This repository provides an SMTP service for Frigate, enabling automated email notifications for detected events. Each alert includes an attached snapshot of the event and a URL linking to the corresponding video clip. Example email: Some information redacted for privacy.

Prerequisites

Docker installed on your system
Docker Compose installed
Git installed to clone the repository

Project Structure

/docker
├── Dockerfile           # Docker image definition
├── docker-compose.yaml  # Docker Compose configuration
├── generate_config.py   # Script to generate configuration
├── main.py              # Main application script
└── requirements.txt     # Python dependencies

Installation and Usage

Follow these steps to set up and run the Frigate SMTP service:

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/UndercoverComputing/frigate-smtp
cd frigate-smtp/docker/

Configure Environment Variables

Open the docker-compose.yaml file in a text editor and define the necessary environment variables. Ensure all required variables (e.g., SMTP server settings) are correctly set.

Example snippet from docker-compose.yaml:

 services:
   frigate-smtp:
     build: .    # Build image from local Dockerfile in current directory
     container_name: frigate-smtp    # Set container name for easier management
     image: frigate-smtp    # Name of the Docker image
     restart: unless-stopped    # Automatically restart container unless manually stopped
     environment:    # Environment variables to configure the service
       SMTP_SERVER: smtp.example.com    # SMTP server address for sending emails
       SMTP_PORT: 587    # SMTP server port (usually 587 for TLS)
       SMTP_USERNAME: user@example.com    # SMTP username for authentication
       SMTP_PASSWORD: yourpassword    # SMTP password for authentication
       EMAIL_FROM: user@example.com    # Sender email address
       EMAIL_TO: you@example.com,friend@example.com     # Recipient email addresses (comma-separated)
       HOMEASSISTANT_URL: https://ha.domain.com    # URL to Home Assistant instance (external)
       HOMEASSISTANT_IP: http://ha-ip:8123    # Home Assistant internal IP URL
       MQTT_BROKER_IP: mqtt-ip    # MQTT broker IP address
       MQTT_PORT: 1883    # MQTT broker port
       MQTT_USERNAME: mqttuser    # MQTT username for authentication
       MQTT_PASSWORD: mqttpass    # MQTT password for authentication

Replace your.smtp.server, 587, your_username, and your_password with your actual SMTP server details.

Per-camera rules

Example alert_rules.json:

{
  "driveway": {
    "labels": ["person", "car"],
    "zones": ["Drive"]
  },
  "backyard": {
    "labels": ["person", "dog"],
    "zones": []
  },
  "garage": {
    "labels": ["person"],
    "zones": ["Front", "Side"]
  }
}

labels: list of labels to allow for that camera (case-insensitive).
zones: list of zones to allow for that camera (case-insensitive). If left empty or omitted, events in all zones will trigger notifications for that camera.
If the zones list is non-empty, events detected outside those zones for that camera will not generate an email alert.

Mount the file in Docker so the container can read it: docker-compose.yaml:

volumes:
  - ./alert_rules.json:/app/alert_rules.json:ro

If alert_rules.json is present, the script will check the camera name, allowed labels, and allowed zones defined in that file. Cameras not listed in the file will be ignored. If alert_rules.json is not present, the script falls back to ALLOWED_CAMERAS and IGNORED_LABELS.

Run the Application

Build and start the Docker containers in detached mode:
```
docker compose up --build -d
```
- The --build flag ensures the Docker image is built before starting.
- The -d flag runs the containers in the background.
Verify the Service

Check the container logs to ensure the service is running correctly:
```
docker compose logs
```

Stopping the Service

To stop the running containers:

docker compose down

Troubleshooting

Ensure all environment variables in docker-compose.yaml are correctly set.
Verify that your SMTP server is accessible and the credentials are valid.
Check Docker logs for errors: docker compose logs frigate-smtp.
Ensure Docker and Docker Compose are up to date.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please fork the repository, create a new branch, and submit a pull request with your changes.