Release v0.8.0 — Portainer-first install, in-app guide

- Install from Portainer with no command line: paste the compose, set a
  folder and a password, deploy. Inspector creates its own config and
  detects Docker socket permissions by itself.
- Illustrated how-to guide inside the app (Help tab) and in the repo.
- Containers added in the UI are watched right away, no restart.
- maintenance_window switch on the container form.
- README with logo and screenshots; INSTALL rewritten for Portainer.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,47 @@ Version numbers follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html
 
 ---
 
+## [0.8.0] — 2026-10-27
+
+### Added
+
+- **Install from Portainer with no command line.** Mount one folder per purpose
+  (`/app/config`, `/app/logs`, `/app/data`) and deploy. If there's no config yet,
+  Inspector writes a starter `config.yml` (dashboard on, event history on, no
+  containers). Dashboard login comes from `INSPECTOR_USERNAME` / `INSPECTOR_PASSWORD`;
+  without a password, one is generated and printed once in the container logs.
+- **Docker socket access is automatic.** A new entrypoint starts as root only long
+  enough to read the socket's group and fix ownership of the mounted folders, then
+  runs Inspector as `PUID:PGID` (default `1000:1000`) with that group added.
+  `DOCKER_GID` / `group_add` are no longer needed.
+- **In-app guide** at `/guide/` with screenshots, linked from a new **Help** tab
+  in the header. Also in the repo at `src/inspector/assets/guide/guide.html`.
+- **`maintenance_window` switch** on the container form, so containers can opt in
+  to the daily maintenance window without editing YAML.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- Containers added from the UI are now watched on the next check. Before, the
+  loop only logged that a restart was needed, despite what the UI said.
+  Containers removed or disabled from the UI are dropped the same way.
+- Status page could fail to render while a container was being added or removed
+  (it iterated the live state dict and assumed every entry was still in config).
+
+### Changed
+
+- Config path: `--config`, then `$INSPECTOR_CONFIG`, then `/app/config.yml` if
+  present (existing single-file setups keep working unchanged), then
+  `/app/config/config.yml`.
+- Public `compose.yml`, `INSTALL.md`, and `README.md` rewritten for Portainer
+  stacks; README gains the logo and screenshots.
+
+### Upgrade notes
+
+- Existing deployments need no changes. To adopt the simpler layout, move
+  `config.yml` into the new config folder and switch to the new compose file.
+
+---
+
 ## [0.7.4] — 2026-10-27
 
 ### Changed

Dockerfile

@@ -19,9 +19,14 @@ ARG INSPECTOR_UID=1000
 ARG INSPECTOR_GID=1000
 RUN groupadd --gid ${INSPECTOR_GID} inspector \
  && useradd  --uid ${INSPECTOR_UID} --gid inspector --home-dir /app --shell /usr/sbin/nologin inspector \
- && mkdir -p /app/logs /app/data \
- && chown -R inspector:inspector /app/logs /app/data
+ && mkdir -p /app/config /app/logs /app/data \
+ && chown -R inspector:inspector /app/config /app/logs /app/data
 
-USER inspector
+COPY docker-entrypoint.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh
+RUN chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh
 
-CMD ["python", "-m", "inspector.main", "--config", "/app/config.yml"]
+# Starts as root only to detect the Docker socket's group and fix mounted
+# folder ownership, then drops to PUID:PGID (default 1000:1000).
+# See docker-entrypoint.sh.
+ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/local/bin/docker-entrypoint.sh"]
+CMD ["python", "-m", "inspector.main"]

INSTALL.md

@@ -1,70 +1,135 @@
-# Install
+# Installing Inspector with Portainer
 
-Inspector watches Docker containers, restarts the ones you tell it to,
-and notifies you via Gotify and/or Pushover. All configuration lives in
-a single `config.yml` that you can edit by hand or from the built-in web
-settings page.
+This guide uses only the Portainer web UI. You don't need SSH, a terminal, or a
+config file: Inspector creates its own settings on first start and everything
+else is done in its dashboard.
 
-## Requirements
+**You need:** a Docker host managed by Portainer (CE or BE, 2.x), and a few
+minutes. Gotify or Pushover are optional, for phone alerts.
 
-- Docker Engine 24+ and `docker compose` v2.
-- A machine that can reach `/var/run/docker.sock` (any Docker host).
-- Optional: a Gotify server and/or a Pushover account for notifications.
+---
 
-## Quickstart
+## 1. Create the stack
 
-```bash
-# 1. Grab the compose file and example config
-mkdir -p ~/docker/inspector && cd ~/docker/inspector
-curl -L -o compose.yml https://gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector/raw/branch/main/compose.yml
-curl -L -o config.yml   https://gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector/raw/branch/main/config.example.yml
+1. In Portainer, open your environment (usually **local**) and click
+   **Stacks → + Add stack**.
+2. **Name:** `inspector`
+3. **Build method:** *Web editor*. Paste the contents of
+   [`compose.yml`](./compose.yml):
 
-# 2. Edit config.yml — at minimum, list the containers you want watched
-#    under the `containers:` key.
-$EDITOR config.yml
+   ```yaml
+   services:
+     inspector:
+       image: gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector:${INSPECTOR_TAG:-latest}
+       container_name: inspector
+       restart: unless-stopped
+       ports:
+         - "${INSPECTOR_PORT:-8080}:8080"
+       volumes:
+         - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
+         - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/config:/app/config
+         - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/logs:/app/logs
+         - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/data:/app/data
+       environment:
+         - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
+         - INSPECTOR_PASSWORD=${INSPECTOR_PASSWORD:-}
+         - PUID=${PUID:-1000}
+         - PGID=${PGID:-1000}
+   ```
 
-# 3. Set your Docker group GID so the container can read the socket.
-echo "DOCKER_GID=$(getent group docker | cut -d: -f3)" > .env
+## 2. Set the environment variables
 
