Submitted 4 months ago by ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com to selfhosted@lemmy.world
Standard answer: Debian.
If you really don’t want Debian, the next answer is Rocky or Alma.
really good file management options; bulk rename with rules is a must even if it’s an additional program
This has nothing to do with the distro. Powerful rename tools are available everywhere. Personally, I just let Radarr etc. handle the importing and renaming of files and I never touch them (well, hardly ever).
Docker is pretty easy to use, and is easy to play with either on your own system (linux or windows) or in VM guest system. The learning curve isn’t that high and Jellyfin for example has a clear set up guide for docker on their wiki.
But radarr, sonarr etc can be installed directly within linux without docker. The Servarr wiki (that these projects use officially to share information as they’re so similar) has lots of straight forward guides for set up on Linux, Windows, Mac etc as well as Docker.
I have a Linux guest VM set up with a Radarr, Sonarr etc set up, VPN and torrent set up. It was easy to do and means its network activity is all securely contained away from my host system. The tools let me set naming rules and file preferences. The library is a shared n folder in my host system, and that is included in my Jellyfin library. So all I have to do is subscribe to something i am interested in and it will just appear in my library once downloaded. The servarr tools are extremely convenient and worth looking at if you’re adding to that 30tb library over time.
everything I’ve seen for radarr, sonarr, overseerr, etc. require docker
Back when I was using Sonarr a couple years ago before that really good free tracker died, I wasn’t using docker at all. Just a systemd unit for the server and one for the web interface I believe, or maybe just the one for both. I’m on Arch.
I hope that helps.
Debian
Take a distro with a package manager you are familiar with. Debian should do it.
And try out docker it’s really easy to learn and straight forward.
Jellyfin has a well documented docker compose.yml which is just a textfile that points out the facts like used versions, environment and volume paths.
I did a transition from my docker compose tools to a new system in under an hour yesterday. All I had to do was backup the volumes or data paths. Firing up the containers looks like a new install but it’s just downloading the container and everything runs like before without losing any config.
If you use docker, it doesnt matter the distro. And to use docker, you dont really need to understand how/why it works. As long as you can take an example compose file and spin it up (docker compose up) it’ll be less complicated in the long run than managing plex on the host machine (or most software for that matter, which is why containerization is so popular.)
I really think the learning curve will be less than you think. Please consider at least reading the installation instructions. Here’s the page for linuxserver.io’s maintained plex docker container. I’ve linked to the usage section, where you can copy the compose file to deploy it. github.com/linuxserver/docker-plex?tab=readme-ov-…
Adding to the Docker chorus. I started using Docker before even using the command line. My route in was to use Unraid but that may not be best for you. I use Portainer in another install but I think the way it handles storage is a bit obtuse. In any case, as many others have said, using Docker is a piece of cake once you understand the basic ideas. Those being that a container is like a portable self contained machine that runs a specific service and any persistent storage needs to be outside the container. Containers are always my first idea when running a service as you know they will work on your system, you don’t have to worry that there will be conflicts or whatever.
Ignore the noise and use Ubuntu LTS. Subscribe for the free Ubuntu Pro service.
If you’re hell bent on not using Ubuntu, use Debian.
In either case, use Docker. I don’t know what the version of Docker is in Debian but in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, it’s recent enough so you don’t have to f around with third party repos.
I use Fedora Server with Podman (instead of Docker). I am not a noob either, but cockpit provides a really useful GUI for managing the whole operating system.
Syntax-wise, it’s meant to be identical. I got on board when they were the only ones that enabled rootless (without admin privileges) mode. That’s no longer the case with rootless docker.
I’m personally a fan of the red hat docs and how-to’s on podman over the mixed bag of tech bro medium articles I associate with docker.
At the end of the day this is a bit of a Pokemon starter question. If your top priority is to get a reasonably common and straightforward job done just pick one and see where it takes you! :)
Ubuntu server, it’s a bit more modern than Debian and has a massive install base which means someone has had your problem and fixed it before and documented it.
Debian is always the answer for a stable, easy to set up server OS.
You don’t need to use Docker if you don’t want to, you can install Plex/Jellyfin using their normal apt repos instead.
Bonus round: anyone who’s ever transferred Plex servers from win to Linux (insert flavor), is it actually possible to keep my collections and playlists and stuff?
Yes, transfer your plex database and that will come with it.
OpenSuSE is a good distro with nice tools like Yast that have a decent CLI interface, and has server releases. The leap edition is stable but relatively up to date.
But there are lots of viable alternatives, and if you’re going to use Docker then the host distro is probably not as important as you think.
Simplest route may be to set up a demo server within a VM and see which one chimes the most with your style of use and maintenance. You could have a functioning demo server with docker and deploy both jellyfin and Plex in 20mins.
Then I’d definitely set up a test system in a VM on your own PC (I.e. not the actual server machines). Even if you don’t want to use Docker, you can set up a complete version of your new server and practice deploying Jellyfin and Plex, and then test accessing it “remotely” to manage it. You can then decide whether switching away from Win11 is worth it.
If you’re not familiar with the process of setting up a linux server then I’d actually suggest Debian instead of OpenSuSe. Looking at the Jellyfin guide for example it specifically covers the steps for installing directly onto a Debian host (while OpenSuSE set up means using the Fedora RPM guide). There are also straight forward guides for setting up a Debian server.
