chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

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ineedjet merged 1 commit into from
Aug 21, 2026
Merged

chore: drop Watchtower entirely #122

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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions AGENTS.md
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down
3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion README.md
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down
10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions RETIRED.md
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.
1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
- 3000
labels:
- "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
- "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
environment: *environment
depends_on:
- postgres
2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
traefik:
image: traefik
environment: *environment
labels:
- "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
ports:
- "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
- "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down
37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml
View file
Open in desktop

This file was deleted.

18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions deploy/deploy.py
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
connection = Connection(host)
connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
for app in all_apps:
for app in apps:
connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

for app in run_apps:
for app in apps:
compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

all_apps = list(config["apps"])
run_apps = [
app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
]
apps = list(config["apps"])

for host in config["hosts"]:
print(f"Deploying to {host}")
deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down
19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions deploy/tests/test_deploy.py
View file
Open in desktop
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
def test_true_when_label_present(self):
with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
path.write_text("services: {}\n")
self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
"deploy@host",
archive_path,
rendered_configs,
all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
run_apps=["rybbit"],
apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
config=config,
)
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down
, 'i'); if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) { injectUserscript("// Add copy buttons to all 
 blocks\n(function() {\n function addCopyButtons() {\n document.querySelectorAll('pre code').forEach(function(codeBlock) {\n if (codeBlock.parentElement.hasAttribute('data-copy-added')) return;\n codeBlock.parentElement.setAttribute('data-copy-added', 'true');\n \n var btn = document.createElement('button');\n btn.textContent = 'Copy';\n btn.style.cssText = 'position:absolute;top:4px;right:4px;padding:2px 8px;font-size:11px;background:#4ecdc4;border:none;border-radius:4px;color:#1a1a2e;cursor:pointer;opacity:0.7;transition:opacity 0.2s;';\n btn.onmouseover = function() { this.style.opacity = '1'; };\n btn.onmouseout = function() { this.style.opacity = '0.7'; };\n btn.onclick = function() {\n navigator.clipboard.writeText(codeBlock.textContent).then(function() {\n btn.textContent = 'Copied!';\n setTimeout(function() { btn.textContent = 'Copy'; }, 1500);\n });\n };\n codeBlock.parentElement.style.position = 'relative';\n codeBlock.parentElement.appendChild(btn);\n });\n }\n \n addCopyButtons();\n \n // Re-run on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(addCopyButtons);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Add Copy Buttons to Code Blocks]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "github.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "github\\.com" + '

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chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

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to your account

 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

from

Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Force GitHub README to respect dark mode\n(function() {\n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '\n .markdown-body {\n color-scheme: dark light;\n }\n .markdown-body pre { background: #161b22 !important; }\n .markdown-body code { background: rgba(110, 118, 129, 0.4) !important; }\n .markdown-body table th, .markdown-body table td { border-color: #30363d !important; }\n .markdown-body img { background: #0d1117; }\n .markdown-body blockquote { border-left-color: #8b949e; }\n .markdown-body hr { border-color: #30363d; }\n ';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n})();", "GitHub Dark Mode README Fix");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:GitHub Dark Mode README Fix]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

Skip to content
chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

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 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

from

Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Highlight search terms from Google/DuckDuckGo/Bing referrer\n(function() {\n var ref = document.referrer;\n var terms = [];\n \n if (ref.includes('google.com') || ref.includes('duckduckgo.com') || ref.includes('bing.com')) {\n var url = new URL(ref);\n var q = url.searchParams.get('q') || url.searchParams.get('p');\n if (q) {\n terms = q.split(/\\s+/).filter(function(t) { return t.length > 2; });\n }\n }\n \n if (terms.length === 0) return;\n \n var style = document.createElement('style');\n style.textContent = '.userscript-highlight { background: #fbbf24; color: #1a1a2e; padding: 1px 3px; border-radius: 2px; }';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n \n function highlight(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 3) { // text node\n var text = node.textContent;\n var found = false;\n terms.forEach(function(term) {\n var regex = new RegExp('(' + term.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\\]\\\\]/g, '\\\\') + ')', 'gi');\n if (regex.test(text)) {\n found = true;\n var frag = document.createDocumentFragment();\n var parts = text.split(regex);\n parts.forEach(function(part, i) {\n if (i % 2 === 0) {\n frag.appendChild(document.createTextNode(part));\n } else {\n var span = document.createElement('span');\n span.className = 'userscript-highlight';\n span.textContent = part;\n frag.appendChild(span);\n }\n });\n node.parentNode.replaceChild(frag, node);\n }\n });\n } else if (node.nodeType === 1 && node.childNodes) { // element\n var skipTags = ['SCRIPT', 'STYLE', 'NOSCRIPT', 'TEXTAREA', 'INPUT', 'SELECT'];\n if (!skipTags.includes(node.tagName)) {\n Array.from(node.childNodes).forEach(highlight);\n }\n }\n }\n \n highlight(document.body);\n \n // Re-highlight on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1 || node.nodeType === 3) highlight(node);\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Highlight Search Terms");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Highlight Search Terms]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

