¶ Setup GoAccess with Docker
This guide uses Docker Compose to run GoAccess.
¶ Prerequisites
- Linux server
- Docker and Docker Compose installed
For Docker installation, see Docker.
¶ Docker Image Information
- Official Image:
allinurl/goaccess - Latest Version:
allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1(released January 2024)
- Stable Version:
allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1with enhanced terminal bar charts, city-level geolocation, customizable panels, and refreshed HTML dashboard
¶ Method 1: Quick Start with Docker Run
¶ Static Report Generation
# Generate a static HTML report from a log file
docker run --rm -v /path/to/access.log:/srv/access.log:ro -v $(pwd):/srv/output allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1 goaccess /srv/access.log -o /srv/output/report.html --log-format=COMBINED
¶ Real-time Report Generation
# Stream logs and serve real-time reports
docker run -it --rm -v /path/to/logs:/logs:ro -p 7890:7890 allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1 goaccess /logs/access.log --real-time-html --port=7890
¶ Method 2: Docker Compose (Recommended for Production)
Create a docker-compose.yml file:
version: '3.8'
services:
goaccess:
image: allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1 # Pin to specific version for stability
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "7890:7890" # Expose the WebSocket port for real-time updates
volumes:
- /var/log/nginx:/logs:ro # Mount your log directory (read-only)
- ./config/goaccess.conf:/etc/goaccess/goaccess.conf:ro # Optional: custom config
- ./reports:/var/www/goaccess:rw # Volume for generated reports
command: >
goaccess
--config-file=/etc/goaccess/goaccess.conf
--real-time-html
--port=7890
Create a basic configuration file at ./config/goaccess.conf:
# GoAccess Configuration for Docker
log-format COMBINED
time-format %H:%M:%S
date-format %d/%b/%Y
log-file /logs/access.log
output /var/www/goaccess/index.html
real-time-html true
ws-url ws://localhost:7890
port 7890
max-items 100
hl-header on
color-scheme 2
no-query-string yes
Start the service:
docker-compose up -d
¶ Method 3: Streaming Logs to Docker Container
¶ From Host Log Files
# Stream a log file to generate real-time reports
tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log | docker run -i --rm -p 7890:7890 allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1 goaccess --log-format=COMBINED --real-time-html --port=7890
¶ From Compressed Logs
# Process compressed log files
zcat access.log.gz | docker run --rm -i allinurl/goaccess:1.10.1 goaccess - -o report.html --log-format=COMBINED
¶ Production Considerations
- Version Pinning: Always use specific version tags (e.g.,
1.10.1) instead oflatestfor consistency and predictability - Security: Run containers with minimal privileges and mount log files as read-only
- Resource Limits: Set appropriate CPU and memory limits to prevent resource exhaustion
- Persistence: Use named volumes for storing generated reports and persistent data
- Network Security: Use Docker networks and restrict container access appropriately
¶ GoAccess v1.10.1+ Specific Features in Docker
- WebSocket Authentication: Enhanced security with JWT verification (available in v1.10.1+)
- Enhanced Terminal Charts: Sleek terminal bar charts for better visualization
- City-Level Geolocation: Detailed geographic insights (requires GeoLite2 database mounted in container)
¶ Troubleshooting
¶ Check Container Logs
docker logs goaccess-goaccess-1
¶ Enter Container for Debugging
docker exec -it goaccess-goaccess-1 /bin/sh
¶ Verify Configuration
docker exec goaccess-goaccess-1 goaccess --help
¶ Notes
- Review configuration files and environment variables before production use
- For production deployments, ensure proper log rotation and retention policies
- Consider using a reverse proxy (like nginx) in front of GoAccess for TLS termination and authentication
- Pin Docker images to specific versions to ensure consistency across deployments
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us. Find all contact information on our contact page.