Accessing system folder in the Self-hosted AI starter kit

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Apologise in advance but I couldn’t find the solution through search, google, perplexity or GPT. I have got as far as I can but am now totally stuck, not having any experience with docker.

Describe the problem/error/question

I can’t access local files within the N8N docker. I have updated the following section of the YAML file;

 n8n:
    <<: *service-n8n
    container_name: n8n
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - 5678:5678
    volumes:
      - n8n_storage:/home/node/.n8n
      - ./n8n/backup:/backup
      - ./shared:/data/shared
      - C:/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault:/data/obsidian
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy
      n8n-import:
        condition: service_completed_successfully

I am using docker UI and do not see the folder mounted

What is the error message (if any)?

Please share your workflow

Share the output returned by the last node

None as I assume the folder isn’t mounted

Information on your n8n setup

• n8n version: 1.63.4
• Database (default: SQLite):
• n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
• Running n8n via Docker):
• Operating system: Win 11

[n8n]

It looks like your topic is missing some important information. Could you provide the following if applicable.

• n8n version:
• Database (default: SQLite):
• n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
• Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app):
• Operating system:

[barn4k]

hello @Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin

probably that’s because you have a space in the folder path. enclose the path into double quotes, e.g. "C:/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault":/data/obsidian

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Ah, thank you. I just tried that but it still isn’t working.

[barn4k]

Maybe you need the backslashes there, as Windows paths use backslashes instead of forward ones:
"C:\Users\lloyd\Documents\Main Vault":/data/obsidian

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

I should have said, sorry. I did try that but still no joy. I am flummaxed from everything I have read.

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Although tbf I have just tried to pick the file from the default shared folder and that isn’t working either

I must be doing something wrong.

[barn4k]

What was the error? Permission denied or something else?

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Absolutely nothing. The node returns as no data returned but no actual error.

Docker doiesn’t show the folder as mounted either.

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Ok, so the node is working for the shared folder now.

The file was named incorrectly (windows added the .txt even though it was already there. Yay windows!!)

So the issue is specifically mapping the folder to the docker setup.

[barn4k]

Maybe one of the listed below will work
- "C:/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault/":/data/obsidian
- "/c/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault":/data/obsidian
- "/c/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault/":/data/obsidian
- "//c/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault":/data/obsidian
- "//c/Users/lloyd/Documents/Main Vault/":/data/obsidian

I don’t have a docker for windows right now, so can’t test

[Lloyd_Bettell-Higgin]

Thank you for all your help. All my research would suggest it is very difficult to bind a folder to docker in windows. Shocker I know. I have gone the other way round and put the Obsidian vault in the shared folder and redirected all the things for Obsidian as that was easier. Thanks again though.