⚠️ Administrative Tool — LocalNode generally updates apps automatically. Only do this if an update is stuck.
Sometimes an app (like Home Assistant or Nextcloud) releases a major new version and you want it immediately, rather than waiting for the automated update script. You can manually force a Docker container update using Portainer.
Overview
Docker containers are meant to be disposable. To update an app, you don't run an updater inside the app. Instead, you download the newest container "image", delete the old container, and create a brand new container using the new image. Because your configuration files are stored safely outside the container, no data is lost.
Step 1: Re-pulling the image
Log into Portainer from your LocalNode dashboard.
Click your Local environment.
Click Containers in the sidebar.
Click on the specific container you want to update (e.g., jellyfin). Do NOT check the box next to it; click the actual name.
This is a two-click process that safely rebuilds the app.
At the top of the container details page, click the Recreate button.
A confirmation modal will appear.
CRITICAL: Turn the toggle ON that says "Pull latest image". If you do not turn this on, it will just rebuild the container using the old version.
Click Recreate.
The screen may freeze for 30–60 seconds. Behind the scenes, Portainer is stopping the app, downloading the new files from Docker Hub, deleting the old app, and starting the new one. When it finishes, you will be redirected to the container list, and the app will be running the latest version.
💡 Tip: If the app fails to start after an update, you can always revert. You would simply change the "Image" field to point to the specific older version (e.g., jellyfin/jellyfin:10.8.0) and recreate it again.
Step 3: Cleaning up old images
When you pull a new image, the old image (which is often 1GB+) is left on your hard drive in case you need to roll back. Over a year, this can consume a lot of space.
In the Portainer left sidebar, click Images.
Look for images tagged as <none>. These are the orphaned old versions.
