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Running in a Docker Container

As a best practice, we recommend using the UI to concatenate and copy/paste the bootstrap script for adding a Docker node.

Or, for a single-instance deployment, start the container with the Docker command below:

docker run -d -e CRIBL_EDGE=1 \
 -p 9420:9420 \
 -v /var/run/appscope:/var/run/appscope \
 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
 -v /:/hostfs:ro \
 --privileged \
 --restart unless-stopped \
 --name cribl-edge \
 cribl/cribl:latest

For a distributed deployment, edit the Docker command below to replace INSERT_TOKEN with a unique, secure token value. Then start the container with the revised command.

docker run -d \
 --privileged \
 -e CRIBL_DIST_MODE=managed-edge \
 -e CRIBL_DIST_LEADER_URL=tcp://INSERT_TOKEN@leaderhere:4200?group=fleet_name
 -e "CRIBL_EDGE=1" 
 -v /var/run/appscope:/var/run/appscope \
 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
 -v /:/hostfs:ro \
 -p 9420:9420
 --restart unless-stopped \
 --name cribl-edge \
 cribl/cribl:latest

With a Leader on Cribl.Cloud, encryption is enabled by default. Set the hybrid worker’s CRIBL_DIST_LEADER_URL environment variable to begin with the tls:// protocol. For example:

CRIBL_DIST_LEADER_URL=tls://<token>@logstream-<tenant>.cribl.cloud:4200

Once that’s running, the UI displays on http://localhost:9420/

The -v /var/run/appscope:/var/run/appscope \ line exposes the Unix domain socket for the AppScope Source so that it’s accessible to the scope application on the host, and in other containers that mount that same directory. See Running AppScope With Cribl Edge in a Docker Container in the AppScope documentation.

You can now start configuring Cribl Edge with Sources and Destinations, or start creating Routes and Pipelines.

Running as a Non-Root User
​

You can run the Cribl image as a non-root user within a container using Docker’s --user option or the user setting in Compose. You can specify any desired UID (User ID).

To ensure correct functionality, you must set the CRIBL_VOLUME_DIR environment variable to a location the non-root user can write to. This is because the software requires write permissions to directories like /opt/cribl/state, /opt/cribl/log, and /opt/cribl/local. Failure to set CRIBL_VOLUME_DIR will result in a warning and potential functional issues.

If you mount a persistent volume, setting CRIBL_VOLUME_DIR to the mount point is strongly recommended for optimal performance and reliability. While /tmp/cribl_data might be used, a dedicated persistent volume ensures data integrity and prevents potential data loss or corruption.

We recommend specifying CRIBL_VOLUME_DIR whenever running as a non-root user to avoid unexpected behavior.

See example below:

docker run -d \
 -u 999:999
 -e CRIBL_DIST_MODE=managed-edge \
 -e CRIBL_DIST_LEADER_URL=tcp://INSERT_TOKEN@leaderhere:4200?group=fleet_name
 -e "CRIBL_EDGE=1" 
 -e CRIBL_VOLUME_DIR=/tmp/
 -v /var/run/appscope:/var/run/appscope \
 -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
 -v /:/hostfs:ro \
 -p 9420:9420
 --restart unless-stopped \
 --name cribl-edge \
 cribl/cribl:latest

Overriding Default Ports
​

Default ports can be overridden in the following configuration files:

  • Edge UI port (9420): Default definitions for host, port, and other settings are set in $CRIBL_HOME/default/cribl/cribl.yml, and can be overridden by defining alternatives in $CRIBL_HOME/local/cribl/cribl.yml.

  • Data Ports, for example HTTP In (10080), TCPJSON in (10420) have default definitions for host, port and other settings defined in $CRIBL_HOME/default/cribl/inputs.yml, and can be overridden by defining alternatives in $CRIBL_HOME/local/cribl/inputs.yml.

In the case of an API port conflict, the process will retry binding for 10 minutes before exiting.

Updating the Docker Image and the Packaged OS
​

For details, see the following topics:

Troubleshooting
​

When you deploy containers via Kubernetes in managed-edge mode, this Node will – after applying the first config bundle from the Leader – listen on the Fleet’s configured API Server Settings > Host.

If you have Fleets running Edge Nodes with version 4.8.2 and older, you can encounter failing health checks that require specific API server configuration. See Common Challenges on the Edge for more information.

Cribl University offers a course titled How to Install & Configure Edge Using Docker that illustrates the installation steps. To follow the direct course link, first log into your Cribl University account. (To create an account, select the Sign up link. You’ll need to click through a short Terms & Conditions presentation, with chill music, before proceeding to courses – but Cribl’s training is always free of charge.) Once logged in, check out other useful Cribl Edge courses.