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General Linux troubleshooting resources

This guide is not a step-by-step fix for a single problem. It is a map of where to go when you have worked through the LAN Foundry troubleshooting guides and still need help, or when your question is about Linux, Docker, or the NVR host rather than Frigate configuration or camera streams.

Argus systems run Ubuntu Server without a desktop. Most administration happens over SSH or Cockpit for basic host metrics. Deeper storage checks use the command line (zpool, smartctl) as described in Drive and pool errors.

Before you start

This guide assumes:

  • You can reach the NVR on your network, usually by SSH or Cockpit at https://cockpit.internal
  • You have sudo access on the NVR, or the credentials LAN Foundry provided with your system

If you cannot reach the NVR at all, that is a connectivity or boot problem, not a general Linux learning exercise. Confirm power, Ethernet link lights, and whether the machine responds to ping at its static IP before diving into logs.

Start with a LAN Foundry troubleshooting guide

Many problems that feel like "Linux issues" are actually DNS, Docker, storage, or camera configuration. Check whether a dedicated guide already covers your symptom:

Symptom Start here
Hostname won't load in a browser Can't reach a service by hostname
Frigate, Caddy, or Portainer won't start What to do when a container won't start
Camera tile blank or stream failed Camera feed not showing in Frigate
NVR slow, stuttering, or dropping frames NVR running slow or dropping frames
Drive warnings, pool degraded, recording gaps Drive and pool errors
Push alerts not arriving Not receiving notifications

If none of those fit, the sections below point to official documentation and communities for the underlying platform.

Connecting to the NVR

SSH from another computer on your LAN

From macOS, Linux, or Windows (with OpenSSH installed):

ssh yourusername@192.168.1.100

Replace yourusername with your Ubuntu account and 192.168.1.100 with the NVR's static IP.

Cockpit web console

Browse to https://cockpit.internal or https://192.168.1.100:9090 from a device on your main LAN. Cockpit is useful for CPU, memory, and disk usage overview. It does not replace zpool status or smartctl for recording pool health.

Copying files off the NVR

Use scp or rsync over SSH when you need to pull logs or config backups to another machine. See Backing up Frigate config for config-specific guidance.

Essential commands on the NVR

You do not need to be a Linux administrator to maintain an Argus system, but a short list of commands covers most inspection tasks.

Task Command
Current directory and files pwd, ls -la
Disk space df -h
Memory and CPU snapshot htop (install with sudo apt install htop if missing)
Network interfaces and IPs ip addr
Test reachability ping -c 3 192.168.10.101
Recent system messages sudo dmesg \| tail -50
System log (today) sudo journalctl --since today
Follow a service log sudo journalctl -u cockpit -f

Press Ctrl+C to stop a command that is following output live.

Docker and containers

Your NVR services (Frigate, Caddy, Portainer) run as Docker containers. The host runs Ubuntu; the applications run inside containers.

Task Command
Running containers docker ps
All containers including stopped docker ps -a
Logs for a container docker logs frigate --tail 100
Follow logs live docker logs frigate -f
Restart a container docker restart frigate
Container mount paths docker inspect frigate --format '{{ json .Mounts }}'

For container startup failures, configuration errors, and network issues between Caddy and Frigate, use What to do when a container won't start first.

Official documentation

Community

Storage and ZFS

Argus recording storage uses ZFS on NAS-rated hard drives. Cockpit's Storage page does not show full pool health on a stock Ubuntu install. Use the CLI:

Task Command
Pool health zpool status
Pool capacity zpool list
Drive S.M.A.R.T. summary sudo smartctl -H /dev/sdX
Full S.M.A.R.T. report sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX

Replace /dev/sdX with the device name from zpool status. See Drive and pool errors for interpretation and urgency.

Official documentation

Networking

Network and firewall problems on Argus systems usually involve OPNsense rules, VLANs, or DNS rather than Ubuntu networking misconfiguration.

Task Command (on the NVR)
Test RTSP port on a camera nc -zv 192.168.10.101 554
Test Ubiquiti RTSP port nc -zv 192.168.10.101 7447
Test an RTSP stream ffprobe -rtsp_transport tcp "rtsp://..."

For DNS, Caddy, VLANs, and firewall layout, start with Setting up a camera VLAN in OPNsense or Can't reach a service by hostname depending on your symptom.

Official documentation

Ubuntu Server and system services

Argus systems run a current Ubuntu Server LTS release. Cockpit runs as a system service on the host. If Cockpit is down but SSH works:

sudo systemctl status cockpit
sudo systemctl start cockpit

Other host services follow the same pattern: status, start, stop, and restart with systemctl.

Official documentation

Community

  • Ask Ubuntu (search before posting; many NVR-specific questions are better asked in Frigate or LAN Foundry support channels)

What to bring when asking for help

Whether you post in a community forum or open a LAN Foundry support ticket, diagnostics save time. Gather what applies to your problem:

Always useful

  • Argus tier (Vigil, Sentinel, or Warden) if you purchased from LAN Foundry
  • Ubuntu version: lsb_release -a
  • What you expected vs. what happened
  • What changed recently (updates, new cameras, config edits)

Container problems

  • docker ps -a
  • docker logs <container> --tail 100

Storage problems

  • zpool status
  • df -h
  • sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX for any flagged drive

Camera or Frigate problems

  • Relevant config.yml camera block (redact passwords and tokens)
  • docker logs frigate --tail 100
  • Result of ffprobe or ping from the NVR to the camera IP

Network problems

  • Whether the issue is all devices or one device
  • nslookup frigate.internal from a affected client
  • OPNsense firewall log entries if traffic is blocked

Where to go from here

LAN Foundry troubleshooting

Broader community

If you're still stuck

Search for the exact error string from your logs. Official project documentation (Frigate, Docker, OpenZFS, OPNsense) often documents specific error messages more precisely than general Linux tutorials.

LAN Foundry customer support

The guides on this site are free for everyone, whether you bought hardware from us or not. If you have worked through the relevant troubleshooting guide and the resources above and still need help, there are a few more places to go depending on your situation.

If you're running your own hardware

Community forums for Frigate, Docker, Ubuntu, and your camera manufacturer are the right next step. Bring the diagnostic output listed in What to bring when asking for help.

If you purchased an Argus system from LAN Foundry

Visit lanfoundry.com/support for support options and how to submit a ticket.

When you open a support request, include:

  • Your Argus tier and a short description of the problem
  • Which LAN Foundry troubleshooting guides you already followed
  • Output from the commands relevant to your issue (docker logs, zpool status, journalctl, etc.)
  • Whether the problem started after a specific change (update, new camera, power event)

The more context you provide, the faster we can pinpoint the issue. If your system is still within its warranty period, check your purchase documentation for what coverage applies.

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