Docker Emby UID/GID and file permissions

[apollumi 2]

I have a virtualized Docker server (on Proxmox) and the Docker vm is hosting several images/containers including Emby, none of which is conflicting any other image/container port wise, etc... Emby is running on the latest image. The Emby image has a volume mapped to a larger drive for capacity (i.e. /mnt/disk1 on docker host which is /dev/sdb) through the Docker.

Okay, my issue. The Emby container UID/GID does not match the local Docker server /etc/passwd and /etc/group ID's on the mounted volume. No big deal I can set those ID's manually to match the docker image after copying content in. But, but, for some reason I'm having to set "other" permissions for emby to add that content (scan library files) to its database. I've tried taking the permissions down such as 660 but I cannot add content without setting read and write for other. As in "user,group,other".Anybody know what is going on?

On a side note, after adding content I cannot stream it to a smart TV or via the web app unless "other" has r-x on the directory path above it and r-- on the video files. For example "chmod 664 *". I'm new to Docker so maybe it's a docker issue. My brain says the Emby container should be using its UID and GID for access and sending content, not "other". I followed the example from Docker for the Emby image with the exception of setting "network_mode: host".

 

Edit: I had none of these issues running Emby on a Debian VM for years. Copy files in, set user to emby and group to emby and make sure they had the appropriate directory and file permissions then off to make a sandwhich.

Edited June 30, 2025 by apollumi

[guunter 49]

Can you share your docker compose? It’ll be easier to understand what is going on. 

[apollumi 2]

I cannot remember the original UID/GID. I changed it recently. UID 1001 is a user/group named Emby I created on the Docker host.

 

User on the Docker host...

emby:x:1001:1001:

 

 

Docker Compose...

# Emby Server
  emby:
    image: emby/embyserver
    container_name: embyserver
    network_mode: host
    environment:
      - UID=1001
      - GID=1001
      - GIDLIST=1001
    volumes:
      - /mnt/disk0/emby/config:/config # Configuration directory
      - /mnt/disk1/emby/media/movies:/mnt/movies
      - /mnt/disk1/emby/media/music:/mnt/music
      - /mnt/disk1/emby/media/learning:/mnt/learning
      - /mnt/disk1/emby/media/books:/mnt/books
      - /mnt/disk1/emby/media/horizon:/mnt/horizon
    restart: on-failure

[guunter 49]

In your environment variables it should be PUID and PGID to properly set it to id 1001. You may need to chown and chgrp your config folder after fixing it

[Q-Droid 989]

The LSIO image uses PUID/PGID and the official Emby image uses UID/GID/GIDLIST. The posted example is for the official Emby image.

 

 

[guunter 49]

4 hours ago, Q-Droid said:

The LSIO image uses PUID/PGID and the official Emby image uses UID/GID/GIDLIST. The posted example is for the official Emby image.

 

 

Oh didn’t realize that. I always use lsio