Unable to run open-webui docker container as non-root user

[Zyzzx]

Bug Report

After upgrading I am no longer able to run the open-webui docker container as a non-root user.

Description

I have been building the docker container and run it with: -user=$(id ollama -u):$(id ollama -g)
This has been the case for a while now. I don't like anything running as root even in docker containers.
I have a directory which I mount for the app data which is also owned by the ollama user, and it has been working
fine.

Bug Summary:
From what I can see, getting into both the built and downloaded container, all the files and
directories in the container are owned by root and within the startup process within the container files are copied from
one location in the container to another. When it is running as a different user then it fails with a "permission denied" error trying to copy the favicon.ico file to a new location.

Steps to Reproduce:
Run the docker container as specified in the documentation (without restart), but have it run as a different user (choose your own):

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -user=$(id ollama -u):$(id ollama -g) --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --rm ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Expected Behavior:
I expected it to run exactly as before (3 or 4 days prior), which it has been. I build it and run it. Not had any problems.

Actual Behavior:
Startup fails with a permission denied error. See container console log.

Environment

• Ubuntu Linux 22.04/amd64:

Reproduction Details

I entered the container with bash and did verify that everything was owned by root and the scripts were trying to copy file within the running container.

Confirmation:

• [ X] I have read and followed all the instructions provided in the README.md.
• [ X] I have reviewed the troubleshooting.md document.
• I have included the browser console logs.
• [ X] I have included the Docker container logs.

Logs and Screenshots

Docker Container Logs:

Status: Downloaded newer image for ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
No WEBUI_SECRET_KEY provided
Generating WEBUI_SECRET_KEY
start.sh: line 15: .webui_secret_key: Permission denied
Loading WEBUI_SECRET_KEY from .webui_secret_key
cat: .webui_secret_key: No such file or directory
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/uvicorn", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())
             ^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1157, in __call__
    return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1078, in main
    rv = self.invoke(ctx)
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1434, in invoke
    return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/click/core.py", line 783, in invoke
    return __callback(*args, **kwargs)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/main.py", line 418, in main
    run(
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/main.py", line 587, in run
    server.run()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/server.py", line 62, in run
    return asyncio.run(self.serve(sockets=sockets))
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/asyncio/runners.py", line 190, in run
    return runner.run(main)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/asyncio/runners.py", line 118, in run
    return self._loop.run_until_complete(task)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "uvloop/loop.pyx", line 1517, in uvloop.loop.Loop.run_until_complete
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/server.py", line 69, in serve
    config.load()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/config.py", line 458, in load
    self.loaded_app = import_from_string(self.app)
                      ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/site-packages/uvicorn/importer.py", line 21, in import_from_string
    module = importlib.import_module(module_str)
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1204, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1176, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1147, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 690, in _load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 940, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 241, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/app/backend/main.py", line 21, in <module>
    from apps.ollama.main import app as ollama_app
  File "/app/backend/apps/ollama/main.py", line 11, in <module>
    from apps.web.models.users import Users
  File "/app/backend/apps/web/models/users.py", line 8, in <module>
    from apps.web.internal.db import DB
  File "/app/backend/apps/web/internal/db.py", line 2, in <module>
    from config import DATA_DIR
  File "/app/backend/config.py", line 27, in <module>
    shutil.copyfile("../build/favicon.png", "./static/favicon.png")
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.11/shutil.py", line 258, in copyfile
    with open(dst, 'wb') as fdst:
         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: './static/favicon.png'

And in case the markdown butchers the output...

docker_console.log

Installation Method

docker build . -t open-webui:latest

Additional Information

It seems strange to me that the copying of these files for the webserver is not done at build time.

[tjbck]

Unofficial method of installation, but I'd like to know any possible solutions for this. Moving to discussion.

[Zyzzx]

I had run ollama-webui outside a container, so I had a directory where all the data was stored. I cleared up some space and fired up the docker container and just had it mount the directory. I ran it as an ollama user which already existed. Worked fine and then at the point this error happened it stopped working.

The issue here seems to be that there is code in there moving a file around inside the container. Docker doing docker things means that everything in the container is owned by root, but if I run as a different user then the process running with the UID of that non-root user cannot copy a file within the container unless the permissions are changes to be more permissive which shouldn't be a problem since it's in a container and everything runs as root otherwise.

It appears to be any of the static files are being copied which should be put in place during build instead. I can't imagine why upon container startup it would need to do this, especially since there is a volume or mount into which the application writes all its data.

[saffatbokul]

@Zyzzx I am having the exact same issue trying to start the webui inside a container.
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: './static/favicon.png'

[Zyzzx]

Yes. I tracked it down to some script in the container attempting to copy files from one location to another when it is started. It is copying the files to a location within the container, and I believe that is a step that should be done at build time. It is a static asset. There is no reason I can think of why one would want such a thing to happen anyway.

[justinh-rahb]

Yes. I tracked it down to some script in the container attempting to copy files from one location to another when it is started. It is copying the files to a location within the container, and I believe that is a step that should be done at build time. It is a static asset. There is no reason I can think of why one wouldwant such a thing to happen anyway.

This update is due to be merged for the Dockerfile:

• refac: Dockerfile #1165