Full ALPR Database System for Blue Iris!
- Thread starter algertc
- Start date
TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
I nuked the site from orbit (it's the only way to be sure), and started over. I'm pretty sure the incorrectly-created database was a problem, because as soon as the database engine was running, the dashboard looked like this:
instead of how it looked previously:
when it was trying to read tables/columns that didn't even exist.
And this was even before I reinstalled the AI engine and configured BI to use it.
So now I wait for vehicles, again . . . .
I'm almost tempted to drive back into work, just to trigger the cameras with a plate. Almost.
TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
Vettester
Getting comfortable
- Feb 5, 2017
- 893
- 868
I have copied and pasted this so many times . . . .
You have this in front of the key, right? "x-api-key:"
TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
Vettester
Getting comfortable
- Feb 5, 2017
- 893
- 868
TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
I have a plate!!!!!
Nuking the database and starting over was the last required fix. Thanks to everyone for all the help! I certainly would not have figured it out on my own. For anyone new to the thread, about 1/4 of my problems were due to following an out-of-date ReadMe.MD that had an obsolete docker-compose.yml, 1/2 were user error arising from not understanding the workflow and what other settings needed to be enabled, and the last 1/4 were user error from being stupid. I should probably compile my notes into a complete step-by-step on how to reinstall all of this if I ever need to.
Nuking the database and starting over was the last required fix. Thanks to everyone for all the help! I certainly would not have figured it out on my own. For anyone new to the thread, about 1/4 of my problems were due to following an out-of-date ReadMe.MD that had an obsolete docker-compose.yml, 1/2 were user error arising from not understanding the workflow and what other settings needed to be enabled, and the last 1/4 were user error from being stupid. I should probably compile my notes into a complete step-by-step on how to reinstall all of this if I ever need to.
Two days ago, I migrated all my image data. The earliest images were from June 2024 and it all showed correctly in the folders (2024/06, 07, etc., 2025/01). I confirmed everything was showing correctly in the program so went along and removed the Base64 data.
This morning I woke up to find that all images prior to 12/1/2024 are deleted.
I figured out why it happened - there's a new setting for image retention which is set to 3 (months). First, the setting can't be changed (it says, 'Saved' but it refreshes back to 3.) and second, that's not actually 3 months of images. It's all of 12/2024, all of 1/2025, but only 1 day of 2/2025. It really should still have most/all of 11/2024. I've added both bugs to the roadmap/tracker.
That aside, I'm now faced with a ton of missing images. I was intending to keep at least a year (or more) of plates. They don't appear in my recycle bin, so that's not an option. I do regular PC backups but the latest backup was this morning at 3:45, so after the deletion. And the other was just before I did the update and database migration on 1/30.
At this point, my best option seems to be to go to the backup before and just lose the plates from the last couple of days. I don't really want to restore the whole PC so does anyone know how to do a partial restore of just Docker? Specifically, where is Docker stored? What files constitute Docker? I didn't do any backups of containers with Docker but I'm fine with just wiping it completely back to the state of a couple days ago. Anyone know how to do that?
Edit: I think the answer is C:/Users/<username>/AppData/Local/Docker/wsl/disk/docker_data.vhdx
I'm in the process of restoring this right now.
Edit 2: That did put Docker back to the state on 1/30. I manually updated config/settings.xml to increase the retention period and then pulled the latest and reran the migration. I have all my images back (except for about 24 hours). Since, I have copies of that data from my notifications, I can manually call the API to restore the license plate reads. I highly recommend people update their image retention setting (manually) if they don't want to lose images. And always have a backup strategy in place before you need it.
This morning I woke up to find that all images prior to 12/1/2024 are deleted.
I figured out why it happened - there's a new setting for image retention which is set to 3 (months). First, the setting can't be changed (it says, 'Saved' but it refreshes back to 3.) and second, that's not actually 3 months of images. It's all of 12/2024, all of 1/2025, but only 1 day of 2/2025. It really should still have most/all of 11/2024. I've added both bugs to the roadmap/tracker.
That aside, I'm now faced with a ton of missing images. I was intending to keep at least a year (or more) of plates. They don't appear in my recycle bin, so that's not an option. I do regular PC backups but the latest backup was this morning at 3:45, so after the deletion. And the other was just before I did the update and database migration on 1/30.
At this point, my best option seems to be to go to the backup before and just lose the plates from the last couple of days. I don't really want to restore the whole PC so does anyone know how to do a partial restore of just Docker? Specifically, where is Docker stored? What files constitute Docker? I didn't do any backups of containers with Docker but I'm fine with just wiping it completely back to the state of a couple days ago. Anyone know how to do that?
Edit: I think the answer is C:/Users/<username>/AppData/Local/Docker/wsl/disk/docker_data.vhdx
I'm in the process of restoring this right now.
Edit 2: That did put Docker back to the state on 1/30. I manually updated config/settings.xml to increase the retention period and then pulled the latest and reran the migration. I have all my images back (except for about 24 hours). Since, I have copies of that data from my notifications, I can manually call the API to restore the license plate reads. I highly recommend people update their image retention setting (manually) if they don't want to lose images. And always have a backup strategy in place before you need it.
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Just want to let everyone know I’m coming back to this very soon. Been slammed with work recently, but should be able to get a bunch of stuff worked out at the end of this coming week + the weekend.
Seems like there’s good advice being given to work through issues, but apologies to anyone having them in the first place. My focus in the next update is going to be making the installation and user experience as streamlined and simple as possible.
It’s always a bit challenging to release updates to software that is self hosted like this, so I’m doing my best and learning from some mistakes along the way. Web dev is more of a hobby for me, so I’m certainly not the most principled nor super experienced with this sort of release structure.
Still happily taking feature requests on the roadmap page also. Will get to them all soon along with reading back through the forum posts.
Thanks to everyone for trying it out! I’m glad it’s been useful.
Seems like there’s good advice being given to work through issues, but apologies to anyone having them in the first place. My focus in the next update is going to be making the installation and user experience as streamlined and simple as possible.
It’s always a bit challenging to release updates to software that is self hosted like this, so I’m doing my best and learning from some mistakes along the way. Web dev is more of a hobby for me, so I’m certainly not the most principled nor super experienced with this sort of release structure.
Still happily taking feature requests on the roadmap page also. Will get to them all soon along with reading back through the forum posts.
Thanks to everyone for trying it out! I’m glad it’s been useful.
TheWaterbug
Getting comfortable
Please don't apologize for making free software!!!!! This is a great project. My neighborhood just got Flocked, and I'm very curious to see how well their very expensive system stacks up to yours.
Glad you like it
Yes it’s free, but I do still feel a bit of a sense of responsibility to at least not break other peoples installations. It’s not a chore for me at all. I wouldn’t do it if it were. It erks me on behalf of others when the process doesn’t work as intended.
It is pretty crazy how much companies charge for the fully integrated ALPR solutions compared to what we have here. There’s a thread on here somewhere about the recent vulnerability in the Motorola system. I find the CPAI model to work quite well and that would be thanks to @MikeLud1
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