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Frigate
guide-by-example
WORK IN PROGRESS
WORK IN PROGRESS
WORK IN PROGRESS
Purpose & Overview
Managing security cameras - recording, detection, notifications.
Frigate is a software NVR - network video recorder.
Simple, clean web-based interface with possible integration in to home assistant
and its app.
Frigate offers powerful AI object detection, by using OpenCV and Tensorflow. In contrast to cameras of old time which just detect movement, Frigate can recognize if object in view is a cat, a car or a human.
This detection is cpu heavy and to ease the load
Google Coral TPU
is recommended if planning to run multiple cameras with detection.
Recently
OpenVINO
has been integrated, which should allow use of igpu of intel 6th+ gen cpus
as a detector.
But do not have too high expectations. False positives are plenty, especially when shadows are present. Same with not detecting a cat when one sits right there. Config allows for some improvements and the AI model will likely get better with time too.
Open source, written in Python and JavaScript.
Terminology
- PoE - Power over ethernet, camera is powered by the same cat cable that carries data. You want POE(802.3af) or POE+(802.3at), none of the passive poe by mikrotik or ubiquity.
- IR - infrared light for night vision, attracts bugs that see it, reflects off walls or shiny surfaces, loss of color information
- onvif - It's a forum. It strives to maintain an industry standard that allows stuff from different manufacturers to work.
- rtsp - a protocol for controling remotely cameras and streaming
- ptz - Pan-Tilt-Zoom allows remote movement of a camera
- IoT - Internet of Things
- mqtt - Messaging protocol widely used in IoT. Youtube playlist about it.
Cameras choice
My opinion
-
Dahua - If you got decent budget, they have good stuff and very rich configuration. Going for that 1/1.8" sensor for good low light performance with IR being off, though dont expect magic. I also dealt with hikvision and sunell and dahua felt most solid and modern.
-
The cameras I am actually playing with are cheap TP-Link 4MP cameras.
I do not have issues with them. Followed frigates brand specific configuration which says to switch all streams to H264 and turn off Smart Coding.- VIGI C440 - fuckup as its an interior camera and I did not notice when ordering. It's stil outside as it's not directly on elements, survived one winter so far.
- VIGI C240 - cheap and exterior, enough settings to feel fine. It actually decetnly see at night without IR, but you realize its kinda lie as if something moves there its a smudge at best or invisible predator at worst.
- some random aliexpress camera with ptz
Once I am running frigate and cameras for some real time... more than a year, I will decide which cameras to get long term.
Files and directory structure
/mnt/
└── 🗁 frigate_hdd/
| └── 🗁 frigate_media/
|
/home/
└── ~/
└── docker/
└── frigate/
├── 🗁 frigate_config/
| └── 🗋 config.yml
├── 🗋 .env
└── 🗋 docker-compose.yml
frigate_media/- storage for frigate recordings and jpg snapshotsfrigate_config/- config and database directoryconfig.yml- main frigate config file.env- a file containing environment variables for docker composedocker-compose.yml- a docker compose file, telling docker how to run the containers
You need to create frigate_config directory which gets mounted in to the container,
and in to it place config.yml.
frigate_media directory should be placed on a HDD drive as nonstop writes
would exhaust ssd drive writes, or would be eating in to network bandwith
if storage would be NAS.
docker-compose
This docker compose is based off the official one except few changes.
Using bind mounts instead of volumes, moved variables to the .env file.
Increased shm_size
which is a preset max ram for interprocess communication of the container.
Privileged mode is used, which allows access to the
gpu stats
and avoids issue with access to recordings and having to deal with permissions.
For hwaccel support theres devices section with renderD128 mapped in to the container.
Check the /dev/dri/ path to see what you got there.
The section can be deleted if planning to use just the cpu.
