User Manual

Complete guide to using DracoCam's features and interface

1. Getting Started

Initial Setup

  1. Account Creation: Register for a DracoCam account at dracocam.com
  2. Plan Selection: Choose the plan that fits your camera count and feature needs
  3. Software Installation: Download and install the DracoCam client for your operating system
  4. First Login: Access the web dashboard using your account credentials
  5. License Activation: Your license activates automatically upon first login

System Requirements

  • Minimum: 2GB RAM, dual-core processor, 10GB storage
  • Recommended: 8GB RAM, quad-core processor, 100GB+ storage
  • Network: 100 Mbps ethernet connection, static IP preferred
  • Operating System: Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, Ubuntu 20.04+

2. Linux Installation

Debian / Ubuntu (.deb)

  1. Download: Get the latest .deb package from the Downloads page
  2. Install: 
    sudo dpkg -i dracocam_*.deb
sudo apt-get install -f    # resolve any missing dependencies
  3. Start the service: 
    sudo systemctl enable dracocam-agent
sudo systemctl start dracocam-agent

Red Hat / Fedora / CentOS (.rpm)

  1. Download: Get the latest .rpm package from the Downloads page
  2. Install: 
    sudo dnf install ./dracocam-*.rpm
# or on older systems: sudo rpm -Uvh dracocam-*.rpm
  3. Start the service: 
    sudo systemctl enable dracocam-agent
sudo systemctl start dracocam-agent

Manual Install (tarball)

  1. Extract: 
    sudo tar xzf dracocam-linux-*.tar.gz -C /opt/dracocam
  2. Create service user: 
    sudo useradd -r -s /usr/sbin/nologin -d /opt/dracocam dracocam
sudo chown -R dracocam:dracocam /opt/dracocam
  3. Install systemd service: 
    sudo cp /opt/dracocam/dracocam-agent.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable dracocam-agent
sudo systemctl start dracocam-agent

Service Management

  • Check status: sudo systemctl status dracocam-agent
  • View logs: journalctl -u dracocam-agent -f
  • Stop agent: sudo systemctl stop dracocam-agent
  • Restart agent: sudo systemctl restart dracocam-agent

Updates

  • .deb installs: Download the new .deb and run sudo dpkg -i dracocam_*.deb — the service restarts automatically
  • .rpm installs: Download the new .rpm and run sudo dnf upgrade ./dracocam-*.rpm
  • Tarball installs: Updates are applied automatically by the agent

Uninstall

  • .deb: sudo apt remove dracocam
  • .rpm: sudo dnf remove dracocam
  • Tarball: sudo systemctl disable --now dracocam-agent && sudo rm -rf /opt/dracocam

3. Dashboard Overview

Navigation

  • Dashboard: System overview and quick status
  • Gallery: Browse and search recorded videos
  • Settings: System configuration and preferences
  • Support: Help resources and contact options

Dashboard Features

  • System Status: Camera count, recording status, storage usage
  • Record Button: Control recording from Dashboard
  • Live Preview: Use live preview to setup camera or to view your camera live for up to two minutes

Gallery Features

  • Search Bar: Search by date, time, camera name, motion detection tag, sound detection tag

4. Camera Management

Adding Cameras

  • Auto Discovery: Once you download and run DracoCam Agent, it will automatically search your network for compatible cameras. *all cameras except proprietary cameras locked such as Ring will work.
  • Manual Entry: You can also enter your camera IP address and credentials manually in the Dashboard
  • Test in Dashboard: Camera should be selectable in Live Preview and Record. Please refresh browser if your camera doesn't appear at first.

Camera Configuration

  • Recording Quality: DracoCam will automatically detect and use your camera's native resolution and quality settings.

5. Recording and Playback

Recording

  • Motion/Sound Detection: DracoCam uses AI to detect motion and sound, automatically recording when activity is detected
  • Manual Recording: Start and stop recording from the dashboard

Playback Features

  • Gallery View: Browse all recorded videos
  • Search: Filter by date, camera, motion detection, or sound detection tags
  • Download: Download individual recordings

6. Motion Detection

  • Smart Detection: DracoCam adapts to your environment using AI to detect motion or sound
  • Detection Sensitivity: Sensitivity can be configured via the config file for your environment
  • Notifications: Receive push notifications when motion or sound is detected