# Docker usage instructions

Docker distribution of DiscordChatExporter provides a way to run the app in a virtualized and isolated environment. Due to the nature of Docker, you also don't need to install any prerequisites otherwise required by DCE.

Note that only the CLI flavor of DiscordChatExporter is available for use with Docker.

## Pulling

This will download the [Docker image from the registry](https://hub.docker.com/r/tyrrrz/discordchatexporter) to your computer. You can run this command again to update when a new version is released.

```
docker pull tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:stable
```

Note the `:stable` tag. DiscordChatExporter images are tagged according to the following patterns:

- `stable`: Latest stable version release and maps to the latest GitHub release. This tag is updated with release of each new version. Recommended for personal use.
- `latest`: Built from the latest commit and maps to the latest CI build on GitHub. This tag is updated with each new commit to `master` branch. Not recommended for everyday use, but you can use it if you want to try out some features that haven't been officially released yet.
- `x.y.z` (e.g. `2.30.1`): Fixed version release and maps to the corresponding tag on GitHub. This tag is never updated once that version has been released. Recommended for use in various automation scenarios.

You can see all available tags [here](https://hub.docker.com/r/tyrrrz/discordchatexporter/tags?page=1&ordering=name).

## Usage

To run the CLI in Docker and render help text:

```
docker run --rm tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:stable
```

To export a channel:

```
docker run --rm -v /path/on/machine:/out tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:stable export -t TOKEN -c CHANNELID
```

If you want colored output, real-time progress reporting, and some other stuff, pass `-it` (interactive) option:

```
docker run --rm -it -v /path/on/machine:/out tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:stable export -t TOKEN -c CHANNELID
```

Note the `-v /path/on/machine:/out` option, which instructs Docker to bind the `/out` directory inside the container to a path on your host machine. Replace `/path/on/machine` with the directory you want the files to be saved at.

**If you are running SELinux, you will need to add the `:z` option after `/out`, e.g.:**

```
docker run --rm -v /path/on/machine:/out:z tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:stable export -t TOKEN -c CHANNELID
```

For more information, refer to the [Docker docs SELinux labels for bind mounts page](https://docs.docker.com/storage/bind-mounts/#configure-the-selinux-label).

You can also use the current working directory as the output directory by specifying:

- `-v $PWD:/out` in Mac/Linux
- `-v $pwd.Path:/out` in PowerShell

For more information, please refer to the [Dockerfile](https://github.com/Tyrrrz/DiscordChatExporter/blob/master/Dockerfile) and [Docker documentation](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/run/).

To get your Token and Channel IDs, please refer to [this page](https://github.com/Tyrrrz/DiscordChatExporter/blob/master/.docs/Token-and-IDs.md).

## Environment variables

DiscordChatExpoter CLI accepts environment variables as fallbacks for the `--token` and `--bot` options.

- `DISCORD_TOKEN` to set the token
- `DISCORD_TOKEN_BOT` to set whether it's a bot token (`true` or `false`)

You can use these variables either with the `--env` Docker option or with a combination of the `--env-file` Docker option and a `.env` file.
Please refer to the Docker documentation for more information:

- [Docker run - Set environment variables](https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/run/#set-environment-variables--e---env---env-file)

## Permission issues with Linux hosts

When bounding volumes between the container and the host, files mirrored from the Docker container will be owned by the Docker user (in most setups this is `root`). Please refer to this [issue comment](https://github.com/Tyrrrz/DiscordChatExporter/issues/800#issuecomment-1030471970) for instructions on how to override this behavior.

## Build Docker images for arm on Raspberry Pi

If you use the Docker image on arm (for example Raspberry Pi), you'd build the image as below.

```bash
$ git clone https://github.com/Tyrrrz/DiscordChatExporter.git
$ cd DiscordChatExporter
$ docker build -f DiscordChatExporter.Cli.dockerfile -t tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:latest .
```

After a while, some images are built like below.

```bash
$ docker image ls
REPOSITORY                         TAG       IMAGE ID       CREATED              SIZE
tyrrrz/discordchatexporter         latest    7c9ead725177   49 seconds ago       199MB
<none>                             <none>    57f9f49d05af   About a minute ago   678MB
mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk       5.0       72af6071941e   4 days ago           641MB
mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/runtime   3.1       6229bebd5a11   4 days ago           197MB
```

Among these, two images (`tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:latest` and `mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/runtime:3.1`) are required, so you may delete the other two images.

Now you can execute DiscordChatExporter:

```bash
$ docker run --rm tyrrrz/discordchatexporter:latest
```

---

Special thanks to [@simnalamburt](https://github.com/simnalamburt) (dockerize) and [@Nimja](https://github.com/nimja) (better instructions)