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This is a community deployment rather than an officially supported Red installation. Red’s hosting documentation currently warns that “Docker support found in GitHub is also a work in progress and not ready for daily use.” Treat the image, tag, architecture, and update procedure as part of your deployment—not as interchangeable Docker details.
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What you need before creating the Compose project
Prepare these items before writing compose.yaml:
- A host running Docker Engine and the Docker Compose plugin.
- A Discord application with a bot user and its private token.
- A directory where Red’s persistent data will live.
- An image whose documented architecture matches the host.
- A plan for backups and for updating the selected image.
Docker Compose defines and runs an application stack from a YAML file. In this case the stack is intentionally small: one Red-DiscordBot service, one persistent data mount, and a handful of environment variables.
Do not treat every Red image as equivalent. The PhasecoreX image documents x86-64 and ARM64 support, including Raspberry Pi devices. The rHomelab instructions document a similar Compose workflow but also state that their deployment method is unsupported by Red developers. Red’s own hosting guidance says unsupported platforms may not receive support when problems occur.
Choose and record the image before you deploy
Pick one maintained image and read its current README before creating the service. Record the full image name and the tag you actually deploy. The representative PhasecoreX configuration below uses phasecorex/red-discordbot without an explicit tag; Docker will therefore use that image’s default tag. Pinning a documented tag or digest can make later troubleshooting more reproducible, but the valid tag must come from the image’s own documentation.
| Decision point | PhasecoreX image | rHomelab image instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture statement | README says it runs on most servers, including normal x86-64 servers and ARM64 devices such as Raspberry Pi. | Check the image’s current documentation for the architecture of your host; the supplied instructions do not establish a broader compatibility promise. |
| Persistent-data location in the representative setup | Container path is /data, mounted from a host directory. |
Use the path declared by the image’s current Compose example; do not assume it is identical without checking. |
| Environment contract | TOKEN supplies the Discord bot token and PREFIX supplies the command prefix. |
Follow that image’s documented variable names and defaults. |
| Update behavior | README documents Red updating on restart and mentions an optional UpdateNotify cog. | Re-read the README before changing tags or restart procedures; the deployment method is described as unsupported by Red developers. |
| Support status | Community image; Red’s official Docker warning still applies. | Community image; the rHomelab documentation explicitly warns that its method is unsupported by Red developers. |
The table is a deployment decision aid, not an endorsement. If you switch images later, re-check the data path, variables, user permissions, architecture, and update process before reusing the same directory.
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Create a minimal project directory
Choose a directory that will remain on the host even if the container is deleted. For example, create a project directory and a subdirectory for Red’s data:
mkdir -p redbot/redbot
cd redbotThe first directory is the Compose project. The second becomes the host-side bind mount. You can choose another location, but keep the path easy to back up and restrict access because it will contain bot configuration and possibly credentials or cog data.
Write compose.yaml
Create compose.yaml with the following representative PhasecoreX configuration:
services:
redbot:
container_name: redbot
image: phasecorex/red-discordbot
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
- ./redbot:/data
environment:
- TOKEN=replace_with_your_discord_bot_token
- PREFIX=.
- TZ=UTC
- PUID=1000Each line has a specific operational purpose:
services.redbot: Names the Compose service. Use this name with Compose commands such asdocker compose logs redbot.container_name: redbot: Gives the container a predictable name for ordinary Docker commands.image: Selects the community image. Add a documented tag if you need a fixed release reference.restart: unless-stopped: Asks Docker to restart the service after routine daemon or host restarts, unless you deliberately stopped it../redbot:/data: Maps the host directory into the container’s data directory. This is the line that protects configuration from container replacement.TOKEN: Supplies the token generated for the Discord bot user.PREFIX: Sets the command prefix. The example uses a period, so commands begin with..TZ=UTC: Sets the container timezone to UTC in the documented example.PUID=1000: Passes the user ID value shown by the image’s example. Change it only according to that image’s permission guidance and the ownership of the mounted directory.
YAML indentation is significant. Keep the two spaces shown under each mapping, and quote values if your chosen token or prefix contains YAML-significant characters. Never commit a file containing a real token to a public repository.
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Put the Discord token in place safely
Replace replace_with_your_discord_bot_token with the token generated in Discord’s developer portal. The token is equivalent to a password for the bot: anyone who obtains it can attempt to operate the bot as your application.
- Keep
compose.yamlreadable only by the account that administers the service when practical. - Do not paste the token into issue reports, screenshots, shell history, or public repositories.
- If the token is exposed, regenerate it in the developer portal and update the Compose configuration immediately.
- After changing the token, recreate or restart the service so the container receives the new environment value.
The sample places the token directly in YAML because that is the image’s documented contract. You may instead use an environment-file mechanism supported by your Compose setup, but make sure the resulting variable is still named TOKEN and that the secret file is excluded from version control.
Start Red and verify the first launch
- From the directory containing
compose.yaml, validate that the file is saved with the intended image, token variable, prefix, and mount path. - Start the service in the background:
docker compose up -d- Check the service state:
docker compose ps- Read the startup output:
docker compose logs -f redbotThe rHomelab instructions use docker compose logs RedBot and direct operators to inspect the output for the invitation URL. Service-name matching depends on the names in that image’s Compose example; with the configuration in this article, redbot is the service name. If the logs show an invitation URL, open it, select the Discord server where you have permission to add bots, and authorize the requested scopes and permissions.
