Running PrintStash on Unraid

Unraid is a sensible PrintStash host when the model files already live there. The Community Applications setup uses separate API and frontend containers, so one network detail matters: both containers need a user-defined Docker network with working container-name DNS.

The install, in order

Create the network from the Unraid terminal:

docker network create printstash

Install the PrintStash-API template first. Set:

• network: printstash;
• a long random JWT secret;
• persistent paths for files, thumbnails, database, staging, and backups.

Generate the secret once:

openssl rand -hex 32

The API template supplies the network alias api. Install PrintStash-Frontend on the same network after the API exists. Open http://<unraid-ip>:3000 and complete the setup wizard. There is no default admin account.

If the frontend returns a 502, check the network and api alias before changing application settings. Unraid’s default bridge network does not provide the name resolution this pair expects.

Plan the storage mappings

Keep the database, thumbnails, staging directory, and normal appdata on a cache pool or SSD if available. Put PrintStash-owned model files on the array when capacity matters more than write latency.

For an existing Unraid share, add another path mapping to the API container. Map the host share to a clear container path, for example /mnt/models, then enter that container path in Settings -> Shared volumes.

Use a read-only mapping for the first scan if you only want indexing. A writable shared volume allows PrintStash to add uploads and revisions back to the folder, but it does not overwrite existing files.

Scheduled scans are the predictable choice for an Unraid share. Native filesystem events depend on how the path appears inside the container and may not behave like a direct local filesystem.

Back up both sides: the PrintStash appdata and any external model share. A full PrintStash backup includes files it owns, but it does not copy bytes indexed in place from the external share.

Small box advice

Thumbnail generation is the heavy part of a large first scan. PrintStash renders one mesh at a time by default, estimates triangle cost, and skips a preview when the mesh exceeds its configured or memory-aware limit. The file still enters the index.

Set a realistic container memory limit and lower VAULT_MESH_MEMORY_BUDGET_FRACTION if the host also runs media, backup, or download workloads. Start around 0.30 to 0.35 on a busy box and keep VAULT_MAX_RENDER_JOBS=1 until memory use is understood.

The repository’s unraid/README.md remains the detailed install reference, including the Compose Manager alternative and current template paths.

Before the full scan, review the shared-volume mount checks and create a tested PrintStash backup for the app-owned side of the library.