-# 4. Pull and run
-docker compose pull
-docker compose up -d
-docker compose logs -f inspector
+Scroll down to **Environment variables**. Click **Advanced mode** and paste,
+then edit the values:
+
+```
+INSPECTOR_DATA=/mnt/user/appdata/inspector
+INSPECTOR_PASSWORD=pick-a-password
+TZ=America/Los_Angeles
 ```
 
-If `dashboard.enabled: true` in your config, visit
-`http://<host>:8080/` after startup to see the dashboard, and
-`http://<host>:8080/settings` to edit the config from the browser.
+| Variable | What to put | Required |
+|---|---|---|
+| `INSPECTOR_DATA` | Folder on your server where Inspector keeps its settings, logs, and history. **Unraid:** `/mnt/user/appdata/inspector`. **Other Linux:** `/opt/inspector`. Created automatically. | Yes |
+| `INSPECTOR_PASSWORD` | Password for the dashboard (username `admin`). Used only on first start; change it later in the dashboard. Leave it out and Inspector generates one and prints it in the container logs. | Recommended |
+| `TZ` | Your [timezone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones), so times on the dashboard are local. | Recommended |
+| `INSPECTOR_PORT` | Port on your server for the dashboard. Change it if `8080` is taken. | No (default `8080`) |
+| `INSPECTOR_TAG` | Version to run, e.g. `0.8.0`. See [Updating](#4-updating). | No (default `latest`) |
+| `PUID` / `PGID` | User and group that own Inspector's files. Unraid users often use `99` / `100` so the files match other appdata. | No (default `1000` / `1000`) |
 
-## Pinning a version
+## 3. Deploy and sign in
 
-Prefer an immutable tag over `latest` in production:
+1. Click **Deploy the stack**.
+2. Open `http://<your-server-ip>:8080` (or the port you chose).
+3. Sign in as `admin` with your `INSPECTOR_PASSWORD`.
+   - No password set? Go to **Containers → inspector → Logs** in Portainer. Near
+     the top is a box labeled *Inspector dashboard login* with the generated
+     password.
+4. Click **Help** in the dashboard header for the full how-to guide. The short
+   version:
+   - **Settings → + Add container**: add each container you want watched, using
+     its exact name from Portainer, and click **Recommended** for restart rules.
+   - **Settings → Notifications**: turn on Gotify and/or Pushover, click
+     **Send test**, then **Save**.
+   - Restart Inspector once after changing anything marked
+     **requires restart** (Portainer → Containers → tick `inspector` → Restart).
 
-```bash
-# .env
-INSPECTOR_TAG=0.7.0
-```
+That's it. Inspector picks up new containers on its next check (within a minute).
 
-Images are published at `gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector`.
+---
 
-## Upgrading
+## 4. Updating
 
-```bash
-docker compose pull
-docker compose up -d
-```
+1. **Stacks → inspector → Editor**.
+2. Click **Update the stack** and turn on **Re-pull image and redeploy**.
+3. Confirm.
 
-Your `config.yml` is persisted outside the container, so upgrades don't
-touch it. The settings page keeps a `.bak` of the previous file next to
-`config.yml` on every save (when the directory is bind-mounted; see the
-README for the Docker caveat).
+Your settings and history live in `INSPECTOR_DATA`, so updates never touch them.
 
-## Uninstall
+**Pinning a version.** `latest` always gets the newest release. To stay on a
+specific version, set `INSPECTOR_TAG` (e.g. `0.8.0`) in the stack's environment
+variables, then update the stack. Available versions are on the
+[releases page](https://gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector/releases)
+and in the [CHANGELOG](./CHANGELOG.md).
 
-```bash
-docker compose down
-rm -rf logs data config.yml compose.yml .env
-```
+**Rolling back.** Set `INSPECTOR_TAG` to the previous version and update the
+stack with **Re-pull image and redeploy** on.
 
-Inspector doesn't store anything outside the directory it was started
-from.
+## 5. Uninstalling
+
+1. **Stacks → inspector → Delete this stack**.
+2. Delete the `INSPECTOR_DATA` folder (on Unraid, through the appdata share) if
+   you don't want to keep the settings and history.
+
+Inspector never changes your other containers' files or settings. It only
+starts and restarts the ones you add to it.
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| What you see | What to do |
+|---|---|
+| Stack fails with `pull access denied` or `not found` | Check the image line is exactly `gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector:...` and that `INSPECTOR_TAG` (if set) is a real version. |
+| Port already in use | Set `INSPECTOR_PORT` to a free port (e.g. `8095`) and update the stack. |
+| Logs say *Permission denied on /var/run/docker.sock* | Make sure the stack has no `user:` line, then update the stack. Inspector needs to start normally to set up socket access. |
+| Red **READ-ONLY** badge at the bottom of Settings | The config folder mount ends in `:ro` or the folder isn't writable. Remove `:ro` and update the stack. |
+| Can't sign in | Look for the generated password in the container logs. If you've lost it, open `INSPECTOR_DATA/config/config.yml` (e.g. via your Unraid share), set a new `password:` under `dashboard:`, and restart Inspector. |
+| A container shows **CONTAINER NOT FOUND** | The name in Inspector doesn't match Docker. Copy the exact name from Portainer → Containers. |
+
+## Security notes
+
+- Inspector needs the Docker socket to restart containers. Anything with access
+  to that socket effectively has full control of the host, so keep the
+  dashboard on your home network (or behind a VPN / reverse proxy with auth)
+  and use a real password.
+- Inspector's process runs as an unprivileged user. It starts as root only long
+  enough to detect the Docker socket's group and fix ownership of its own
+  folders.
+
+## Moving from an older (0.7.x) setup
+
+Older setups mounted a single file at `/app/config.yml` and set `group_add` /
+`DOCKER_GID`. That still works unchanged. To switch to the simpler layout:
+move your `config.yml` into `<INSPECTOR_DATA>/config/`, replace the stack with
+the compose above, and update the stack.

README.md

@@ -1,139 +1,104 @@
-# Inspector
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="docs/logo.png" alt="Inspector logo" width="140">
+</p>
 
-Inspector is a small, opinionated Docker-watchdog. It polls the Docker
-daemon, applies per-container restart rules, pings Gotify and/or
-Pushover when things go wrong, and gives you a dashboard that shows
-what's happening right now and what happened earlier today.
+<h1 align="center">Inspector</h1>
 
-Built for home-lab and small-fleet operators who want "it just works"
-container recovery without standing up a full observability stack.
+<p align="center"><b>Monitor. Restart. Report.</b><br>
+A small Docker watchdog for home servers: it watches the containers you pick,
+restarts them when they break, and tells your phone about it.</p>
 
-## What Inspector does
+<p align="center">
+  <a href="./INSTALL.md">Install with Portainer</a> ·
+  <a href="./src/inspector/assets/guide/guide.html">How-to guide</a> ·
+  <a href="./CHANGELOG.md">Changelog</a>
+</p>
 
-- Polls each configured container on a fixed interval and classifies it:
-  `HEALTHY`, `UNHEALTHY`, `STARTING`, `NOT RUNNING`, `ERROR`,
-  `UNREACHABLE`, `CONTAINER NOT FOUND`, `NO HEALTH CHECK`, `UNKNOWN`.
-- Restarts a container when it crosses a configured error threshold —
