How to Install Paperless-ngx AI on Your Synology NAS

Managing documents can quickly become overwhelming, especially for growing businesses and individuals with large volumes of paperwork. Paperless-ngx AI is an open-source solution that simplifies document storage and automates organization. This guide will walk you through installing Paperless-ngx AI on your Synology NAS, transforming how you manage documents.

Why Use Paperless-ngx AI on Synology NAS?

Combining the powerful storage capabilities of a Synology NAS with the intelligent features of Paperless-ngx AI creates an efficient and automated document management system. Here’s why it’s a great choice:

• Automated Document Processing: AI-powered tagging and categorization.
• Centralized Storage: Securely store and access documents from anywhere.
• OCR Support: Convert scanned documents into searchable text.
• Open-Source and Customizable: Fully customizable to meet your needs.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation, make sure you have the following:

• A Synology NAS with Docker support.
• DSM (DiskStation Manager) updated to the latest version.
• Docker and Docker Compose installed on your NAS.
• SSH access enabled on your NAS (for advanced setup).

Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

1. Log in to your Synology DSM.
2. Open Package Center.
3. Search for Docker and install it.
4. Install Docker Compose using SSH:

sudo -i curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose docker-compose --version

Step 2: Set Up the Paperless-ngx Docker Container

1. Open File Station and create a shared folder, e.g., paperless.
2. Open Docker, go to Registry, and search for paperless-ngx.
3. Download the latest version.
4. In Docker, go to Image, select the downloaded image, and click Launch.

Configure the Container:

• Volume:
  • /paperless/data → /var/lib/paperless/data
  • /paperless/media → /var/lib/paperless/media
• Port Settings:
  • Local Port: 8000 → Container Port: 8000

Environment Variables:

PAPERLESS_ADMIN_USER=admin
PAPERLESS_ADMIN_PASSWORD=YourSecurePassword
PAPERLESS_URL=http://localhost:8000

Step 3: Launch Paperless-ngx AI

1. Start the container from the Docker interface.
2. Open your browser and go to http://<Your-NAS-IP>:8000.
3. Log in with the admin credentials you set.

Step 4: Optional – Enable OCR and AI Features

Paperless-ngx can automatically read and categorize documents using OCR and AI models.

• Install Tesseract OCR:sudo apt-get install tesseract-ocr
• Configure AI settings in the Paperless interface for better document classification.

Step 5: Access and Use Paperless-ngx AI

• Upload documents manually or configure automated document ingestion.
• Use AI tagging and search features to organize and find files quickly.
• Set up workflows for document processing automation.

Installing Paperless-ngx AI on your Synology NAS gives you a powerful, scalable document management solution. With AI-driven categorization and secure storage, managing your documents becomes seamless and efficient.