Example Plugins

Learning from existing plugins is one of the best ways to understand Unraid plugin development. Here are some well-structured plugins to study.

📷 Screenshot needed: Example plugin interfaces

Example plugins

Dynamix Plugins (by @bonienl)

The gold standard for Unraid plugins. Clean, well-organized code.

Plugin Good For Learning
dynamix.system.temp Settings pages, sensor polling, nchan
dynamix.system.stats Dashboard widgets, real-time updates

Key patterns:

  • Clean PLG structure
  • Proper package building
  • Multi-language support
  • Settings page templates

Community Applications (by @Squid)

The app store plugin itself is a masterclass in PHP development.

Key patterns:

  • Extensive JavaScript/AJAX
  • Plugin template management
  • API integration

Compose Manager

A great example of Docker integration and modern plugin patterns.

Key patterns:

  • Event scripts for Docker (started, stopping_docker)
  • WebUI patches (version-specific in patches/ directory)
  • Settings with multiple options
  • Build scripts for packages
  • Docker labels integration (net.unraid.docker.*)
  • Async loading patterns for better UX
  • Header menu items (Type="xmenu")
  • Conditional page display

User Scripts (by @Squid)

Simple but effective plugin for running custom scripts.

Unassigned Devices (by @dlandon)

Advanced device management plugin.

Plugin Patterns to Study

Simple Settings Plugin

Look at dynamix.system.temp for:

├── TempSettings.page      # Settings form
├── default.cfg            # Default values
└── include/
    └── helpers.php        # Utility functions

Dashboard Widget

Look at dynamix.system.stats for:

  • Footer integration
  • Real-time updates via nchan
  • CSS for dashboard styling

Docker Integration

Look at compose.manager for:

├── event/
│   ├── started            # Autostart stacks
│   └── stopping_docker    # Graceful shutdown
├── php/
│   └── exec.php           # AJAX backend
└── scripts/
    └── compose.sh         # Docker commands

WebUI Patching

Look at compose.manager/patches/ for:

  • Patching Docker Manager UI
  • Version-specific patches
  • Patch/unpatch scripts

Code Snippets from Real Plugins

Reading Plugin Config

From dynamix.system.temp:

$plugin = 'dynamix.system.temp';
$cfg = parse_plugin_cfg($plugin);
$unit = $display['unit'];  // System temperature unit

AJAX Endpoint

From compose.manager/php/exec.php:

<?php
require_once("/usr/local/emhttp/plugins/compose.manager/php/defines.php");

$action = $_POST['action'] ?? '';

switch($action) {
    case 'getStatus':
        echo getStackStatus();
        break;
    case 'startStack':
        echo startStack($_POST['name']);
        break;
    default:
        echo "Unknown action";
}

Event Handler

From compose.manager/event/started:

#!/bin/bash
source /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/compose.manager/default.cfg
source /boot/config/plugins/compose.manager/compose.manager.cfg

for dir in $PROJECTS_FOLDER/*; do
    if [ -f "$dir/autostart" ]; then
        logger "Starting stack: ${dir##*/}"
        # Start the stack...
    fi
done

Package Build Script

From compose.manager/pkg_build.sh:

#!/bin/bash
tmpdir=/tmp/build.$$
mkdir -p $tmpdir/usr/local/emhttp/plugins/myplugin

# Copy source files
cp -R source/myplugin/* $tmpdir/usr/local/emhttp/plugins/myplugin/

# Set permissions
chmod +x $tmpdir/usr/local/emhttp/plugins/myplugin/event/*
chmod +x $tmpdir/usr/local/emhttp/plugins/myplugin/scripts/*

# Create package
cd $tmpdir
makepkg -l y -c y /output/myplugin-package-$VERSION.txz

Finding More Examples

Search for Unraid plugins:

  • unraid plugin plg in GitHub
  • emhttp plugins in code search
  • Look at forks of popular plugins

Installed Plugins

Your own server is a learning resource:

# List installed plugins
ls /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/

# View a plugin's files
ls -la /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/community.applications/

# Read a page file
cat /usr/local/emhttp/plugins/dynamix.system.temp/TempSettings.page

Unraid Forums

Tips for Studying Plugins

  1. Start with simple plugins - Don’t jump into Community Applications first
  2. Compare similar plugins - See how different authors solve the same problem
  3. Test live - Edit files in /usr/local/emhttp/ to experiment
  4. Read the PLG first - Understand what gets installed where
  5. Check the events - See how plugins integrate with system lifecycle

Contributing Examples

Have a well-documented plugin? Consider:

  1. Adding detailed comments to your code
  2. Writing a README explaining architecture
  3. Submitting it to this documentation as an example

See Also