Install Docker on Raspberry Pi

This article explains how to install Docker on a Raspberry Pi, how to build a simple image, and how to run a container based on it.

Update 20/9/22: This procedure has been updated and tested successfully on RaspiOS “Bullseye”, release date 2022-09-06 (lite version).

Docker provides a mobile execution environment in which to run software. It is a very popular container technology. Docker is useful in the rapid deployment of applications and in application isolation. It is a valuable tool for developers, users and systems administrators. In this procedure, it will be used to install a simple video processing application called “comskip“.

Although the article is entitled Install Docker on Raspberry Pi, this procedure will work unaltered on most Linux distros, which is one of the advantages of Docker.

Besides acting as a demonstration for those wanting to learn about Docker, this article is aimed at readers of my previous articles How to Watch and Record Live TV with a Raspberry Pi and How to Install Comskip on a Rasperry Pi (without Docker).

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How to Install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi

The raspberry Pi makes a good platform for watching Live TV. Software packages like TVHeadend, OSMC/Kodi, NextPVR and Plex allow you to turn a normal Pi into a powerful media centre.

Recording your favourite TV shows is great, as is being able to skip through commercial breaks on playback. Every time an ad break arrives, just press “fast forward” a few times and hey presto, you are watching the next part of the show. You still have to actually press the button though, and sometimes rewind too, if the break is overshot. However, there are software tools that will skip the breaks for you, and one of these is Comskip.

This procedure explains how to install Comskip on a Raspberry Pi, with examples pertaining to TVHeadend. You might have come here from my earlier article “How to Watch and Record Live TV on a Raspberry Pi“, to which this article is an effective continuation. Or you might have some other existing system to which you want to add comskip. Even if you are using a different backend, like Plex, this article should still be useful.

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How to Enlarge Kodi Fonts

Kodi is one of the most popular media centre solutions. However, unless you like to sit very close to the TV, the font sizes are a bit small. This article describes a simple procedure to improve legibility. It’s assumed that you are using the default Kodi skin, called “Estuary“. This article was updated 6th April 2020 and tested for Kodi 18.6.

The Kodi user interface is highly customizable, and there are many Internet pages explaining how it all works. But in this procedure, we will just make a few small changes. These instructions were originally written for OSMC running on a Raspberry Pi, but they work for stand alone Kodi too, and should also work for other hardware platforms.

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How to Watch and Record Live TV with a Raspberry Pi

This procedure explains how to turn a Raspberry Pi into a DVR, or “digital video recorder”. A DVR is a box that sits under your television, allowing you to watch digital television and record it to a hard disk. TV and recordings can also be “streamed” to other devices on your network, such as phones, tablets and PCs.

Procedure last updated 8th Jan 2022 for OSMC 19 / Kodi “Matrix” / Pi 4.

Commercial examples of DVRs are available from manufacturers like Humax and Panasonic, providing access to free digital TV services, which in the UK are called Freeview and Freesat. Other brand names are used in other countries, but the underlying technology is the same. By following the article, you will be able to view, record and stream free digital TV. (You won’t be able to watch encrypted services, like those broadcast by Sky and BT).

Why turn a Pi into a DVR? You might be just curious about the possibilities. You might be looking to move from a paid-for service (eg. BT or Sky) to a free one. You might want to replace older equipment or just get access to more modern services, such as HDTV (high definition TV). I was looking to replace my old Topfield DVR, and the procedure below worked for me.

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