-  with cooldowns, grace periods, and an hourly restart cap so a flapping
-  container doesn't DDoS your host.
-- Opt-in HTTP reachability checks per container (useful for VPN-routed
-  containers whose tunnel drops while Docker still reports "healthy").
-- Opt-in Uptime Kuma integration as a second reachability source.
-- Advanced recovery via Portainer stack redeploy for containers whose
-  network namespace is tied to a VPN sidecar.
-- Sends notifications on transitions, not on every poll — one line when
-  something breaks, one line when it recovers.
-- Optional SQLite event history + a daily/weekly digest.
-- Scheduled maintenance windows (don't act during 2–6 AM).
-- Manual notification mute per container, from the dashboard.
-- Embedded web dashboard + events timeline + **web settings page** for
-  editing `config.yml` without SSH.
+![Inspector status page](src/inspector/assets/guide/status.png)
 
-## What Inspector is not
+## What it does
 
-- Not a metrics system. It doesn't scrape Prometheus or push
-  dashboards; use Grafana / Netdata / your real monitoring stack for
-  that.
-- Not an orchestrator. It only acts on containers you've explicitly
-  listed in `config.yml`.
-- Not multi-host. One Inspector per Docker socket.
+- **Watches the containers you choose.** Each check sorts a container into
+  healthy, unhealthy, not running, starting, and so on.
+- **Restarts them when they break**, with sensible brakes: a container has to fail
+  several checks in a row first, there's a cooldown between restarts, a grace
+  period while it boots, and an hourly cap so a crash-looping app can't take over
+  your server.
+- **Alerts you** through [Gotify](https://gotify.net) and/or
+  [Pushover](https://pushover.net): once when something breaks, once when it's
+  restarted, once when it recovers. Not on every check.
+- **Is set up entirely in the browser.** Add, edit, and remove containers, set up
+  notifications (with a **Send test** button), and change every setting from the
+  dashboard. No YAML editing needed.
+- **Keeps a history.** The Events page shows a day-by-day timeline of failures,
+  restarts, and recoveries, and an optional digest summarizes it for you.
+- **Stays out of the way when you're working.** Put a container in maintenance or
+  mute its alerts with one click, or set a nightly maintenance window for backups
+  and updates.
 
 ## Install
 
-See [`INSTALL.md`](./INSTALL.md). TL;DR:
+Inspector is built to be installed from **Portainer**: paste one compose file into
+**Stacks → Add stack**, set a folder and a password, deploy. Inspector creates its
+own config and sets up Docker access by itself.
 
-```bash
-mkdir -p ~/docker/inspector && cd ~/docker/inspector
-curl -L -o compose.yml https://gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector/raw/branch/main/compose.yml
-curl -L -o config.yml   https://gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector/raw/branch/main/config.example.yml
-$EDITOR config.yml
-echo "DOCKER_GID=$(getent group docker | cut -d: -f3)" > .env
-docker compose up -d
-```
+**→ [Step-by-step Portainer install](./INSTALL.md)**
 
-## Configuration
+## Using it
 
-Everything lives in `config.yml` next to the compose file. Start from
-[`config.example.yml`](./config.example.yml) — every key is commented.
-Highlights:
+Once it's running, click **Help** in the dashboard header for the illustrated
+guide (the same guide is in this repo at
+[`src/inspector/assets/guide/guide.html`](./src/inspector/assets/guide/guide.html);
+download it and open it in a browser to read it here).
 
-- `inspector.interval_seconds` — poll cadence.
-- `inspector.dry_run` — classify + log, never restart.
-- `notifications.gotify` / `notifications.pushover` — enable either,
-  both, or neither.
-- `containers.<name>.max_error_count` / `cooldown_seconds` /
-  `grace_period_seconds` / `max_restarts_per_hour` — the restart knobs.
-- `containers.<name>.restart_on` — which statuses trigger a restart
-  (leave empty for observe-only).
-- `containers.<name>.http_check` — opt-in HTTP ping.
-- `containers.<name>.recovery_action` — `restart_container` (default)
-  or the advanced Portainer-based options.
+| Add a container | Restart rules |
+|---|---|
+| ![New container form](src/inspector/assets/guide/container-new.png) | ![Container settings](src/inspector/assets/guide/container-edit.png) |
 
-### Dashboard and settings page
+| Notifications | Events history |
+|---|---|
+| ![Notification settings](src/inspector/assets/guide/settings-notifications.png) | ![Events timeline](src/inspector/assets/guide/events.png) |
 
-If `dashboard.enabled: true`, Inspector exposes a small web UI on
-`:8080`:
+## What it isn't
 
-- `/` — container cards with current status, error bar, phase
-  (cooldown / grace / failing / observe only / maintenance), and
-  maintenance / mute toggles.
-- `/events` — per-day timeline of status changes, restarts, recoveries,
-  and failures (requires `database.enabled: true`).
-- `/settings` — forms for every top-level config section plus one card
-  per container. Saves preserve comments and key order in `config.yml`
-  and keep a `.bak`. Fields that take effect on the next loop iteration
-  (per-container thresholds, `dry_run`, `heartbeat`, `interval_seconds`)
-  hot-apply; fields bound at startup are labeled **requires restart**.
+- **Not a monitoring/metrics system.** No graphs of CPU or memory; use Grafana,
+  Netdata, or Uptime Kuma for that.
+- **Not an orchestrator.** It only touches the containers you add, and only to
+  restart them.
+- **One Docker host per Inspector.** Run one copy on each server.
 
-Note on `.bak` inside Docker: when `config.yml` is bind-mounted as a
-single file (the compose default), the `.bak` lives in the container's
-overlay fs — the live file still updates cleanly, but the backup is
-lost when the container is removed. To keep the `.bak` on the host,
-bind-mount the directory instead of the single file.
+## Advanced options
 
-### Notifications
+Most people never need these. They live in `config.yml` (in your
+`INSPECTOR_DATA/config` folder) rather than the dashboard; see
+[`config.example.yml`](./config.example.yml) for every option with comments.
 
-Both channels are independent. If both are enabled, every alert goes to
-both. Inspector sends on transitions:
+- **HTTP checks**: mark a container `UNREACHABLE` when a URL stops answering,
+  even if Docker says it's healthy (useful for apps behind a VPN container).
+- **Uptime Kuma**: use a Kuma status page as an extra reachability signal.
+- **Dependencies** (`depends_on`): don't restart an app while the container it
+  relies on (e.g. a VPN) is down.
+- **Portainer stack redeploy**: for containers that share a VPN container's
+  network, recover by redeploying the whole stack instead of restarting one
+  container.
 
-```
-🚨 first failure threshold crossed
-🔁 container restart triggered
-✅ restart / start completed
-✅ container recovered
-🛑 restart failed / hourly limit exceeded
-❓ configured container not found
-```
+## Security
 
-Gotify messages are Markdown; Pushover doesn't render Markdown so the
-`**bold**` passthrough is cosmetic — bodies are identical.
+Inspector needs the Docker socket (`/var/run/docker.sock`) to restart containers,
+and that socket is effectively root on your server. So:
 
