Bifrost manages Docker on your servers over plain SSH — nothing to install on the host, no Docker Desktop on your Mac, no daemon exposed to the network. If you can SSH in and run docker, Bifrost gives you a native interface for it.
What you can do
- Containers — list, inspect, start/stop/restart, remove; view logs and open a console (exec) inside a container.
- Images — list, inspect, remove; see which are outdated.
- Volumes and networks — browse, inspect, create and remove (individually or in bulk).
- Stacks (Docker Compose) — list your Compose stacks; connect Portainer to create, edit, deploy, start, stop and delete them.
- Contexts — administer several Docker endpoints from a single connection with Docker contexts.
Before you start
On the server you want to manage:
- Docker is installed and running.
- Your SSH user can run Docker — either it’s in the
dockergroup, or you connect as a user that can (sudo usermod -aG docker <user>, then reconnect).
That’s it — Bifrost runs docker over your SSH session.
1. Add a Docker connection
Create a new connection and choose Docker. Give it the host, SSH username and your usual SSH auth (password or key — the same options as an SSH connection). Open it, and Bifrost lists the host’s containers.
2. Work with containers
Select a container for its details. From the toolbar or context menu: start / stop / restart / remove, open logs, or open a console to exec a shell inside it. Bulk actions let you act on several at once.
3. Images, volumes and networks
Switch tabs to browse images (with an update indicator), volumes and networks. Inspect any of them for the full JSON detail, create a new volume or network, or remove the ones you no longer need — one at a time or in bulk.
4. Stacks (Docker Compose + Portainer)
Bifrost lists your Compose stacks from docker compose ls, so you can always see what’s deployed. To manage them, connect Portainer: add your Portainer URL and an API key to the Docker connection, and stacks become fully editable — create a stack from a compose file, edit and redeploy it, start, stop or delete it, without leaving Bifrost. Without Portainer you get the read-only list; with it, the whole lifecycle.
5. Multiple endpoints with Docker contexts
If you already use docker context to manage several hosts, Bifrost picks them up: switch context from the toolbar to administer a different endpoint through the same connection — handy when one jump box reaches several Docker hosts.
Free vs Pro
Viewing your Docker resources is free. Actions — start/stop, remove, exec, deploy — are a Bifrost Pro feature. Everything is unlocked during the 14-day free trial.
Troubleshooting
“permission denied while trying to connect to the Docker daemon socket.”
Your SSH user can’t talk to Docker. Add it to the docker group (sudo usermod -aG docker <user>) and reconnect, or use a user that already can.
“docker: command not found.”
Docker isn’t installed, or isn’t on that user’s PATH over a non-interactive SSH session. Confirm docker version works when you SSH in manually.
Connects over SSH but no containers.
The daemon isn’t running (sudo systemctl status docker), or there simply aren’t any containers yet.
Still stuck? Get in touch — include the exact error text Bifrost shows.