop. What I particularly like is that Dockpeek can also point out images that need updates. If you're using it as a home page to launch your containers, it's a nifty tweak that ensures you're never running an older version of software.

Simplicity beats complexity

Dockpeek is one of those nifty tools that deserves a place in everybody's self-hosted stack, mostly because of its simplicity. Not every tool needs to be a full-fledged management platform for container orchestration, and Dockpeek is proof of that. All it does is reduce daily friction in use. Once you've installed it, it is ready to go in your browser, and every container on your server is just a click away. The few extra additions are embellishments at best and don't really detract from the core objective.

For me personally, that simplicity and one-minded approach was a key selling point. I waste too much time every day looking up my Docker container ports or even typing them out. With Dockpeek set as my homepage, all of these containers are now just a click away. If you spend a lot of time using Docker containers in a home lab or even a production environment, Dockpeek handily earns its spot in the stack.