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chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

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 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

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Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Strip utm_, fbclid, gclid, etc. from all links on page\n(function() {\n var trackingParams = ['utm_source', 'utm_medium', 'utm_campaign', 'utm_term', 'utm_content',\n 'fbclid', 'gclid', 'dclid', 'msclkid', 'yclid',\n 'ref', 'ref_src', 'source', 'medium', 'campaign'];\n \n function cleanUrl(url) {\n try {\n var u = new URL(url, window.location.origin);\n var changed = false;\n trackingParams.forEach(function(p) {\n if (u.searchParams.has(p)) {\n u.searchParams.delete(p);\n changed = true;\n }\n });\n return changed ? u.toString() : url;\n } catch (e) {\n return url;\n }\n }\n \n function cleanLinks() {\n document.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n \n cleanLinks();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n mutations.forEach(function(m) {\n m.addedNodes.forEach(function(node) {\n if (node.nodeType === 1) {\n if (node.tagName === 'A') cleanLinks();\n node.querySelectorAll('a[href]').forEach(function(a) {\n var clean = cleanUrl(a.href);\n if (clean !== a.href) a.href = clean;\n });\n }\n });\n });\n });\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "Remove Tracking Parameters from Links");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Remove Tracking Parameters from Links]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "youtube.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "youtube\\.com" + '

Skip to content
chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

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privacy statement. We’ll occasionally send you account related emails.

Already on GitHub?
Sign in
to your account

 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

from

Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Auto-enable theater mode on YouTube\n(function() {\n function tryTheater() {\n var btn = document.querySelector('button[aria-label=\"Theater mode\"], ytd-player #player button[title=\"Theater mode\"]');\n if (btn && !btn.classList.contains('activated')) {\n btn.click();\n }\n }\n \n // Try immediately\n tryTheater();\n \n // Try after navigation (SPA)\n var lastUrl = location.href;\n setInterval(function() {\n if (location.href !== lastUrl) {\n lastUrl = location.href;\n setTimeout(tryTheater, 500);\n }\n }, 1000);\n \n // Also try on player load\n var observer = new MutationObserver(tryTheater);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });\n})();", "YouTube Theater Mode Default");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:YouTube Theater Mode Default]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

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chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

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 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

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Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

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Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Remove or un-stick sticky/fixed headers that block content\n(function() {\n function unstick() {\n document.querySelectorAll('header, nav, [role=\"banner\"], .header, .navbar, .sticky, .fixed-top, [style*=\"position: fixed\"], [style*=\"position:sticky\"]').forEach(function(el) {\n if (el.style.position === 'fixed' || el.style.position === 'sticky' || \n getComputedStyle(el).position === 'fixed' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'sticky') {\n el.style.position = 'static';\n el.style.top = 'auto';\n el.style.zIndex = 'auto';\n }\n });\n }\n \n unstick();\n \n var observer = new MutationObserver(unstick);\n observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['style', 'class'] });\n})();", "Kill Sticky Headers");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Kill Sticky Headers]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '

Skip to content
chore: drop Watchtower entirely#122

New issue

Have a question about this project? Sign up for a free GitHub account to open an issue and contact its maintainers and the community.

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Already on GitHub?
Sign in
to your account

