In the world of Docker dashboards, there’s always something new popping up, offering more features, customization, and ease of use. One such newcomer that has caught my attention recently is Glance. If you’re familiar with other dashboards or even monitoring tools like Glances, the name might sound a bit familiar. However, Glance offers something a little different, and after testing it out, I think it could easily become one of your go-to dashboard solutions.
In this post, I’ll walk you through what Glance is, how it works, and why it might just be the best Docker dashboard for you.
What is Glance?
Glance is a Docker-friendly, customizable dashboard that allows you to curate content feeds and display relevant information at a glance (hence the name!). The interface is split into multiple columns and is designed to help you view a variety of data sources, including RSS feeds, Reddit posts, YouTube videos, weather updates, and much more.
At its core, Glance is designed for users who want quick access to important data—whether it’s new videos from your favorite creators, trending Reddit posts, or breaking news from around the web—all in one place.
Why “Glance”?
The name Glance is perfect for this dashboard because it gives you a quick overview of everything you need to know, right at your fingertips. It’s a simple yet powerful dashboard, designed to help you glance at your content and important data without having to dig around for it.
But I do want to clarify the potential confusion with Glances—a monitoring tool that shares a similar name but offers completely different functionality.
How Glance Looks
When you first set up Glance, you’ll notice that it’s split into three main sections:
- A small left column
- A full-width main column
- A small right column
This setup lets you organize your content and widgets exactly the way you want. You can place anything from a calendar and weather information to YouTube RSS feeds, Hacker News, Reddit posts, and even Twitch channels. The great part is that you can personalize what goes where.
For example:
- The left column might feature weather updates and calendar.
- The middle column is a great place to show your YouTube feed or news updates.
- The right column could house your Reddit feeds or any other widgets you find useful.
Mobile-Friendly Design
Another great feature of Glance is its mobile responsiveness. It’s not just “mobile-ready”; it’s designed to work seamlessly across devices, making it easy to check in on your dashboard from your phone or tablet while on the go.
As you can see from my demo, you can scroll through content like YouTube videos and Reddit posts without any hassle. Glance’s mobile interface is well-optimized, and the layout adjusts perfectly to different screen sizes.
Setting Up Glance
Setting up Glance is incredibly easy, and since it’s built with Docker in mind, you can get it running in just a few minutes. If you’re familiar with Docker, you can either run it with a simple Docker Compose or use Docker Run commands.
Here’s a quick overview of how you would set it up:
- Clone the Glance repository from GitHub.
- Set up your glance.yml configuration file, which lets you specify the layout, widgets, and data sources.
- Deploy Glance using Docker.
Once you’re up and running, you’ll have a beautiful, fully customizable dashboard at your fingertips. You can modify the layout, color scheme, and the types of feeds or widgets you want to include. For example, I added my YouTube feeds, Reddit subreddits, and Hacker News—but you can adjust it to fit your needs!
Customization Options
Glance offers tons of customization options, from themes to layouts. You can easily modify the look and feel of your dashboard by tweaking a few settings in the glance.yml file.
- Themes: Choose from a set of pre-configured themes, or tweak them further using color codes.
- Widgets: Add a variety of widgets, including RSS feeds, YouTube videos, stock tickers, weather, and more.
- Layout: Modify the number of columns or change the order in which things appear to suit your preference.
The best part is that all of this can be done quickly, and there’s a wealth of documentation available to guide you through the setup process.
Behind the Scenes: GitHub Repository
If you want to dive into the technical side of things, you can always visit the Glance GitHub repository. This is where you can find everything from installation guides to advanced configuration options.
The repository includes detailed instructions for:
- Docker Compose and Docker Run setups.
- Configuration options for adding and arranging widgets.
- Theming and layout customization.
- Notes on Glance’s active development status (a friendly warning that things might break or change as it evolves).
Remember, because Glance is still under development, you might encounter a few hiccups along the way. It’s always a good idea to check the GitHub page for updates and potential changes.
My Experience with Glance
After testing out Glance, I’m pretty impressed with its simplicity and ease of use. I’ve been able to curate a dashboard that serves all of my needs: keeping up with the latest YouTube videos, tracking Reddit posts, and checking out weather updates—all in one place.
What I love most is how lightweight and minimalistic the setup is. It doesn’t require any bloated frameworks or complicated dependencies, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a fast and efficient dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Glance offers a simple, elegant solution for creating your personalized content dashboard. Whether you’re tracking news, weather, YouTube videos, or Reddit posts, this dashboard lets you do it all with ease.
It’s perfect for anyone who loves to stay updated on a variety of topics in one central location. And with its user-friendly setup and mobile optimization, it’s definitely a dashboard worth checking out.
Let me know what you think about Glance in the comments below! Would you give this Docker dashboard a try? If you have any suggestions or feedback, feel free to share it.
Get Started with Glance
Check out the Glance GitHub repository for installation instructions, configuration details, and more. Everything you need to get started is there!
Additionally, make sure to visit my social profiles linked down below, where I’ll continue to share tips, tutorials, and other cool projects.
Happy Dashboarding!