Watchtower Docker - Notifications Only

[Telos]

I'm stuck trying to get Watchtower Docker to run with only email notifications. The crux of the problem seems to be SMTP connectivity.

Initially I tried my local ISP SMTP server/port and ended up with...

time="2022-07-15T13:56:32-04:00" level=error msg="Failed to send shoutrrr notification" error="failed to send using smtp: timed out" index=0 notify=no service=smtp

Out of curiosity, I changed the SMTP server to "smtp.gmail.com" (leaving my local log in credentials the same), and got this...

time="2022-07-15T18:40:51-04:00" level=error msg="Failed to send shoutrrr notification" error="error authenticating: 535 5.7.8 Username and Password not accepted. Learn more at\n5.7.8 https://support.google.com/mail/?p=BadCredentials j18-20020ac86652000000b00304fc3d144esm4299558qtp.1 - gsmtp" index=0 notify=no service=smtp

This tells me that my compose file is probably fine (obviously I had wrong credentials) since I got a server response.

I'd prefer not to use my Gmail account credentials, preferring my local ISPs. But this is vexing.

To try another tack, I used a relatively unused "[email protected]" account, and got the same SMTP error message that I had when I tried my local ISP account info.

I seem to be dead in the water, short of using Gmail credentials (I'm assuming they would work since I did get a response from the SMTP server).

Any thoughts/suggestions here?

I've thought about getting Portainer-BE (free for my use), which now monitors updates, but they ask for too much personal info to register.

I don't want to auto-update my containers, but only be informed when a new image is available.

Thank you!

 

[Rusty]

Diun - friendly docker image update notifier

How to get on top of all those Docker repo and image updates? With Diun. Docker image update notifier. Deploy in matter of minuted via Portainer

www.blackvoid.club

 

[AdrianEarnshaw]

Two things spring to mind, does your ISP block any ports? That may explain why you cannot send via SMTP. As for the Google account, did you set up an app password? If you are using your normal password for the Google account then it won’t work.

 

[johngo54]

My first inclination is to suspect the App Password for connecting Watchtower (the app) to Gmail. I did exactly the same thing. My Watchtower container is notifying over gmail if/when container updates occur.

 

[Telos]

Re: Gmail... its SMTP test was only done to see if the Gmail SMTP server is reachable with my compose file (I intentionally used bad credentials for testing). I do not want to use Gmail for Watchtower notifications. For the ISP and Microsoft accounts, I am using the same credentials as I use successfully with Thunderbird.

@Rusty Thanks for the link. I'll check that out when I give up on Watchtower. Hopefully it will overcome the email login issues I'm having presently with Watchtower. Longer-term I hope this is able to monitor the other nodes I have.

FWIW, the Portainer-BE registration is less onerous than I expected, so I may give it a look-see as an update monitor. AFAIK, it has no "push" capability, but it does identify images that have updates available.

 

[Rusty]

Thanks for the link. I'll check that out when I give up on Watchtower. Hopefully it will overcome the email login issues I'm having presently with Watchtower. Longer-term I hope this is able to monitor the other nodes I have.

Several reasons why I use it. Didn't want notifications coming in over any email, wanted push support, can run on multiple Docker hosts, and has webhook integration support. Also, got burned by WT in the past, but that was my fault from back in the day. Still, DIUN does the job for me, so just throwing it in the hat.

 

[Telos]

@Rusty Diun passed the notification test. Now to wait for an actual update notice.

Thanks for this suggestion

 

[WST16]

I seem to be dead in the water, short of using Gmail credentials (I'm assuming they would work since I did get a response from the SMTP server).

Hi @Telos

Are you using a generated app password or your email login password? Most of them require an app generated password now. Login credentials won’t work.

I have watchtower working, monitoring only and it‘s sending the notifications via yahoo’s mail smtp service.

 

[Telos]

Are you using a generated app password or your email login password?

App password is unavailable on a free Microsoft email account IIRC. Interestingly, I used the same email credentials with Diun, and the connectivity was fine. Watchtower also has issues with my ISP's SMTP server.

I've now abandoned Watchtower and moved on to Pushover/Diun. So far so good... except the daily notifications for jackett image, which I'm still trying to resolve.