New install of ZimaOS Apps are installing

Operating System ZimaOS
1

The first app I install home assistant took nearly 3 hours to install i then tried immich this has been installing for nearly 24 hours i am connected to router by cable and have a fast cable connection which I have no issues with also i have my vpn switched off to test this i guess this is not normal can anyone help

Simon

2

Yep, that’s not normal. Even on slower hardware, Home Assistant should not take 3 hours, and Immich definitely shouldn’t sit “installing” for 24 hours.

Here’s the most likely cause + the fastest way to prove it.

What’s usually happening

In almost all cases this is one of these:

  1. Docker can’t pull images properly (DNS / network / registry access issue)
  2. Disk issue (drive is slow, full, or filesystem errors)
  3. ZimaOS App Store install is stuck (UI says installing but container failed)

Quick checks (fastest troubleshooting)

Ask them to do this:

1) Check if Docker can pull images

Open Terminal in ZimaOS and run:

docker ps -a
docker images | head

If the app containers are missing, or constantly restarting, install is not actually progressing.

2) Check the install logs (most useful)

docker logs --tail 200 homeassistant

For Immich, check what containers exist first:

docker ps -a | grep -i immich

Then run logs on whatever shows up (examples):

docker logs --tail 200 immich_server
docker logs --tail 200 immich_microservices
docker logs --tail 200 immich_postgres
docker logs --tail 200 immich_redis

If you see errors like:

  • i/o timeout
  • TLS handshake timeout
  • temporary failure in name resolution
    That confirms it’s a DNS / image pull problem.

3) Check disk health + free space

df -h

If / or /DATA is close to 100%, installs will hang or fail.

Most common fix (DNS)

If the logs show DNS timeouts, set your router or ZimaOS DNS to something stable like:

  • 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare)
    or
  • 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google)

Then reboot ZimaOS and try installing again.

3

Thanks for the information unfortunately I am new to zimaos docker etc how do I open terminal is it in the web portal where you install the apps or direct on the pc also i tried zimaos on another pc I had and the same thing happened if that helps

Simon

4

Simon, I will keep this simple.

To use Terminal in ZimaOS, I suggest installing the app called ttydBridge (this is the Terminal app I use). You do not need to use the built-in UI terminal.

Step 1: Install Terminal (ttydBridge)

  1. Open your ZimaOS dashboard in the browser
  2. Go to Apps
  3. Search for: ttydBridge
  4. Click Install
  5. Once installed, open it from your dashboard

Login:

  • Username: root
  • Password: your ZimaOS password

You will then see a black terminal window.

Step 2: Run these 3 commands (copy/paste)

Run these one by one and paste the results back here:

1) Check if containers exist / are stuck

docker ps -a

2) Check free disk space (important)

df -h

3) Test if Docker can download images

docker pull hello-world

Why this helps

Because you tested on another PC and the same thing happened, I believe the problem is most likely DNS/network blocking Docker image downloads, which causes apps like Immich / Home Assistant to sit on “installing” for hours.

Once you paste the output of those commands, I can tell you exactly what is blocking it and what to change.

5

I have the same issue, it hangs for a long time.

image

6

MalginYury thanks, that screenshot is very helpful.

If docker pull hello-world hangs on Waiting, it confirms the issue is not Immich or Home Assistant. It means Docker is unable to pull images from Docker Hub, so ZimaOS apps will sit on “installing” for a very long time (or forever).

What I believe is causing it

I believe this is almost always caused by:

  • DNS issues (router DNS / ISP DNS)
  • network filtering (Pi-hole, AdGuard, router security filtering)
  • blocked access to Docker registries

What I suggest (quick fix)

1) Change DNS (best option = in your router)

Temporarily set DNS to either:

Cloudflare:

  • 1.1.1.1
  • 1.0.0.1

or Google:

  • 8.8.8.8
  • 8.8.4.4

Then reboot ZimaOS and retry:

docker pull hello-world

2) Quick confirmation test (hotspot)

If you can, connect the ZimaCube/ZimaOS box to a phone hotspot and run:

docker pull hello-world

If it works on hotspot, that confirms the issue is your home network DNS/router filtering Docker pulls.

If you post the full output after running the command again, we can confirm exactly what is blocking it.

7

Same thing.
This helped: I started the app installation while it was hanging, ran:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker.service

and the download speed increased accordingly.

8

MalginYury same thing happened to me.

If docker pull hello-world hangs on Waiting, it usually means the Docker service/network pull is stuck. What helped me immediately was restarting Docker.

Try this (copy/paste)

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart docker.service

Then re-run:

docker pull hello-world

What you should see

Instead of staying on Waiting, it should start downloading layers and progress normally.

If it still hangs after the restart, then it’s likely DNS/router filtering (Pi-hole/AdGuard/router security). In that case I suggest changing DNS to Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1) or Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) and trying again.

9

Like this?

image
image542×296 13.5 KB

10

Yes, exactly like that.

Putting 8.8.8.8 in the DNS field is correct, but I suggest adding a second DNS as well (more reliable).

Best DNS options

Google DNS

  • Primary: 8.8.8.8
  • Secondary: 8.8.4.4

OR Cloudflare DNS (often faster)

  • Primary: 1.1.1.1
  • Secondary: 1.0.0.1

What to do

  1. Enter two DNS IPs (if the UI allows it)
  2. Save/apply
  3. Restart Docker:
sudo systemctl restart docker.service
  1. Test again:
docker pull hello-world

Expected result

It should no longer hang on “Waiting” and should start pulling layers immediately.

If it still hangs after DNS + Docker restart, then the router/ISP is blocking registry traffic and we’ll need to test using a phone hotspot to confirm.

11

Thanks everyone for your help my latest is it does hang on waiting so going to change the DNS as suggested sorry if this sounds stupid I do change them on my router

Simon