Or adjusted for colar or pcie gpu.
docker-compose.yml
services:
frigate:
image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:0.13.2
container_name: frigate
hostname: frigate
restart: unless-stopped
env_file: .env
privileged: true
shm_size: "256mb"
devices:
- /dev/dri/renderD128 # for intel hwaccel, needs to be updated for your hardware
volumes:
- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
- ./frigate_config:/config
- /mnt/frigate_hdd/frigate_media:/media/frigate
- type: tmpfs # 1GB of memory
target: /tmp/cache
tmpfs:
size: 1000000000
ports:
- "5000:5000" # Web GUI
- "8554:8554" # RTSP feeds
- "8555:8555/tcp" # WebRTC over tcp
- "8555:8555/udp" # WebRTC over udp
networks:
default:
name: $DOCKER_MY_NETWORK
external: true
.env
# GENERAL
DOCKER_MY_NETWORK=caddy_net
TZ=Europe/Bratislava
# FRIGATE
FRIGATE_RTSP_USER: "admin"
FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD: "dontlookatmekameras"
All containers must be on the same network.
Which is named in the .env file.
If one does not exist yet: docker network create caddy_net
Reverse proxy
Caddy is used, details
here.
Caddyfile
cam.{$MY_DOMAIN} {
reverse_proxy frigate:5000
}
To allow only traffic from LAN to have access to your Frigate.
Caddyfile
(LAN_only) {
@fuck_off_world {
not remote_ip private_ranges
}
respond @fuck_off_world 403
}
cam.{$MY_DOMAIN} {
import LAN_only
reverse_proxy frigate:5000
}
Configuration
Configuration is done through singular file config.yml
Here we be in small steps adding to it, making sure stuff works
before moving to a next thing.
As dumping full config.yml is just too much for first time running.
- Official documentation for config.yml
- Official full reference config
- Some youtube video on config adjustment
Preparation
Connect a camera to your network.
Find url of your camera streams, either by googling your model,
or theres a handy windows utility -
onvif-device-manager.
Unfortunately all official urls seem dead,
this
worked for me and passed virustotal at the time. There are also comments
with some links at its sourceforge page.
Camera discovery of onvif-device-manager is almost instant, if the camera requires
credentials, set them in the top left corner.
In live view there should be stream url displayed. Like: "rtsp://10.0.19.41:554/stream1"
Ideally your camera has several streams. A primary one in full resolution full frame rate for recording, and then secondary one in much smaller resolution and fps for observing.
First config - one camera
Bare config that should show camera stream once frigate is running.
Credentails are contained in the url - rtsp://username:password@ip:port/url
Disabled mqtt since no communication with home assistant or anything else. And a single camera stream that pulls credentials from environment variables.
config-1.yml
mqtt:
enabled: false
cameras:
K1-Gate:
ffmpeg:
inputs:
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.41:554/stream1
Second config - detection, recording, two cameras
config-2.yml
mqtt:
enabled: false
detectors:
default_detector_for_all:
type: cpu
objects:
track:
- person
- cat
- dog
record:
enabled: true
retain:
days: 60
mode: all
events:
retain:
default: 360
mode: motion
snapshots:
enabled: true
crop: true
retain:
default: 360
birdseye:
mode: continuous
cameras:
K1-Gate:
ffmpeg:
inputs:
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.41:554/stream1
roles:
- record
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.41:554/stream2
roles:
- detect
detect:
width: 640
height: 480
fps: 5
motion:
mask:
- 640,480,640,0,0,0,0,480,316,480,308,439,179,422,162,121,302,114,497,480
K2-Pergola:
ffmpeg:
inputs:
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.42:554/stream1
roles:
- record
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.42:554/stream2
roles:
- detect
detect:
width: 640
height: 480
fps: 5
motion:
mask:
- 640,78,640,0,0,0,0,480,316,480,452,171
If a camera is runnig and stream can be viewed, it's time to move to core NVR functions like recording and basic detection.
Settings in root of the config file, global - applicable for all cameras:
detectors- Could be omitted as the default is the cpu, but its good to have this explicitly stated and ready as most people will be switching to non-cpu detection.objects- What the detector will be looking for. Later on this config can grow as more specific parameters are added.record- Globally enabled record and set retention time on all cameras.snapshots- If jpg pictures of detect events should be made and some of its options.birdseye- Webgui section where one can see current view of all cameras. It's enabled by default, but the default mode beingobjectsmeans it only shows cameras that detected something in the last 30s. So it is switched tocontinuousmode.