 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

from

Aug 21, 2026
 Merged


chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

View file


Open in desktop


This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

View file


Open in desktop

Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down

, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
injectUserscript("// Universal Dark Mode - works on any site\n(function() {\n var enabled = true;\n \n function applyDarkMode() {\n if (!enabled) return;\n \n // Create style element if it doesn't exist\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (!style) {\n style = document.createElement('style');\n style.id = 'universal-dark-mode-style';\n document.head.appendChild(style);\n }\n \n // Dark mode CSS - inverts colors but preserves images/video\n style.textContent = '\n /* Invert everything except media */\n html {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #1a1a2e !important;\n }\n \n /* Restore images, videos, iframes, canvas */\n img, video, iframe, canvas, svg, picture, [style*=\"background-image\"] {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n }\n \n /* Preserve specific elements that should not be inverted */\n .no-dark-mode, .no-dark-mode *,\n [data-theme=\"light\"], [data-theme=\"light\"],\n .ace_editor, .ace_editor *,\n .CodeMirror, .CodeMirror *,\n .monaco-editor, .monaco-editor *,\n .markdown-body pre, .markdown-body pre *,\n .highlight, .highlight *,\n pre code, pre code * {\n filter: none !important;\n }\n \n /* Fix common UI elements */\n .modal, .popup, .dropdown-menu, .tooltip, .popover {\n filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;\n background: #2d2d44 !important;\n border-color: #444 !important;\n }\n \n /* Scrollbars */\n ::-webkit-scrollbar { background: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #444 !important; }\n ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #555 !important; }\n \n /* Selection */\n ::selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ::-moz-selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }\n ';\n }\n \n function removeDarkMode() {\n var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');\n if (style) style.remove();\n }\n \n // Toggle with Alt+Shift+D\n document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {\n if (e.altKey && e.shiftKey && e.key === 'D') {\n e.preventDefault();\n enabled = !enabled;\n if (enabled) {\n applyDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Enabled');\n } else {\n removeDarkMode();\n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Disabled');\n }\n }\n });\n \n // Apply on load\n applyDarkMode();\n \n // Re-apply on dynamic content\n var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {\n if (enabled && !document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style')) {\n applyDarkMode();\n }\n });\n observer.observe(document.head, { childList: true });\n \n console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Loaded - Press Alt+Shift+D to toggle');\n})();", "Universal Dark Mode");
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Universal Dark Mode]', __e); }
})();
})();

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 Merged

ineedjet
merged 1 commit into

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Aug 21, 2026
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chore: drop Watchtower entirely
#122
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12 changes: 5 additions & 7 deletions
AGENTS.md

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -348,16 +348,14 @@ Each app in a target's `apps` mapping lists its own `env_refs` — release refs

## Notable App Configurations

- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network. Note: currently carries the Watchtower label (see below) - a target that doesn't also run a `watchtower` container (hawkeye doesn't, as of this writing) would never get `docker compose up` run for it by the automated path. Known gap, not yet resolved.
- **watchtower**: Infrastructure app — recommended on every server. Handles automatic image updates for apps that opt in via the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label. `deploy/deploy.py` skips running `docker compose pull`/`up` for any app with this label entirely, so Watchtower is their sole lifecycle manager.
- **traefik**: Entry point, uses external network.
- Apps with databases include a versioned template (e.g. `postgres-18.yml`) and create app-specific database named `${APP_NAME}`
- Config templates use `envsubst`-equivalent substitution (`deploy/render.py`) - variables must be shell-compatible (`${VAR}` syntax)

## Watchtower-managed Apps

Apps that carry the `com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true` label are updated automatically by Watchtower and are **skipped by `deploy/deploy.py`** - their `.env`/config still gets pushed on every deploy, but `docker compose pull`/`up` is never run for them. The label in the compose file is the single source of truth — no separate skip list exists.

Currently opted in: `traefik`, `semaphore`, `watchtower` itself.
Watchtower was dropped entirely (there is no `apps/watchtower/`, and no app
carries its label) — `deploy/deploy.py` already runs `docker compose pull &&
up -d` for every app in a target's `apps` mapping on every deploy, which
made Watchtower's own polling redundant. See `RETIRED.md`.

## Important: Template Files vs Generated Files

Expand Down

3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion
README.md

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json

1. **Change Default Credentials** - Update vault-sourced secrets and re-deploy
2. **Use Strong Passwords** - Generate with: `openssl rand -base64 32`
3. **Keep Images Updated** - Watchtower-managed apps update automatically; others get the latest image on every deploy (`docker compose pull` runs before `up`)
3. **Keep Images Updated** - every deploy runs `docker compose pull` before `up`, so all apps get their latest image on every deploy
4. **Restrict Network Access** - Use firewall rules to limit access to Traefik ports (80, 443)
5. **Enable HTTPS** - Always use HTTPS, never expose HTTP to internet
6. **Backup Data** - Regularly back up `apps-data/` (backup automation is a separate, not-yet-decided piece of tooling)
Expand All@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ chmod 600 apps-data/traefik/acme.json
## 📚 Additional Resources

- [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) - Technical documentation for AI agents and developers
- [RETIRED.md](RETIRED.md) - Apps removed from the active stack, and why
- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
- [Docker Compose Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/compose/)
- [Traefik Documentation](https://doc.traefik.io/)
Expand Down

10 changes: 10 additions & 0 deletions
RETIRED.md

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
# Retired Apps

Apps removed from the active stack. Technical details are recoverable from git history. Each entry captures only the human context: why the app was dropped.