Red’s normal interaction and configuration take place through Discord after installation. Once the bot joins the server, use the prefix configured in PREFIX and follow Red’s in-Discord setup flow. If the bot appears offline, keep the log stream open while checking the token, network access, and Discord application settings.
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Why the bind mount is non-negotiable
A container’s writable layer belongs to that particular container. If you remove and recreate the container, data stored only in that layer does not survive. The ./redbot:/data bind mount places Red’s data on the host instead, so replacing the container does not erase the mounted files.
Back up the host directory, not merely the running container. Stop Red first when you want a consistent filesystem-level backup:
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docker compose stop redbot
cp -a ./redbot ./redbot-backup-$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
docker compose start redbotThe copy command is an example for a Unix-like host. Store backups on separate media and periodically test that you can read them. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption. Include the Compose file (with the token removed or stored separately) and a note identifying the image and tag used at the time of the backup.
Named volumes are another valid persistence mechanism, but the documented example uses a bind mount. If you choose a named volume, identify its name and mount target clearly and use Docker’s volume-backup procedure; do not assume a volume can be recovered by copying the project directory.
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Keep Red online across reboots
restart: unless-stopped is the key setting for routine recovery. When Docker starts after a host reboot, Docker can start the container again. The exception is an intentional stop: if you run docker compose stop, Docker should not immediately undo that decision.
After a reboot, verify both Docker and the project:
docker compose ps
docker compose logs --tail=100 redbotA restart policy does not repair an invalid token, a broken image, a full disk, or a failed migration. It can repeatedly restart a process that exits, so logs remain the first diagnostic tool rather than evidence that the bot is healthy.
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Image update behavior is image-specific. The PhasecoreX README documents Red updating on restart and describes an optional UpdateNotify cog. That does not make every image’s update process identical.
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- Read the selected image’s current README and Red’s current hosting guidance.
- Back up the host directory mounted at
/data. - Record the current image tag and running container state.
- Pull or select the documented replacement image according to that README.
- Recreate the service with Compose:
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d- Watch the logs for startup errors, database or configuration migration messages, and a successful connection:
docker compose logs -f redbotIf the new image fails, stop it, preserve the logs, and follow the selected image’s rollback instructions. Do not delete the mounted data directory while troubleshooting; that directory is the part you need to recover or restore.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The container exits immediately
- Run
docker compose logs redbotand read the first error, not only the final restart message. - Check that
TOKENis present, has no surrounding quotation marks accidentally included in the value, and belongs to the intended bot application. - Confirm that the image architecture matches the host.
- Check that the host directory exists and that the container can write to the mounted
/datapath.
The bot is online but does not answer commands
- Use the exact prefix configured in
PREFIX; the sample uses.. - Confirm that the bot was invited to the correct server and has permission to view and send messages in the channel.
- Keep the logs open while sending a test command from Discord.
- Check whether the bot is connected to the intended Discord application and token.
Configuration disappears after recreation
Inspect the mount with docker inspect redbot and confirm that the host directory is mapped to /data. If the service was ever run without the mount, data may be inside the old container’s writable layer; recover it before removing that container and then correct compose.yaml.
The service does not return after a reboot
- Confirm Docker itself started.
- Run
docker compose psfrom the project directory. - Check that the service still contains
restart: unless-stopped. - Review logs for a failed startup, missing mount, permission problem, or invalid token.
The host reports an architecture or executable error
Verify the host architecture and the image’s documented platforms. The PhasecoreX statement covers x86-64 and ARM64, including Raspberry Pi, but that statement does not guarantee compatibility for every other Red image or every add-on. An image that lacks a suitable ARM64 build will not become compatible merely because Docker is installed on a Raspberry Pi.
Running Red on a Raspberry Pi
A Raspberry Pi can be a low-power, always-on Red host when the specific device, operating system, Docker installation, storage, and workload meet the image’s requirements. The PhasecoreX README explicitly lists ARM64 devices, including Raspberry Pi, as supported architectures.
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- Use a 64-bit ARM operating system when the image documentation requires ARM64.
- Install a Docker Engine and Compose plugin that support the Pi’s operating system and architecture.
- Confirm that the exact image tag publishes an ARM64 variant; do not infer this from another tag or another image.
- Use reliable storage for the bind-mounted data directory and back it up separately.
- Allow for the Pi’s CPU, memory, and storage limits when enabling cogs or other workload-heavy features.
- Test a complete stop, start, and restore procedure before relying on the Pi as the only host.
Compatibility is image-specific. If the selected image documents only x86-64, choose a different documented image or use an x86-64 host rather than forcing an unsupported build.
Operational checklist
- Record the image name, tag or digest, Compose file, host architecture, and data path.
- Keep the bot token private and outside public source control.
- Verify that
./redbot(or your chosen host path) is mounted to/data. - Run
docker compose up -dfrom the project directory after host maintenance. - Use
docker compose logsas the first troubleshooting step. - Back up the mounted data before image changes.
- Read the selected image’s README before updates, migrations, or changing tags.
- Remember that Red’s official documentation currently classifies Docker support as work in progress and not ready for daily use.
For a small self-hosted installation, this Compose layout is straightforward and recoverable: the container runs the bot, the host directory preserves its state, and the restart policy handles ordinary reboots. The trade-off is support and maintenance responsibility. You must validate the community image, protect the token, monitor logs, maintain backups, and be prepared to troubleshoot outside Red’s officially supported installation path.
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