-Pushover priorities map from Inspector's Gotify-style scale (default 5)
-to Pushover's `-2..2` range: `<=2 → -1`, `3..4 → 0`, `5..6 → 1`,
-`>=7 → 2`. Priority 2 (emergency) ships default `retry` / `expire` and
-your Pushover client prompts for acknowledgement.
+- Keep the dashboard on your home network, or put it behind a VPN or a reverse
+  proxy with authentication. Don't expose port 8080 to the internet.
+- Use a real dashboard password.
+- Inspector itself runs as an unprivileged user; it starts as root only to detect
+  the socket's permissions and fix ownership of its own folders.
 
-## Docker socket security
+## Versions
 
-Inspector talks to `/var/run/docker.sock`. That socket is effectively
-root on your host: anything that can write to it can start, stop,
-inspect, and (through bind mounts) read any file as root. Inspector
-mounts it read-write because it needs to restart containers.
-
-Follow the usual home-lab precautions:
-
-- Don't publish the dashboard port on an untrusted network. Use a
-  reverse proxy with auth, a tailnet, or SSH tunneling.
-- Set a strong `dashboard.password`.
-- Store Portainer / Gotify / Pushover tokens in the config file on a
-  host-only path with permissions `600`.
-
-## Versioning
-
-Semantic versioning (`MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`). Image tags are published for
-every release; `latest` tracks the newest tag. Pin a specific version
-in production — see `INSTALL.md`.
+Releases follow `MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH`. Every release is published as an image tag;
+`latest` is the newest. See the [CHANGELOG](./CHANGELOG.md) for what changed, and
+[INSTALL.md](./INSTALL.md#4-updating) for updating, pinning, and rolling back.
 
 ## License
 
-[MIT](./LICENSE).
+[MIT](./LICENSE) © 2026 Europium 63

compose.yml

@@ -1,29 +1,38 @@
-# Inspector compose file for buddies / self-hosters.
-# Pulls the published image from gitea.euronvault.com.
+# Inspector — Portainer stack
 #
-# Before `docker compose up -d`:
-#   1. Copy config.example.yml -> config.yml and edit it.
-#   2. Set DOCKER_GID to your host's docker group GID:
-#        getent group docker | cut -d: -f3
-#      Export it in your shell or put it in a .env file next to this file.
-#   3. Optionally set INSPECTOR_TAG to pin a version
-#      (default: latest). Prefer a pinned X.Y.Z for production.
+# Paste this into Portainer: Stacks -> Add stack -> Web editor.
+# Then set these under "Environment variables" (Advanced mode lets you paste them):
+#
+#   INSPECTOR_DATA      Folder on your server for Inspector's files.
+#                       Unraid: /mnt/user/appdata/inspector   Other: /opt/inspector
+#   INSPECTOR_PASSWORD  Dashboard password (username is "admin").
+#                       Only used on first start; change it later in Settings.
+#   TZ                  Your timezone, e.g. America/Los_Angeles
+#
+# Optional:
+#   INSPECTOR_PORT      Port for the dashboard on your server (default 8080).
+#   INSPECTOR_TAG       Image version to run (default "latest"; e.g. 0.8.0 to pin).
+#   PUID / PGID         User/group Inspector runs as (default 1000/1000).
+#                       Unraid users often prefer 99 / 100.
+#
+# No config file to create, no docker group ID to look up: Inspector creates
+# its config on first start and detects Docker socket permissions by itself.
 services:
   inspector:
     image: gitea.euronvault.com/euronvault/inspector:${INSPECTOR_TAG:-latest}
     container_name: inspector
     restart: unless-stopped
-    # GID of the docker group on the host so the non-root user inside the
-    # container can read /var/run/docker.sock. Required.
-    group_add:
-      - "${DOCKER_GID:-999}"
     ports:
-      # Only published if dashboard.enabled is true in config.yml.
       - "${INSPECTOR_PORT:-8080}:8080"
     volumes:
+      # Lets Inspector see and restart your containers. Required.
       - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
-      - ./config.yml:/app/config.yml
-      - ./logs:/app/logs
-      - ./data:/app/data
+      # Settings (config.yml), logs, and event history. Kept across updates.
+      - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/config:/app/config
+      - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/logs:/app/logs
+      - ${INSPECTOR_DATA:-/opt/inspector}/data:/app/data
     environment:
       - TZ=${TZ:-UTC}
+      - INSPECTOR_PASSWORD=${INSPECTOR_PASSWORD:-}
+      - PUID=${PUID:-1000}
+      - PGID=${PGID:-1000}

config.example.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
-# Inspector example configuration.
-# Copy to config.yml, edit, and mount into the container at /app/config.yml.
+# Inspector example configuration: every option, with comments.
+#
+# You normally don't need this file. Inspector writes its own config.yml to
+# INSPECTOR_DATA/config/ on first start, and the dashboard edits it for you.
+# Use this as a reference for the advanced options that are YAML-only
+# (http_check, uptime_kuma, depends_on, Portainer stack redeploy).
 
 inspector:
   interval_seconds: 60

docker-entrypoint.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Inspector container entrypoint.
+#
+# Started as root (the default): find the group that owns the Docker socket,
+# make the mounted folders writable, then drop to an unprivileged user with
+# that group added. No DOCKER_GID / group_add needed.
+#
+# Started as non-root (compose `user:` / older group_add setups): run as-is.
+set -e
+
+if [ "$(id -u)" != "0" ]; then
+  exec "$@"
+fi
+
+PUID="${PUID:-1000}"
+PGID="${PGID:-1000}"
+SOCK=/var/run/docker.sock
+
+groups="$PGID"
+if [ -S "$SOCK" ]; then
+  sock_gid="$(stat -c %g "$SOCK")"
+  groups="$groups,$sock_gid"
+else
+  echo "warning: $SOCK is not mounted; Inspector cannot see any containers" >&2
+fi
+
+# Mounted folders are often created by Docker as root. Hand them (not their
+# contents) to the runtime user so Inspector can write config, logs and data.
+for d in /app/config /app/logs /app/data; do
+  if [ -d "$d" ] && [ "$(stat -c %u "$d")" != "$PUID" ]; then
+    chown "$PUID:$PGID" "$d" 2>/dev/null || echo "warning: could not chown $d" >&2
+  fi
+done
+if [ -f /app/config/config.yml ] && [ "$(stat -c %u /app/config/config.yml)" != "$PUID" ]; then
+  chown "$PUID:$PGID" /app/config/config.yml 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
+
+exec setpriv --reuid="$PUID" --regid="$PGID" --groups="$groups" "$@"

src/inspector/__init__.py

@@ -1 +1 @@
-__version__ = "0.7.4"
+__version__ = "0.8.0"

src/inspector/assets/guide/guide.html

@@ -0,0 +1,272 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+<head>
+<meta charset="utf-8">
+<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
+<title>Inspector — How to use</title>
+<style>
+  :root {
+    --bg: #0b1220; --card: #111c30; --card-2: #0f1829; --border: #1e293b;
+    --ink: #e2e8f0; --ink-2: #cbd5e1; --muted: #8494a9;
+    --blue: #60a5fa; --green: #34d399; --amber: #fbbf24; --red: #f87171; --violet: #a78bfa;
+  }
+  * { box-sizing: border-box; }
+  html, body { margin: 0; background: var(--bg); color: var(--ink);
+    font-family: Inter, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;
+    font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; }
+  a { color: var(--blue); }
