Frigate NVR with SMB Storage on Arch Linux

Overview

This project provides an automated installation script for deploying Frigate NVR on Arch Linux with video recordings stored on a remote SMB/CIFS network share.

The installer will:

• Install Docker and Docker Compose
• Install CIFS/SMB utilities
• Configure an SMB credentials file
• Automatically mount an SMB share
• Create a Frigate Docker Compose deployment
• Create a starter Frigate configuration
• Configure persistent recording storage on the SMB share
• Start Frigate automatically

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Features

• Arch Linux compatible
• Docker-based deployment
• SMB/NAS recording storage
• Automatic startup after reboot
• Recording retention policies
• Storage usage limits
• Easy camera configuration
• Ready for Home Assistant integration

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Requirements

Server

• Arch Linux
• Internet connection
• Root or sudo access
• Docker-compatible hardware

Network Storage

• SMB/CIFS share
• Read/Write permissions
• Stable network connection

Cameras

• RTSP-compatible cameras
• ONVIF-compatible cameras (recommended)

Examples:

• Amcrest
• Reolink
• Dahua
• Hikvision
• Axis

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Installation

Download the installer:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/frigate-smb-arch.git
cd frigate-smb-arch
chmod +x install-frigate-smb-arch.sh
./install-frigate-smb-arch.sh

The installer will prompt for:

• SMB Server IP
• SMB Share Name
• SMB Username
• SMB Password
• Local Mount Path

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Default Paths

Frigate Configuration

/opt/frigate/config/config.yml

Docker Compose

/opt/frigate/docker-compose.yml

SMB Credentials

/etc/samba/frigate-smb.cred

Recordings

/mnt/frigate-recordings/frigate

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Adding Cameras

Edit:

sudo nano /opt/frigate/config/config.yml

Example:

cameras:
  driveway:
    enabled: true

    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@192.168.1.100:554/stream1
          roles:
            - detect
            - record

    detect:
      width: 1920
      height: 1080
      fps: 5

Restart Frigate:

cd /opt/frigate
sudo docker compose restart

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Viewing Logs

sudo docker logs -f frigate

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Accessing Frigate

Open:

http://SERVER_IP:8971

Example:

http://192.168.1.50:8971

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Retention Configuration

Example:

record:
  enabled: true

  retain:
    days: 7
    mode: all

Keep event recordings longer:

record:
  events:
    retain:
      default: 30

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Storage Limits

Example:

storage:
  max_usage_percent: 90

Frigate will automatically delete the oldest recordings when the storage threshold is reached.

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Updating Frigate

cd /opt/frigate

sudo docker compose pull
sudo docker compose up -d

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Troubleshooting

SMB Share Not Mounting

Check:

mount | grep frigate

Test connectivity:

ping NAS_IP

Manually mount:

sudo mount -a

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Frigate Not Starting

View logs:

sudo docker logs frigate

Check container status:

sudo docker ps

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Camera Not Connecting

Verify RTSP stream:

ffplay rtsp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@CAMERA_IP/stream

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Home Assistant Integration

Frigate integrates directly with Home Assistant using:

• Frigate Integration
• MQTT
• Frigate Proxy Add-on

This allows:

• Person detection
• Vehicle detection
• Motion events
• Notifications
• Automations

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License

MIT License

Use at your own risk.

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Author

Created for self-hosted Linux NVR deployments using Frigate, Docker, SMB storage, and Home Assistant.