Self-hosted streaming server in a Docker container on Ubuntu

Disclaimer

Before proceeding, please note that this article is for educational purposes only. It aims to provide information on setting up a self-hosted streaming server, but it is your responsibility to ensure compliance with all local, national, and international laws. I assume no liability for any misuse of this information.

This guide documents the process of setting up a self-hosted streaming server. The services covered include Jellyfin, Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, qBittorrent, Jackett, Flaresolverr, Ombi, and Heimdall, all installed on Docker containers in Ubuntu. Here’s a brief overview of these services:

Requirements

Hosting: You’ll need a machine to host this setup. Options include an AWS EC2 instance, Raspberry Pi, mini PC, or your laptop.

Command-Line knowledge: Familiarity with Linux command-line interface is essential.

Operating System: This guide uses Ubuntu, so a basic understanding of Linux is recommended.

Getting Started

Step 1: Create the Directory Structure

Organise your server with the following folder structure:

mkdir ~/server  
mkdir ~/server/media ~/server/media/movies  ~/server/media/music  ~/server/media/tv
mkdir ~/server/torrents ~/server/torrents/incomplete  ~/server/torrents/movies  ~/server/torrents/music  ~/server/torrents/tv 
mkdir ~/server/compose ~/server/compose/media-server

The folder media stores the downloaded files.
The folder torrents stores the files being downloaded.
The folder compose stores the the services.

You should have the following directories:

server/
├── compose
│   └── media-server
├── media
│   ├── movies
│   ├── music
│   └── tv
└── torrents
    ├── incomplete
    ├── movies
    ├── music
    └── tv

Ensure Docker has the appropriate permissions to access the media folder:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /media
chmod -R 775 /media

Step 2: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Update your system and install Docker:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose -y

Enable and start Docker:

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

Step 3: Create a docker-compose.yml File

Use a text editor to create the docker-compose.yml file:

nano ~/server/compose/media-server/docker-compose.yml

Add the following content:

version: "3.8"
services:
    # torrent indexer
    jackett:
        container_name: jackett
        image: linuxserver/jackett
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/jackett:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/torrents:/downloads'
        ports:
          - '9117:9117'
        restart: unless-stopped

    #tv shows
    sonarr:
        container_name: sonarr
        image: linuxserver/sonarr
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        ports:
          - '8989:8989'
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/sonarr:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server:/data'
        restart: unless-stopped

    # movies
    radarr:
        container_name: radarr
        image: linuxserver/radarr
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        ports:
          - '7878:7878'
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/radarr:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server:/data'
        restart: unless-stopped

    #music
    lidarr:
        container_name: lidarr
        image: ghcr.io/linuxserver/lidarr
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/liadarr:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server:/data'
        ports:
          - '8686:8686'
        restart: unless-stopped

    jellyfin:
        container_name: jellyfin
        image: jellyfin/jellyfin:latest
        network_mode: bridge
        ports:
          - "8096:8096"
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/jellyfin:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/media:/data/media'
        restart: unless-stopped

    # requesting movies
    ombi:
        container_name: ombi
        image: ghcr.io/linuxserver/ombi
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/ombi:/config'
        ports:
          - '3579:3579'
        restart: unless-stopped

    # torrent downloader
    qflood:
        container_name: qflood
        image: hotio/qflood
        ports:
          - "8080:8080"
          - "3005:3000"
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - UMASK=002
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
          - FLOOD_AUTH=false
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/qflood:/config'
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/torrents:/data/torrents'
        restart: unless-stopped

    # dashboard
    heimdall:
        container_name: heimdall
        image: ghcr.io/linuxserver/heimdall
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        volumes:
          - '/home/ubuntu/server/configs/heimdall:/config'
        ports:
          - 8090:80
        restart: unless-stopped

    # captcha solver
    flaresolverr:
        container_name: flaresolverr
        image: 'ghcr.io/flaresolverr/flaresolverr:latest'
        ports:
          - '8191:8191'
        environment:
          - PUID=1000
          - PGID=1000
          - TZ=Asia/Kolkata
        restart: unless-stopped

Note: in the paths above, ubuntu refers to my local user.

Step 4: Launch the stack

Run the following command to start the containers:

docker-compose up -d

Configuring your server

Configuring Heimdall: Your Centralized Dashboard

Heimdall is a lightweight, customizable dashboard designed to act as a central hub for accessing all your services. Follow these steps to set it up:

Access Heimdall:

Open your browser and navigate to http://<your-server-ip>:8090.

Set a Password (Optional):

Add Your Services:

Repeat for All Services:

Add all the services you want to access through Heimdall by repeating the above steps.

Heimdall will now serve as your centralised dashboard, providing quick and organised access to all your configured services.

Configuring qBittorrent: Your Torrent Downloader

qBittorrent is a powerful torrent downloader that seamlessly integrates with Sonarr, Radarr, and Lidarr to automate torrent management. Access it through http://<your-server-ip>:8080.

Initial Access

Default Credentials:

It’s highly recommended to change these credentials:

Configuration Steps

1. Set Default Download Paths:

2. Create Categories for Media: Categories help organize your downloads and move them to the correct folders.

Ensure the paths match the directories you created earlier to store media files.

By following these steps, qBittorrent will automatically organise and move completed downloads into the appropriate folders, streamlining your media server setup.

Configuring Jackett: Your Torrent Indexer

Jackett acts as a bridge between your download automation tools (like Sonarr, Radarr, and Lidarr) and torrent trackers. Access it at http://<your-server-ip>:9117.

Log In and Secure Jackett

Add Indexers

1. Find Indexers:

2. Add an Indexer: Click the Add button next to the desired indexer.

3. Configure the Indexer:

4. Test the Connection: Once configured, test the indexer to ensure it is functioning correctly.

5. Copy the API Key

Jackett is now ready to provide torrent search results to your automation tools, enhancing your media server’s functionality!

Sonarr (TV Shows)

Sonarr automates the download, organization, and management of TV shows. Access it at http://<your-server-ip>:8989.

Configure Download Clients

Add Indexers

Set the Root Folder

Repeat for Radarr (Movies) and Lidarr (Music)

Follow similar steps for configuring download clients, adding indexers, and defining root folders for each service. This ensures all media types are downloaded, organized, and stored in the correct directories.

Ombi

Access it at http://<your-server-ip>:3579.

Ombi is a user-friendly platform for managing media requests. Setting it up is straightforward:

That’s it! Ombi is now ready to handle requests for your media library.

Jellyfin (Viewing Platform)

Access it at http://<your-server-ip>:8096.

Jellyfin is your media playback hub. Setting it up is simple:

Once the setup is complete, your media server will be ready for streaming. Enjoy your personalized media experience!

-r via Docker and integrate it with Sonarr and Radarr to automatically download subtitles for your media.

Final Testing

After setting up all services and applying these final touches, verify the entire pipeline:

With everything in place, you can now enjoy your secure and private self-hosted streaming server! 🎉

Additional Touches

These are not yet covered in this guide.

Set Up SSL Certificates for Secure Access

Bind Services to a VPN for Privacy

Install Bazarr for Automated Subtitle Management