Install basic utilities:

sudo apt net-tools
sudo apt install htop
sudo apt install -y zenity

Update repo and install docker

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker.io

Enable the darker service And verify that the version was installed

sudo systemctl enable --now docker

docker –version
systemctl status docker

Install docker compose

sudo apt install -y docker-compose-plugin

Create the proper folder structure for frigate and moving to the folder

mkdir -p /opt/frigate/config /opt/frigate/media
cd /opt/frigate

To ccheck diversion for both run

docker --version
docker compose version

Configuration files:

cd /opt/frigate

sudo nano /opt/frigate/docker-compose.yml

Copy this into the docker compose file exactly

services:
  frigate:
    container_name: frigate
    image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
    restart: unless-stopped
    privileged: true
    shm_size: "512m"

    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./media:/media/frigate

    ports:
      - "5000:5000"

sudo nano /opt/frigate/config/config.yml

mqtt:
  enabled: false

detectors:
  cpu1:
    type: cpu

cameras:
  test_camera:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100:554/stream"
          roles:
            - detect
            - record

    detect:
      width: 1280
      height: 720
      fps: 5

    record:
      enabled: true
      retain:
        days: 7

    snapshots:
      enabled: true

Automated camera add/remove script

nano /opt/frigate/scripts/camera-wizard-v2.sh

---

#!/bin/bash

CONFIG="/opt/frigate/config/config.yml"

# Ensure config file exists
mkdir -p /opt/frigate/config

if [ ! -f "$CONFIG" ]; then
cat <<EOF > "$CONFIG"
mqtt:
  enabled: false

detectors:
  cpu1:
    type: cpu

cameras:
EOF
fi


add_camera() {

CAM_NAME=$(zenity --entry --title="Frigate Setup" --text="Camera Name")

# Prevent duplicate camera names
if grep -q "^  $CAM_NAME:" "$CONFIG"; then
  zenity --error --text="Camera name already exists!"
  return
fi

CAM_IP=$(zenity --entry --title="Frigate Setup" --text="Camera IP Address")
CAM_USER=$(zenity --entry --title="Frigate Setup" --text="Username")
CAM_PASS=$(zenity --password --title="Frigate Setup" --text="Password")
CAM_PATH=$(zenity --entry --title="Frigate Setup" --text="RTSP Path (default /stream)" --entry-text="/stream")

# Basic validation
if [[ -z "$CAM_IP" || -z "$CAM_USER" || -z "$CAM_PASS" ]]; then
  zenity --error --text="Missing required fields"
  return
fi

RTSP="rtsp://$CAM_USER:$CAM_PASS@$CAM_IP:554$CAM_PATH"

# Append safely
cat <<EOF >> "$CONFIG"

  $CAM_NAME:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: "$RTSP"
          roles:
            - detect
            - record

    detect:
      width: 1280
      height: 720
      fps: 5

    record:
      enabled: true
      retain:
        days: 7

    snapshots:
      enabled: true

EOF

zenity --info --text="Camera '$CAM_NAME' added successfully"

}


restart_frigate() {
  cd /opt/frigate

  docker compose restart

  if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
    zenity --info --text="Frigate restarted successfully"
  else
    zenity --error --text="Frigate restart failed - check logs"
  fi
}


while true
do

CHOICE=$(zenity --list \
  --title="Frigate Camera Wizard v2" \
  --column="Action" \
  "Add Camera" \
  "Restart Frigate" \
  "Exit")

case $CHOICE in
  "Add Camera") add_camera ;;
  "Restart Frigate") restart_frigate ;;
  "Exit"|"") break ;;
esac

done

chmod +x /opt/frigate/scripts/camera-wizard.sh