In per camera section:
roles- Added lower resolution stream and roles define which to record and which to use for detection.detect- Section defines resolution and fps for detect job, you want it to match what camera is sending. This can be often set directly on a camera. You can then check if its respected withonvif-device-managerin its profile section, or in Frigate > System > FFPROBEMotion mask- Defines which parts of the view to ignore. Watch the youtube video.
You might wanna run the 2nd config for a day or two to see how it behaves.
Third config - intel openvino and hardware acceleration
config-3.yml
mqtt:
enabled: false
detectors:
ov:
type: openvino
device: AUTO
model:
path: /openvino-model/ssdlite_mobilenet_v2.xml
model:
width: 300
height: 300
input_tensor: nhwc
input_pixel_format: bgr
labelmap_path: /openvino-model/coco_91cl_bkgr.txt
ffmpeg:
hwaccel_args: preset-vaapi
detect:
max_disappeared: 2500
objects:
track:
- person
- cat
- dog
record:
enabled: true
retain:
days: 60
mode: all
events:
retain:
default: 360
mode: motion
snapshots:
enabled: true
crop: true
retain:
default: 360
birdseye:
mode: continuous
cameras:
K1-Gate:
ffmpeg:
inputs:
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.41:554/stream1
roles:
- record
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.41:554/stream2
roles:
- detect
detect:
width: 640
height: 480
fps: 5
motion:
mask:
- 640,480,640,0,0,0,0,480,316,480,308,439,179,422,162,121,302,114,497,480
K2-Pergola:
ffmpeg:
inputs:
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.42:554/stream1
roles:
- record
- path: rtsp://{FRIGATE_RTSP_USER}:{FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD}@10.0.19.42:554/stream2
roles:
- detect
detect:
width: 640
height: 480
fps: 5
motion:
mask:
- 640,78,640,0,0,0,0,480,316,480,452,171
Only two changes in the 3rd config.
- Detector is switched from the cpu to intel igpu using openvino.
Just copy/paste from the official documentation. - Hardware acceleration
is enabled for ffmpeg, using vaapi.
It's globaly set for all streams by just two lines in the config.
I started to have daily freezes first time I switched to hwaccl and igpu detection. I was ready to tackle it based on some github disscussion, but once I started from scratch with latest version I had no more freezes.
But maybe it will comes, as I had mqtt and ntfy working at that time.
Fourth config - notifications with mqtt and ntfy
WORK IN PROGRESS WORK IN PROGRESS WORK IN PROGRESS
Now is the time to get some push notifications about events happenig on cameras.
Will be using ntfy for notifications.
The first result when googling for "frigate ntfy" is this guide. But EMQX had major interface change since emqx:5.3.2 that is used in the guide.
Using ntfy, gude here.
Following this guide where emqx is setup as middle man.
docker-compose.yml
services:
frigate:
image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:0.13.2
container_name: frigate
hostname: frigate
restart: unless-stopped
env_file: .env
privileged: true
shm_size: "256mb"
devices:
- /dev/dri/renderD128 # for intel hwaccel, needs to be updated for your hardware
volumes:
- /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
- ./frigate_config:/config
- /mnt/frigate_hdd/frigate_media:/media/frigate
- type: tmpfs # 1GB of memory
target: /tmp/cache
tmpfs:
size: 1000000000
ports:
- "5000:5000" # Web GUI
- "8554:8554" # RTSP feeds
- "8555:8555/tcp" # WebRTC over tcp
- "8555:8555/udp" # WebRTC over udp
emqx:
image: emqx/emqx:5.3.2
container_name: emqx
hostname: frigate
restart: unless-stopped
env_file: .env
user: root
volumes:
- ./emqx_data:/opt/emqx/data
ports:
- 1883:1883
- 8083:8083
- 8084:8084
- 8883:8883
- 18083:18083 # Web GUI
networks:
default:
name: $DOCKER_MY_NETWORK
external: true
Current full config
with intel igpu openvino mqtt ntfy
Previously when I tried openvino igpu hw acceleration I had the server daily freeze. Now I setup this config expecting freezes and getting ready to try yolo model from github comments, but no freeze yet for few days..
Notifications
Update
Manual image update:
docker-compose pulldocker-compose up -ddocker image prune