Docker is one of my favorite things about Linux. I like Docker because it’s based around open-source containers, efficient for my needs, and most containers are, in my experience, simple to work with.

I like to test and experiment with different ones to help with my productivity, RSS feeds, and data management.

With that in mind, I found six obscure and lesser-known Docker containers that I now use all day, every day.

Papermerge

A neat document manager that has OCR

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

Papermerge is a document management tool. I can be very chaotic and disorganized at times, so it helps to have some kind of management system to keep things in order. I made a YAML file using the most basic setup (except I used port 8000), and ran it using Docker Compose using Docker Compose Up. This is the same process for all the Docker Compose apps on this list.

Papermerge is a useful document manager. It’s open-source and password-protected, with built-in OCR features. I have far too many documents just lying around on my various drives. It’s not super organized, so I figured I could use a digital file cabinet.

Papermerge is exactly that. I scan receipts, bills, notices, tax documents, manuals, old advertisements from the back of comic books, and handwritten notes into it. And it does a fine job of decoding my chicken scratch handwriting.

Actual Budget

A local budgeting tool eliminated the need for spreadsheets

There was a time when I swore by spreadsheets. I used them for everything and even liked to get creative with my designs. Then I learned about Actual Budget and found it to be a much better budgeting/accounting tool than any spreadsheet I’ve ever made. I copied the YAML file from the Actual Budget repository into nano, configured the container to port 5006, and got started in a few seconds.

I immediately liked the layout and simple interface. I started building a budget, first in the Budget tab. I put in a budget of $300 for this experiment, but when I use it in the future, I’ll adjust that. I created a list of payees and began to input due dates and amounts. Within a few minutes, I had an entire sketch of what my budget for the upcoming week looks like. With everything represented visually, it’s easier to see if there are gaps or areas where I can cut.

Some of the other features are useful as well, including the Reports tab, which shows me where I’ve gone horribly wrong in my financial life. I use Actual Budget every day to check on the status of my budget, and I configured the container to immediately add my funds to the budget on pre-determined paydays. It’s lightweight, focused on privacy, and doesn’t have any subscription fees, making it one of my favorite daily-use Docker containers.

Wallabag

A fantastic replacement for apps like Pocket

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

I miss Pocket. Instapaper just doesn’t do it for me nowadays, and RSS feeds only get you so far. Wallabag has become another tool in my self-hosting arsenal. I set this one up on port 8082 and made some adjustments to the basic YAML file to suit my tastes. To add a link, you simply click the plus sign at the top of the app and paste the link into the box.

In a few seconds, the story becomes a part of your library. I tested Wallabag with some of my published work. It did quite well with most of it, although it had some trouble saving one of the listicles I wrote a few years ago. I added a few other links from various publishers and was pleased to see they were saved properly.

Reading on Wallabag parallels the experience of using Pocket in the olden days. I find myself using this one more frequently than any of the other containers I’ve found. There’s also a Chrome and Firefox extension. You can generate an API token within the app, then use it and your credentials in the extension to enable saving from anywhere you browse. It’s a handy feature that puts this container on par with what Pocket used to be.

Reading in the app is straightforward and likely what you’d expect from an article-saving app. It won’t always capture the full text (I saved one of my old Ranker listicles, for example, and it unsurprisingly only captured the first page), so it’s not foolproof. Regardless, I tend to save a ton of articles for later reading, so Wallabag has definitely come in handy as of late.

Excalidraw

A browser-based whiteboard tool

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

Here’s a truly unique container: a browser-based whiteboard. Excalidraw is useful for my notes, collaboration, and some of my more complex projects. I’m using it to design a Choose Your Own Adventure web page for a songwriting project I’m working on. Heavy vector tools or paint programs can take a long time to configure or set up, but Excalidraw loads in a few seconds.

When I want to use something with strong visuals or just make something in my head, I’ve found Excalidraw ideal. In addition to my creative projects, I have been using it daily for outlining articles and sketching out various ideas. It keeps me grounded in something simple without worrying about making something pixel-perfect, changing out my art supplies, or getting hand cramps.

What started with an RSS feed has become a brand-new hobby

Credit: David J. Buck/How-To Geek

Although my adventures with Docker began with setting up Fresh RSS, I’ve found so many other useful tools that exist beyond the mainstream.

Docker is an efficient way to try out new tools, and I’m looking forward to finding (and testing) more obscure and lesser-known/obscure containers for my next home lab experiment.

OS

Windows, macOS, Linux

Brand

Docker

Docker is an application that makes it easy to develop new apps.