+  .top { position: sticky; top: 0; z-index: 5; background: #060b16; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border); }
+  .top .in { max-width: 1100px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 0.8rem 1rem; display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 1rem; }
+  .top .brand { font-weight: 800; font-size: 1.05rem; }
+  .top .brand span { color: var(--muted); font-weight: 400; margin-left: 0.4rem; }
+  .top a.back { margin-left: auto; font-size: 0.9rem; text-decoration: none; border: 1px solid var(--border);
+    padding: 0.35rem 0.8rem; border-radius: 8px; color: var(--ink-2); }
+  .wrap { max-width: 1100px; margin: 0 auto; padding: 2rem 1rem 4rem; display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: 220px minmax(0, 1fr); gap: 2.5rem; }
+  nav.toc { position: sticky; top: 4.5rem; align-self: start; font-size: 0.88rem; }
+  nav.toc b { display: block; color: var(--muted); text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 0.7rem;
+    letter-spacing: 0.08em; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; }
+  nav.toc a { display: block; color: var(--ink-2); text-decoration: none; padding: 0.25rem 0; }
+  nav.toc a:hover { color: var(--blue); }
+  main { min-width: 0; }
+  h1 { font-size: 1.9rem; margin: 0 0 0.4rem; line-height: 1.2; }
+  .lede { color: var(--ink-2); font-size: 1.05rem; margin: 0 0 2rem; }
+  section { margin-bottom: 3rem; scroll-margin-top: 4.5rem; }
+  h2 { font-size: 1.35rem; margin: 0 0 0.6rem; padding-top: 0.5rem; border-top: 1px solid var(--border); }
+  h3 { font-size: 1.02rem; margin: 1.4rem 0 0.4rem; }
+  p, li { color: var(--ink-2); }
+  code { background: var(--card-2); border: 1px solid var(--border); padding: 0.05em 0.35em;
+    border-radius: 5px; font-size: 0.88em; color: var(--ink); }
+  figure { margin: 1rem 0 1.4rem; }
+  figure img { width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; border-radius: 12px; border: 1px solid var(--border); }
+  figcaption { color: var(--muted); font-size: 0.82rem; margin-top: 0.4rem; }
+  .steps { counter-reset: s; list-style: none; padding: 0; }
+  .steps li { counter-increment: s; position: relative; padding-left: 2.3rem; margin-bottom: 0.7rem; }
+  .steps li::before { content: counter(s); position: absolute; left: 0; top: 0.05rem; width: 1.6rem; height: 1.6rem;
+    border-radius: 50%; background: rgba(96,165,250,0.15); color: var(--blue); font-weight: 700;
+    font-size: 0.85rem; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; }
+  .note { background: var(--card); border: 1px solid var(--border); border-left: 3px solid var(--blue);
+    border-radius: 10px; padding: 0.75rem 1rem; margin: 1rem 0; color: var(--ink-2); }
+  .note.warn { border-left-color: var(--amber); }
+  table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0.8rem 0 1.2rem; font-size: 0.92rem; }
+  th, td { text-align: left; padding: 0.5rem 0.7rem; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--border); vertical-align: top; }
+  th { color: var(--muted); font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.78rem; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em; }
+  td:first-child { white-space: nowrap; }
+  .tag { display: inline-block; font-size: 0.72rem; font-weight: 700; padding: 0.05rem 0.45rem; border-radius: 999px; }
+  .t-green { background: rgba(52,211,153,0.15); color: var(--green); }
+  .t-red { background: rgba(248,113,113,0.15); color: var(--red); }
+  .t-amber { background: rgba(251,191,36,0.15); color: var(--amber); }
+  .t-blue { background: rgba(96,165,250,0.15); color: var(--blue); }
+  .t-violet { background: rgba(167,139,250,0.15); color: var(--violet); }
+  @media (max-width: 820px) {
+    .wrap { grid-template-columns: 1fr; gap: 1rem; padding-top: 1.2rem; }
+    nav.toc { position: static; }
+  }
+</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+<div class="top"><div class="in">
+  <div class="brand">Inspector<span>How to use</span></div>
+  <a class="back" href="/">Open dashboard</a>
+</div></div>
+
+<div class="wrap">
+<nav class="toc">
+  <b>On this page</b>
+  <a href="#first-login">1. First login</a>
+  <a href="#add">2. Add your containers</a>
+  <a href="#status">3. The Status page</a>
+  <a href="#notifications">4. Notifications</a>
+  <a href="#containers">5. Managing containers</a>
+  <a href="#events">6. Events history</a>
+  <a href="#settings">7. Other settings</a>
+  <a href="#restart">8. "Requires restart" fields</a>
+  <a href="#trouble">9. Troubleshooting</a>
+</nav>
+
+<main>
+<h1>Using Inspector</h1>
+<p class="lede">Inspector watches the Docker containers you pick, restarts them when they break,
+and pings your phone when something goes wrong or recovers. Everything is set from this web
+dashboard; you never need to touch a config file.</p>
+
+<section id="first-login">
+<h2>1. First login</h2>
+<p>When Inspector starts for the first time it creates its config file and a dashboard login.</p>
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>If you set <code>INSPECTOR_PASSWORD</code> in the Portainer stack, sign in with
+      <code>admin</code> (or your <code>INSPECTOR_USERNAME</code>) and that password.</li>
+  <li>If you didn't, Inspector generated a password. In Portainer open
+      <b>Containers → inspector → Logs</b>. Near the top you'll see a box labeled
+      <i>Inspector dashboard login</i> with the username and password.</li>
+  <li>Open <code>http://&lt;your-server&gt;:8080</code> and sign in.</li>
+  <li>Change the password under <b>Settings → Dashboard</b> if you like.</li>
+</ol>
+</section>
+
+<section id="add">
+<h2>2. Add your containers</h2>
+<p>Inspector only watches containers you add. Go to <b>Settings</b> and click
+<b>+ Add container</b> at the bottom of the left menu (or <b>+ New container</b> on the
+All containers page).</p>
+<figure><img src="container-new.png" alt="New container form">
+<figcaption>The New container form.</figcaption></figure>
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li><b>name</b>: the container's name exactly as Portainer shows it
+      (for example <code>sonarr</code>). If it doesn't match, the card shows
+      <span class="tag t-amber">CONTAINER NOT FOUND</span>.</li>
+  <li>Leave <b>enabled</b> on.</li>
+  <li>Under <b>Restart when status is…</b> click <b>Recommended</b>
+      (restarts on <code>UNHEALTHY</code> and <code>NOT RUNNING</code>), or
+      <b>Observe only</b> if you just want alerts without restarts.</li>
+  <li>Click <b>Create container</b>. Inspector starts watching it on its next check
+      (within a minute by default). No restart needed.</li>
+</ol>
+<h3>What the numbers mean</h3>
+<table>
+  <tr><th>Field</th><th>Meaning</th><th>Default</th></tr>
+  <tr><td>max_error_count</td><td>How many bad checks in a row before Inspector restarts the container. Stops one blip from causing a restart.</td><td>5</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>cooldown_seconds</td><td>Minimum time between two restarts of the same container.</td><td>300</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>grace_period_seconds</td><td>After a restart, ignore failures for this long so the app can boot.</td><td>120</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>max_restarts_per_hour</td><td>Safety cap. After this many restarts in an hour Inspector stops restarting and alerts you instead.</td><td>3</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>maintenance_window</td><td>Follow the daily maintenance window from Settings → Maintenance.</td><td>off</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>color</td><td>Card color on the dashboard. Pick a swatch or leave blank for automatic.</td><td>auto</td></tr>
