Quadeck documentation

Quadeck is a dashboard for a Podman home server that runs Quadlets. It runs directly on the host as two systemd services (an unprivileged web app and a small root helper) and shows containers, units, disks, shares and the host itself, with the actions you need day to day. Also as a website with search: https://firsttris.github.io/quadeck/

Installation	install script, binaries, commands, environment variables, services, updates, reverse proxy, uninstall
Overview and services	how services are discovered, labels, overrides, manual links, icons, health, layout editing, the widget catalog, metrics history, GPU, command palette
Units and Quadlets	units page, actions, journal, Quadlet editor, validation, history, templates, compose import, Podman settings
systemd editor and timers	unit files and overrides, form and text, verification, history, new units, timers, schedule builder, cron import
Updates and packages	package managers, AUR, reboot hints, jobs, installed packages, removal, container images, boot and reboot (systemd-boot)
Hardware	CPU, memory slots, GPUs, USB paths, sensors, PCIe and SATA links, warnings
Users	accounts, groups, passwords, lock, Samba password, keys, login history, lock-out guard
Disks and files	SMART verdicts and advice, history, self-tests, usage and trend per disk, energy saving, fstab configurator and its checks, file explorer with two panes and archives, data areas
Backups	restic: the target first, then what and when (folder browser, exclusions), schedule and retention, the password, browsing and restoring; the rest-server as backup target for clients
Shares	SMB shares, NFS exports, services, what is checked, what is never touched
SSH	keys, hardening, lock-out guard, logins, connecting a new device
Terminal	shell on the server and in containers in the browser, off by default, home network only, what is logged
Network	interfaces, ports, firewall verdicts, routes and DNS, reverse proxy (Caddy), speed test
Notifications	channels, rules, how spam is avoided, retries
Security	the two processes, unlock, authentication with password or passkey, hardening, data and secrets
Development	setup with demo data, checks, architecture, tests, releases

How Quadeck works, in one minute

• Two processes. quadeck.service is the web app, running as the system user quadeck without root. quadeck-helper.service is a root helper with a fixed list of actions, reachable only over a Unix socket that the quadeck group can open. Everything that changes the server goes through the helper. See Security.
• Reading is free, writing needs an unlock. Looking at units, disks, packages or shares works right after login. Starting, stopping, saving, installing or deleting anything first asks for the password of a Linux administrator (root or a member of wheel/sudo) and stays unlocked for 15 minutes.
• systemd is the truth. A container that belongs to a Quadlet unit is controlled through systemd, never behind its back. Quadeck reads systemd over D-Bus and the journal through the systemd-journal group.
• Zero config. Services, their URLs and icons are discovered from Caddy, Podman and the Quadlet files. Labels in the Quadlet file and overrides in the UI only refine what was found.
• Nothing is deleted silently. Config files Quadeck edits (smb.conf, exports, sshd drop-ins, unit files, Quadlet files, /etc/fstab, the Caddyfile, boot entries) are checked with the respective tool before they are written, keep a backup or a history, and are rolled back when the tool refuses.

Which page does what

The navigation is grouped into Services, Storage and Server. On a phone it folds into a menu behind the button at the top left; the bar keeps search, a running job and the unlock countdown in reach.

On the home screen. Quadeck can be added to a phone's or tablet's home screen and then opens like an app, with its own icon and without the browser's bars: on Android in Chrome's menu Install app (or Add to home screen), on an iPhone or iPad in Safari's share menu Add to Home Screen, on a computer with the install icon in the address bar. Chrome offers the install only over HTTPS, so reach Quadeck through a reverse proxy with a domain (Installation); over plain http:// it becomes a shortcut that opens in the browser. Quadeck still needs the server: without a connection the app shows the browser's error page.

Page	Group	Content
Hardware	host card in the sidebar	CPU, memory, GPUs, USB, sensors, PCIe/SATA links
Overview		gauges with history, failed units, services, storage, timers, shares
Units	Services	services, timers and containers with actions; the Timers filter is the schedule editor; from here the Quadlet and systemd editors open
Journal	Services	Live: journalctl following, per unit and priority; Search the system: the whole journal by time, boot, kernel or logins, unit or program and full text
Disks	Storage	SMART verdicts, history, self-tests; mounting disks via /etc/fstab
Files	Storage	file explorer for the data areas
Shares	Storage	SMB and NFS
Network	Server	interfaces, ports, firewall, reverse proxy (Caddyfile), speed test
Users	Server	accounts, groups, passwords, Samba, keys
SSH	Server	keys, hardening, logins
System	Server	updates, installed packages, Podman settings, boot and reboot
Notifications	Server	channels and rules

The UI is in German and English. It follows the browser's language; the switch at the bottom of the sidebar (and on the login page) overrides it and is remembered in a cookie. E-mails and push messages use the language last picked there. The documentation uses the English labels.

Color themes at the bottom of the sidebar (also in the command palette, "color theme") change the accent and the tint of the dark surfaces, per browser: Quadeck (teal, the default), Nord (frost blue on slate), Ocean (blue on navy), Amethyst (violet) and Copper (warm orange). Gauges, charts, buttons, the navigation and the logo follow. Ok, warning and error keep their green, yellow and red in every theme, and every theme is checked for readable contrast. The terminal stays black.

Animations at the bottom of the sidebar (also in the command palette) set how much moves, per browser, like in SnapRAID UI and the CCU add-on:

Off	nothing moves; spinners still turn
Subtle (default)	the page fades in, the marker of the current page slides in, dialogs open softly, gauges and bars glide to new values, charts draw in; only warnings and errors pulse
Strong	everything rises in one after the other, the current page glows in the navigation and entries move on hover, widgets and tiles light up and lift on hover, bars shimmer, status lights breathe, a running job glows

The login and setup page show the logo brought to life, a container ship being loaded: containers are lowered onto the deck one after the other, the ship rocks on the waves and the lights on the containers blink like running services; a wrong password shakes the message. It follows the color theme and stands still, fully loaded, when animations are off.

Without a choice, the system's reduce motion setting means Off. In the overview's edit mode widgets never move by themselves, so dragging and resizing stay precise.