Browser Crashing with Synology Container Manager? A Quick Docker Cleanup Fix!

Browser Crashing with Synology Container Manager? A Quick Docker Cleanup Fix!

Have you ever experienced the frustrating issue where your browser – be it Chrome, Safari, Bing, or Edge – suddenly crashes or becomes unresponsive right after you open the Synology Container Manager? You're not alone! This head-scratching problem can really disrupt your workflow, especially when you rely on Docker containers on your Synology NAS.

I recently ran into this exact issue. Every time I clicked on Container Manager in my Synology DSM, my browser would freeze, sometimes even forcing me to restart the entire browser application. After some digging and experimenting, I discovered a solution that worked like a charm for me, and I wanted to share it with you.

The Culprit: Potentially a Stuffed Docker Database

While there could be various reasons for browser crashes, in my case (and potentially yours), the issue seemed to stem from a buildup or some sort of corruption within the Docker database on the Synology NAS. It's like your Docker environment might be holding onto remnants of old containers or images that are causing conflicts when Container Manager tries to load and display everything in your browser.

The Solution: A Docker Database Cleanup via SSH

The fix involves a simple cleanup of your Docker environment using the command line interface (SSH). Don't worry if you're not a command-line guru; I'll guide you through it step-by-step. This process essentially removes all your Docker images, forcing Container Manager to refresh and rebuild its view, hopefully resolving the browser crash issue.

Disclaimer: Before proceeding, please understand that the following steps will remove ALL your Docker images. Your containers will still exist if they are configured to persist data, but you will need to re-download the images if you need to recreate containers based on those images. Make sure you understand the implications before proceeding. If you are unsure, it's always best to back up any critical Docker data or consult with someone more experienced.

Let's Get Started: SSH into Your Synology and Clean Up Docker

Here's how to perform the Docker cleanup:

1. Enable SSH on your Synology NAS: If you haven't already, you need to enable SSH service in your Synology Control Panel. Go to Control Panel > Terminal & SNMP > Terminal and check the "Enable SSH service" box. Note the port number (default is 22).

2. Connect to your Synology via SSH: Open your terminal application (like Terminal on macOS/Linux or PuTTY on Windows). Use the following command, replacing your_synology_ip with the IP address of your Synology NAS and your_synology_username with your Synology username (preferably an administrator account):

   ssh your_synology_username@your_synology_ip -p <your_ssh_port>

   If you're using the default SSH port (22), you can omit -p <your_ssh_port>.

   You will be prompted for your Synology user password. Enter it and press Enter.

3. Become Root User: Once logged in, you'll be in your user's home directory. To execute Docker commands with the necessary permissions, you need to become the root user. Type the following command and press Enter:

   sudo -s

   You might be prompted for your password again.

4. Switch to Bash Shell (Optional but Recommended): Synology's default shell might be ash. For better compatibility with some commands, it's often recommended to switch to bash. Type:

   bash

   You might see the prompt change to something like bash-sh-4.4#.

5. Adjust Docker Socket Permissions (Potentially Helpful): Sometimes permission issues with the Docker socket can cause problems. Run this command to ensure proper permissions:

   chmod 660 /var/run/docker.sock

   This command sets the read and write permissions for the owner and group of the Docker socket file.

6. Remove All Docker Images (The Cleanup Command!): This is the crucial step. This command will remove all Docker images currently stored on your Synology. Double-check that you understand the disclaimer above before running this command.

   docker rmi -f $(docker images -aq)

   Let's break down this command:

   • docker rmi: This is the Docker command to remove images.
   • -f: This flag forces the removal, even if images are in use (careful with this, but necessary for a full cleanup in this case).
   • $(docker images -aq): This is a subshell command that:
     • docker images -aq: Lists all Docker image IDs (-q for quiet output, only IDs, -a for all images).
     • $(): Command substitution – the output of docker images -aq is inserted into the docker rmi command as a list of image IDs to remove.

   This command will likely take a few moments to complete, depending on the number of images you have. You might see output as images are being removed.

7. Exit SSH: Once the docker rmi command is finished, you can exit the SSH session. Type exit a couple of times to exit the bash shell, then the root shell, and finally close the SSH connection.

8. Test Container Manager: Now, go back to your Synology DSM and try opening Container Manager again. Hopefully, your browser should no longer crash!

What's Next?

After this cleanup, you might need to re-download Docker images if you want to recreate any containers that relied on them. However, your container configurations should be preserved (assuming they are properly configured with persistent volumes).

Did it Work for You?

I hope this quick guide helps you resolve the frustrating browser crash issue with Synology Container Manager! Let me know in the comments below if this solution worked for you, or if you encountered any issues. Sharing your experiences can help others facing the same problem.

Happy containerizing!