+</table>
+<div class="note">With the default 60-second check interval and <code>max_error_count</code> 5, a
+container has to be broken for about five minutes before Inspector restarts it. Lower the count
+for faster recovery.</div>
+</section>
+
+<section id="status">
+<h2>3. The Status page</h2>
+<figure><img src="status.png" alt="Status page">
+<figcaption>Status: one card per watched container.</figcaption></figure>
+<p>The top row counts containers, healthy ones, ones with issues, and ones in maintenance.
+Each card shows:</p>
+<ul>
+  <li><b>Status badge</b>: what Docker reports right now, e.g.
+    <span class="tag t-green">HEALTHY</span> <span class="tag t-red">NOT RUNNING</span>
+    <span class="tag t-violet">NO HEALTH CHECK</span> (the image has no health check; that's normal
+    for many apps and only means Inspector can tell running from stopped, not healthy from unhealthy).</li>
+  <li><b>Errors bar</b>: bad checks in a row out of <code>max_error_count</code>. When it fills,
+    Inspector restarts the container.</li>
+  <li><b>Cooldown until / Last restart</b>: when Inspector last restarted it and when it's allowed to
+    again.</li>
+  <li><b>Observe only</b>: shown when the container has no restart triggers; Inspector alerts but
+    never restarts it.</li>
+  <li><b>Enter maintenance</b>: pause Inspector for that container while you work on it
+    (updates, migrations). Click again to exit.</li>
+  <li><b>Mute notifications</b>: keep watching and restarting, but stop alerts for a while
+    (12 hours by default).</li>
+</ul>
+<p>The page refreshes itself every 30 seconds.</p>
+</section>
+
+<section id="notifications">
+<h2>4. Notifications</h2>
+<p>Inspector can alert you through <a href="https://gotify.net">Gotify</a>,
+<a href="https://pushover.net">Pushover</a>, or both. Set them up under
+<b>Settings → Notifications</b>.</p>
+<figure><img src="settings-notifications.png" alt="Notifications settings">
+<figcaption>Each channel has its own priority reference, a Send test button, and a Save button.</figcaption></figure>
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>Turn on <b>enabled</b> for the channel you use.</li>
+  <li><b>Gotify</b>: enter your server URL and an <i>application</i> token (create one in Gotify
+      under Apps). <b>Pushover</b>: enter your application API token and your user key.</li>
+  <li>Click <b>Send test</b>. You should get a message on your phone within seconds. If it fails,
+      the reason appears next to the button.</li>
+  <li>Click <b>Save</b>, then restart Inspector once (see <a href="#restart">section 8</a>),
+      because turning a channel on or off is a "requires restart" field.</li>
+</ol>
+<p>You'll get one alert when a container first fails, when Inspector restarts it, and when it
+recovers. You won't get one on every check.</p>
+</section>
+
+<section id="containers">
+<h2>5. Managing containers</h2>
+<p><b>Settings → All containers</b> shows every watched container as a tile. Click a tile (or a
+name in the left menu) to edit it.</p>
+<figure><img src="containers.png" alt="All containers grid">
+<figcaption>All containers.</figcaption></figure>
+<figure><img src="container-edit.png" alt="Container settings">
+<figcaption>Editing one container. Each restart trigger is a card you click on or off.</figcaption></figure>
+<p>Changes apply on the next check. <b>Delete container</b> stops Inspector watching it; it
+does <i>not</i> touch the container itself.</p>
+<h3>Restart triggers</h3>
+<table>
+  <tr><th>Status</th><th>When it happens</th></tr>
+  <tr><td>UNHEALTHY</td><td>The container's own health check is failing.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>NOT RUNNING</td><td>Stopped, exited, or crashed.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>UNREACHABLE</td><td>Running, but an HTTP check failed (advanced, set in config.yml).</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>ERROR</td><td>Inspector couldn't check it (Docker API error).</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>STARTING</td><td>Still in its health-check start period. Usually leave this off.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>HEALTHY / NO HEALTH CHECK</td><td>Normal states; almost never a reason to restart.</td></tr>
+</table>
+</section>
+
+<section id="events">
+<h2>6. Events history</h2>
+<p>The <b>Events</b> tab is a day-by-day timeline of failures, restarts, recoveries, mutes, and
+maintenance. Use <b>Prev day</b> / <b>Next day</b> to look back.</p>
+<figure><img src="events.png" alt="Events timeline">
+<figcaption>Here a container stopped, Inspector restarted it, and it recovered a few seconds later.</figcaption></figure>
+</section>
+
+<section id="settings">
+<h2>7. Other settings</h2>
+<figure><img src="settings-inspector.png" alt="Inspector loop settings">
+<figcaption>Settings → Inspector loop.</figcaption></figure>
+<table>
+  <tr><th>Section</th><th>What it's for</th></tr>
+  <tr><td>Inspector loop</td><td><b>interval_seconds</b>: how often to check (60 is fine).
+    <b>dry_run</b>: log and alert but never actually restart; handy while you're trying it out.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Dashboard</td><td>Login username and password for this web UI.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Event history</td><td>How many days of events to keep.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Health summary</td><td>A periodic digest (e.g. daily) of what happened, sent through your notification channels.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Maintenance</td><td>A daily quiet window (e.g. 02:00–05:00) so nightly backups or updates don't trigger restarts. Turn on <b>maintenance_window</b> on each container that should follow it.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Notification mute</td><td>Turns the per-container <b>Mute notifications</b> buttons on or off, and sets how long a mute lasts.</td></tr>
+</table>
+<p>At the bottom of every settings page is a strip showing where the config file lives and
+whether Inspector can write to it.</p>
+</section>
+
+<section id="restart">
+<h2>8. "Requires restart" fields</h2>
+<p>Most changes apply on the next check. Fields marked
+<span class="tag t-violet">REQUIRES RESTART</span> (like turning a notification channel or the
+dashboard on or off) only take effect after Inspector restarts:</p>
+<ol class="steps">
+  <li>In Portainer go to <b>Containers</b>.</li>
+  <li>Tick <b>inspector</b> and click <b>Restart</b>.</li>
+</ol>
+<p>Your settings and history are kept; they live in the folders mounted into the container.</p>
+</section>
+
+<section id="trouble">
+<h2>9. Troubleshooting</h2>
+<table>
+  <tr><th>Problem</th><th>Fix</th></tr>
+  <tr><td>Red <b>READ-ONLY</b> badge at the bottom of Settings</td>
+      <td>Inspector can't save changes. In the stack, make sure the config folder mount does not end in
+      <code>:ro</code>, then update the stack.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>A card says <b>CONTAINER NOT FOUND</b></td>