---

## watchtower

- **Retired:** 2026-08-21
- **Reason:** Redundant once the deploy pipeline itself became idempotent — every deploy already runs `docker compose pull && up -d` for every app, which re-pulls and reconciles on its own. A separate container polling for image updates added nothing except another thing needing Docker socket access on every host.

1 change: 0 additions & 1 deletion
apps/semaphore/docker-compose.yml

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ services:
 - 3000
 labels:
 - "traefik.http.services.${APP_NAME}.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 environment: *environment
 depends_on:
 - postgres

2 changes: 0 additions & 2 deletions
apps/traefik/docker-compose.yml

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ services:
 traefik:
 image: traefik
 environment: *environment
 labels:
 - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"
 ports:
 - "${HTTP_PORT}:80"
 - "${HTTPS_PORT}:443"
Expand Down

37 changes: 0 additions & 37 deletions
apps/watchtower/docker-compose.yml

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This file was deleted.


18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions
deploy/deploy.py

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
from vault import decrypt_env, parse_dotenv

APPS_BUNDLE_ASSET = "flightdeck-apps.zip"
WATCHTOWER_LABEL = "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"


class DeployError(Exception):
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -105,10 +104,6 @@ def list_required_networks(release_dir):
 ]


def is_watchtower_managed(compose_path):
 return WATCHTOWER_LABEL in Path(compose_path).read_text()


def archive_release(release_dir, work_dir):
 archive_path = work_dir / "release.tar.gz"
 with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz") as tar:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -163,7 +158,7 @@ def prune_releases(connection, releases_path, keep_releases):
 connection.run("rm -rf " + " ".join(shlex.quote(release) for release in stale), hide=True)


def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config):
def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config):
 connection = Connection(host)
 connection.client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())

Expand All@@ -179,12 +174,12 @@ def deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, net
 bootstrap_host(connection, base_path, networks)
 push_release(connection, archive_path, release_path)
 push_app_configs(connection, base_path, rendered_configs)
 for app in all_apps:
 for app in apps:
 connection.run(f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(f'{base_path}/apps-data/{app}')}", hide=True)

 connection.run(f"ln -sfn {shlex.quote(release_path)} {shlex.quote(current_path)}", hide=True)

 for app in run_apps:
 for app in apps:
 compose_dir = f"{current_path}/apps/{app}"
 connection.run(f"cd {shlex.quote(compose_dir)} && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans")

Expand DownExpand Up@@ -218,14 +213,11 @@ def main():
 archive_path = archive_release(release_dir, work_dir)
 networks = list_required_networks(release_dir)

 all_apps = list(config["apps"])
 run_apps = [
 app for app in all_apps if not is_watchtower_managed(release_dir / "apps" / app / "docker-compose.yml")
 ]
 apps = list(config["apps"])

 for host in config["hosts"]:
 print(f"Deploying to {host}")
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, all_apps, run_apps, networks, config)
 deploy_to_host(host, archive_path, rendered_configs, apps, networks, config)


if __name__ == "__main__":
Expand Down

19 changes: 2 additions & 17 deletions
deploy/tests/test_deploy.py

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Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
Expand Up@@ -264,20 +264,6 @@ def test_returns_only_external_networks(self):
 self.assertNotIn("internal", networks)


class IsWatchtowerManagedTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_true_when_label_present(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text('labels:\n - "com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true"\n')
 self.assertTrue(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))

 def test_false_when_label_absent(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
 path = Path(directory) / "docker-compose.yml"
 path.write_text("services: {}\n")
 self.assertFalse(deploy.is_watchtower_managed(path))


class ArchiveReleaseTest(unittest.TestCase):
 def test_archives_release_contents_without_wrapper_dir(self):
 with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as directory:
Expand DownExpand Up@@ -337,8 +323,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 "deploy@host",
 archive_path,
 rendered_configs,
 all_apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 run_apps=["rybbit"],
 apps=["traefik", "rybbit"],
 networks=["traefik", "databases", "mcp"],
 config=config,
 )
Expand All@@ -359,7 +344,7 @@ def test_full_sequence(self):
 self.assertIn("mkdir -p /home/deploy/flightdeck/apps-data/rybbit", joined)
 self.assertIn("ln -sfn", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/rybbit && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)
 self.assertNotIn("apps/traefik && docker compose", joined)
 self.assertIn("apps/traefik && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --remove-orphans", joined)

 prune_command = next(command for command in fake.commands if command.startswith("rm -rf") and "rel" in command)
 for stale in ("rel5", "rel6"):
Expand Down