Personally I’m not a fan of Ubuntu (because of Canonical and Snap etc) but there may also be a good choice just because there are so many guides out there for setting up Ubuntu server.
I use NixOS for all my systems now, single config covers two servers, laptop, notebook and desktop.
Containers aren’t something to be afraid of, I’ve found nix + podman to be super easy to use / configure, so much it’s a copy / paste a config from another container with some small directory changes.
If you are not someone who likes using a terminal perhaps nix isn’t for you. I’ve found forcing the terminal & configuring via nix has given me much more insight into my machines / os than ever before. If you’ve got the time to mess with Nix I’d recommend it.
If that sounds like a bunch of effort and time to get something that may be easier via another method, I’d say Proxmox is the way to go.
Running through my config I’ve just noticed that I’ve got an IP conflict that I wasn’t aware of, but makes total sense right now 😅
It sounds like you don’t necessarily like the idea of using a container (I tend to use podman, but most guides are for docker, so that’d probably be easier for you). From my experience, containerising things actually makes things a lot easier, especially in the long run, and getting started is a lot easier than it seems. You can probably find a ready-made guide to set up a plex or jellyfin container on Debian.
Funnily enough, I use FreeBSD. It’s simple and easy. I only forgo hw acceleration but don’t miss it at all
I use appjails to containerise my apps like jellyfin, it’s similar to docker but simpler and more powerful
I’ll add my vote as it’s not been mentioned: DietPi - based on Debian (since the majority are recommending that) and has a really easy “one click” menu system to install apps (of which include Jellyfin, Plex). And a built in updater to keep everything up to date. And it’ll install on pretty much anything (SBCs, new PCs, old PCs, VMs).
No need to use docker, it installs everything directly, though it does support it if you want to go down that route.
Or, DietPi with CasaOS which is a web interface and app store for docker installations.
Lastly, Plex have their own guide on what you need to copy to move your Plex data from one system to another: …plex.tv/…/201370363-move-an-install-to-another-s…
Originally it was for the Pi, but can also be installed on x64 PC systems, either UEFI or BIOS, so basically runs on anything. It does run great on a Pi, it’s biggest advantage being that it logs to RAM, which massively saves on SD card wear. It’s also the only current distro which works reliably on the original Pi 1 nowadays (if you still have those hanging around!)
And I get that everyone saying “Docker!” is a bit boring, but there is a reason for it - containerising everything does make it a lot easier to manage and migrate everything to another system or revert back a single component to a different version. And you just backup a config file and your data folder for each container and you can recreate your system so easily. If you install directly, you have to worry about databases, file paths, permissions… but as you said, there’s nothing wrong with just installing stuff. Especially if it’s only a few programs.
I run 26 docker containers. Installing all those on a system would be a mess…
but I’m super disenchanted on docker after this thread if I’m being honest
What made you feel that way? (I’m not too familiar with docker much tbh and I’m thinking of hosting on a Pi just like you.)
I use Alpine Linux for all my dockers, small and fast.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I’ve seen in this thread:
| Fewer Letters | More Letters |
|---|---|
| LTS | Long Term Support software version |
| NAS | Network-Attached Storage |
| Plex | Brand of media server package |
| VPN | Virtual Private Network |
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Another vote for Debian, and I’ll suggest you go ahead and install Jellyfin directly rather than messing with Docker.
jellyfin.org/downloads/server
I’d been running JF under Docker on my NAS, but when I moved to a new server I decided to just install it directly and it hasn’t been any problem at all. You’ll get a notification when it needs to be updated and it’s just a few clicks to do so. You won’t have to fight with Docker to get hardware acceleration working - which isn’t to say it won’t be a PITA, but it’s one less layer of complication.
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
Debian
Debian
Debian
Yes, it’s relatively simple, especially with Docker. Back up the Plex folder from your windows machine. Once your new OS is set up, put the folder where you wanna store it and point Docker to that folder in the compose.yaml.
gramathy@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Does the docker container have gpu access for transcoding?
scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech 4 months ago
Yes, if you pass the gpu into the container
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
It is possible to pass transcoding - I’ll share my compose file when I’m at my computer
ApathyTree@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
bamboo@lemm.ee 4 months ago
As a person who has been managing Linux servers for about a decade now, trust me that a few hours or days of learning docker now will save you weeks if not months in the future. Docker makes managing servers and dealing with updates trivial and predictable. Setting everything up in docker compose makes it easy to recover if something fails, it’s it’s self documenting because you can quickly see exactly how your applications are configured and running.
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
I would recommend using Docker first on the windows machine as a step in the transition. I did exactly this when I was transitioning to debian from windows. It made the official switch insanely easy because all I had to do was set up the Docker filesystem to what it already knew and it started up without any issues.
My lessons learned:
Keep the database on an SSD. I put mine on a HDD and it corrupted.
exu@feditown.com 4 months ago
Without docker you still just copy your files from Windows to Linux, though you have to find the right directories for that. Jellyfin can be installed directly on Debian. Just add their repo and go
sunstoned@lemmus.org 4 months ago
Is there a reason you’re not considering running this in a VM?
I could see a case where you go for a native install on a virtual machine, attach a virtual disk to isolate your library from the rest of the filesystem, and then move that around (or just straight up mount that directory in the container) as needed.
That way you can back up your library separately from your JF server implementation and go hog wild.