+      <td>The name doesn't match a container. Check the exact name in Portainer → Containers, delete
+      the entry and add it again with the right name.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Logs say <i>Permission denied on /var/run/docker.sock</i></td>
+      <td>Remove any <code>user:</code> line from the stack so Inspector starts normally (it detects the
+      socket permissions itself), then update the stack.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Send test fails</td>
+      <td>The message next to the button says why: wrong URL, wrong token (HTTP 401), or the server can't
+      be reached from your Docker host.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>Forgot the dashboard password</td>
+      <td>Open <code>config.yml</code> in the stack's config folder (e.g. through your Unraid share),
+      set <code>dashboard: password:</code> to something new, and restart Inspector.</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>No alerts arrive</td>
+      <td>Check the channel is enabled, Send test works, Inspector was restarted after enabling it,
+      and the container isn't muted or in maintenance.</td></tr>
+</table>
+</section>
+</main>
+</div>
+</body>
+</html>

src/inspector/bootstrap.py

@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""First-run helpers: find config.yml and write a starter one if it's missing.
+
+Lets Inspector be installed from Portainer with nothing on the host but an
+empty folder mounted at /app/config.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import os
+import secrets
+from importlib import resources
+from pathlib import Path
+
+LEGACY_CONFIG_PATH = Path("/app/config.yml")
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH = Path("/app/config/config.yml")
+
+
+def resolve_config_path(cli_value: str | None, env: dict | None = None) -> Path:
+    """--config wins, then $INSPECTOR_CONFIG, then the legacy single-file
+    mount if present, then the folder mount."""
+    env = os.environ if env is None else env
+    if cli_value:
+        return Path(cli_value)
+    if env.get("INSPECTOR_CONFIG"):
+        return Path(env["INSPECTOR_CONFIG"])
+    if LEGACY_CONFIG_PATH.exists():
+        return LEGACY_CONFIG_PATH
+    return DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH
+
+
+def write_starter_config(path: Path, env: dict | None = None) -> str | None:
+    """Write the starter config to `path`.
+
+    Dashboard credentials come from INSPECTOR_USERNAME / INSPECTOR_PASSWORD.
+    Returns the generated password when none was supplied (so the caller can
+    log it once), otherwise None.
+    """
+    env = os.environ if env is None else env
+    username = env.get("INSPECTOR_USERNAME") or "admin"
+    password = env.get("INSPECTOR_PASSWORD") or ""
+    generated = None
+    if not password:
+        generated = password = secrets.token_urlsafe(12)
+
+    template = (resources.files(__package__) / "starter_config.yml").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    # json.dumps gives a valid YAML double-quoted scalar for any input.
+    text = template.replace("__USERNAME__", json.dumps(username)).replace(
+        "__PASSWORD__", json.dumps(password)
+    )
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    path.write_text(text, encoding="utf-8")
+    try:
+        path.chmod(0o600)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+    return generated

src/inspector/dashboard.py

@@ -124,8 +124,11 @@ def _status_snapshot(
 ) -> list[dict]:
     now = utcnow()
     rows = []
-    for i, (name, state) in enumerate(states.items()):
-        cfg = containers[name]
+    # list() snapshot: the inspector loop adds/removes entries from another thread.
+    for i, (name, state) in enumerate(list(states.items())):
+        cfg = containers.get(name)
+        if cfg is None:  # removed from config since the last loop iteration
+            continue
         cooldown_until = state.cooldown_until
         last_restart_at = state.last_restart_at
         muted_until = notification_mute.muted_until(name)
@@ -285,6 +288,20 @@ def _load_asset(name: str) -> bytes:
 
 _ICON_PNG = _load_asset("inspector_icon_outline.png")
 
+_GUIDE_NAME_RE = re.compile(r"^[a-z0-9-]+\.(html|png)$")
+
+
+def _load_guide_file(name: str) -> tuple[bytes | None, str]:
+    """Read a file from assets/guide/. Names are whitelisted by pattern, so no
+    path traversal is possible."""
+    if not _GUIDE_NAME_RE.match(name):
+        return None, ""
+    data = _load_asset(f"guide/{name}")
+    if not data:
+        return None, ""
+    ctype = "text/html; charset=utf-8" if name.endswith(".html") else "image/png"
+    return data, ctype
+
 # Filename -> Content-Type, for files in src/inspector/assets/ served at /static/<name>.
 _STATIC_FILES = {
     "icon.png": "image/png",
@@ -821,6 +838,7 @@ def _page_head(refresh: bool, active: str) -> str:
         f'    <a href="/" class="{status_class}">Status</a>\n'
         f'    <a href="/events" class="{events_class}">Events</a>\n'
         f'    <a href="/settings" class="{settings_class}">Settings</a>\n'
+        '    <a href="/guide/">Help</a>\n'
         "  </div>\n"
         f'  <div class="meta"><span class="meta-text">{meta_text}</span><a class="signout" href="/logout">Sign out</a></div>\n'
         "</header>\n"
@@ -1254,6 +1272,8 @@ def _apply_settings_update(config_ref: ConfigRef, section: str, form: dict) -> N
         cfg["grace_period_seconds"] = _form_int(form, "grace_period_seconds", 120)
         cfg["max_restarts_per_hour"] = _form_int(form, "max_restarts_per_hour", 3)
         cfg["color"] = _form_str(form, "color", "")
+        if form.get("restart_on_present"):  # only our own form carries this field
+            cfg["maintenance_window"] = _form_bool(form, "maintenance_window")
         restart_on = form.get("restart_on", [])
         if restart_on or form.get("restart_on_present"):
             cfg["restart_on"] = [s.upper() for s in restart_on]
@@ -1300,6 +1320,7 @@ def _apply_container_create(config_ref: ConfigRef, form: dict) -> str:
         "grace_period_seconds": _form_int(form, "grace_period_seconds", 120),
         "max_restarts_per_hour": _form_int(form, "max_restarts_per_hour", 3),
         "color": _form_str(form, "color", ""),
+        "maintenance_window": _form_bool(form, "maintenance_window"),
     }
     restart_on = form.get("restart_on", [])
     if restart_on or form.get("restart_on_present"):
@@ -1994,6 +2015,10 @@ def _render_container_form(
         + _settings_field("max_restarts_per_hour", "max_restarts_per_hour",
                           str(getattr(cfg, "max_restarts_per_hour", 3)), kind="number",
                           hint="Hourly cap — Inspector pauses restarts after this many")
+        + _settings_field("maintenance_window", "maintenance_window",
+                          "on" if getattr(cfg, "maintenance_window", False) else "", kind="switch",
+                          hint="Skip this container during the daily maintenance window (Settings → Maintenance)",
+                          requires_restart=True)
         + _render_color_input("color", getattr(cfg, "color", ""))
         + restart_on_html
     )
@@ -2052,6 +2077,7 @@ def _render_container_edit_page(app: AppConfig, config_ref: ConfigRef, name: str
 class _NewContainerDefaults:
     name = ""
     enabled = True
+    maintenance_window = False
     max_error_count = 5
     cooldown_seconds = 300
     grace_period_seconds = 120
@@ -2250,6 +2276,19 @@ class _Handler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
                 events = []
             body = _render_events_page(events, app.database.enabled, selected_day, colors)
             self._send_bytes(HTTPStatus.OK, "text/html; charset=utf-8", body)
+        elif path == "/guide":
+            # Trailing slash so the guide's relative image paths resolve under /guide/.
+            self.send_response(HTTPStatus.MOVED_PERMANENTLY)
+            self.send_header("Location", "/guide/")
+            self.send_header("Content-Length", "0")
+            self.end_headers()
+        elif path.startswith("/guide/"):
+            name = path[len("/guide/"):] or "guide.html"
+            data, ctype = _load_guide_file(name)
+            if data is None:
+                self._send_bytes(HTTPStatus.NOT_FOUND, "text/plain; charset=utf-8", b"not found")
+                return
+            self._send_bytes(HTTPStatus.OK, ctype, data)
         elif path == "/api/events":
             selected_day = _parse_date_param(query.get("date", [None])[0])
             if app.database.enabled:

src/inspector/main.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
 import logging
+import os
 import signal
 import sys
 import time
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 
 from . import __version__
+from .bootstrap import resolve_config_path, write_starter_config
 from .config import AppConfig, ConfigRef, ContainerConfig, load_config, load_raw
 from .dashboard import DashboardServer
 from .docker_client import build_client, get_container_status
@@ -398,8 +400,9 @@ def run_loop(config_ref: ConfigRef) -> int:
     except Exception as exc:
         if "Permission denied" in str(exc):
             log.critical(
-                "Permission denied on /var/run/docker.sock. Set DOCKER_GID to "
-                "the host docker group GID: stat -c '%g' /var/run/docker.sock"
+                "Permission denied on /var/run/docker.sock. Start the container "
+                "as root (the default) so it can detect the socket's group, or set "
+                "group_add to the socket's GID: stat -c '%g' /var/run/docker.sock"
             )
         else:
             log.critical("Cannot reach Docker daemon: %s", exc)
@@ -437,17 +440,20 @@ def run_loop(config_ref: ConfigRef) -> int:
         notifier = _build_notifier(app)
 
         # Rebuild enabled_configs / check_order from current config so edits
-        # to per-container settings apply next cycle. Containers added via
-        # the settings page are logged as 'requires restart' because the
-        # states dict is built once at startup.
+        # to per-container settings apply next cycle. Containers added (or
+        # re-enabled) from the settings page get a fresh state here; `states`
+        # is shared with the dashboard, so it is updated in place.
         current_enabled = {c.name: c for c in app.containers if c.enabled}
         new_names = current_enabled.keys() - states.keys()
         if new_names:
-            log.warning(
-                "Containers added in config require Inspector restart to begin monitoring: %s",
-                sorted(new_names),
-            )
-        enabled_configs = {n: c for n, c in current_enabled.items() if n in states}
+            for new_name in new_names:
+                states[new_name] = ContainerState(name=new_name)
+            name_width = max(name_width, *(len(n) for n in new_names))
+            log.info("Now watching newly added container(s): %s", sorted(new_names))
+        for gone in states.keys() - current_enabled.keys():
+            states.pop(gone, None)
+            log.info("Stopped watching container (removed or disabled): %s", gone)
+        enabled_configs = current_enabled
         check_order = _topological_order(enabled_configs)
 
         uptime_kuma_snapshot = uptime_kuma_client.fetch()
@@ -495,14 +501,37 @@ def run_loop(config_ref: ConfigRef) -> int:
 
 def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="inspector", description="Docker container health watcher")
-    parser.add_argument("--config", "-c", default="/app/config.yml", help="Path to config.yml")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--config", "-c", default=None,
+        help="Path to config.yml (default: $INSPECTOR_CONFIG, /app/config.yml if present, "
+             "else /app/config/config.yml)",
+    )
     parser.add_argument("--version", action="version", version=f"inspector {__version__}")
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
-    config_path = Path(args.config)
+    config_path = resolve_config_path(args.config)
     if not config_path.exists():
-        print(f"config file not found: {config_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+        # First run with an empty config folder: write a starter config so the
+        # dashboard comes up and everything else can be set from the web UI.
+        try:
+            generated_password = write_starter_config(config_path)
+        except OSError as exc:
+            print(
+                f"config file not found: {config_path} (and could not create a starter one: {exc})",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
             return 2
+        print(f"Created starter config at {config_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+        if generated_password:
+            print(
+                "=" * 64 + "\n"
+                "  Inspector dashboard login (generated on first start)\n"
+                f"    username: {os.environ.get('INSPECTOR_USERNAME') or 'admin'}\n"
+                f"    password: {generated_password}\n"
+                "  Change it under Settings -> Dashboard.\n"
+                + "=" * 64,
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
 
     app = load_config(config_path)
     raw = load_raw(config_path)

src/inspector/starter_config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+# Inspector configuration.
+#
+# Inspector wrote this starter file on first start. You can edit everything
+# from the web UI (Settings), or by hand. Containers are added from
+# Settings -> Containers -> Add container.
+
+inspector:
+  interval_seconds: 60
+  log_level: INFO
+  dry_run: false
+  log_dir: /app/logs
+  log_filename: inspector.log
+  log_retention_days: 30
+  heartbeat: false
+
+notifications:
+  # Gotify: https://gotify.net
+  gotify:
+    enabled: false
+    url: ""
+    token: ""
+    priority: 5
+
+  # Pushover: https://pushover.net
+  pushover:
+    enabled: false
+    token: ""
+    user_key: ""
+    priority: 5
+    device: ""
+    sound: ""
+
+# Event history (powers the Events page and the health summary digest).
+database:
+  enabled: true
+  path: /app/data/events.db
+  retention_days: 30
+
+health_summary:
+  enabled: false
+  interval_hours: 24
+  priority: 3
+
+maintenance:
+  enabled: false
+  start: "00:00"
+  end: "06:00"
+  dir: /app/data/maintenance
+  max_hours: 8
+
+notification_mute:
+  enabled: true
+  dir: /app/data/muted
+  default_hours: 12
+
+dashboard:
+  enabled: true
+  host: 0.0.0.0
+  port: 8080
+  username: __USERNAME__
+  password: __PASSWORD__
+
+# Containers Inspector watches. Add them from the web UI.
+containers: