Running Kodi or Jellyfin clients in Docker reddit / selfhosted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-01 23:31 I'm setting up a SFF PC server for my Dad, which will probably sit behind his TV, and a RPi 4, which will mainly just be running a secondary Adguard-Unbound instance so that the household still has access to the Internet if the server is down. As his TV is quite old and not very Smart, I want to connect either of these devices to it via HDMI and run a Kodi or Jellyfin client, to play the media stored on the server, but I can't find anything which explains how to run these clients with Docker Compose, so I was wondering if anyone has managed to do this? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reverent · 2023-12-02 00:34 docker is for servers, not clients. What you want is an android tv device or a computer running libre ELEC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- thekrautboy · 2023-12-02 00:36 Thats not how Docker, or any containers, work. If you have questions about Docker, why not simply ask /r/Docker. Install Kodi or whatever directly on the host and then you have UI output over HDMI to the TV. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wide-Ad5700 · 2023-12-02 00:39 I suggest getting him a Roku easy to use and set up ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wide-Ad5700 · 2023-12-02 00:39 I run a Plex server and use Roku tvs for all the clients and never have a problem ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-02 00:40 I thought I could run any software under Docker and it just keeps it isolated in a container to make it easy to stop and remove without any risk of it messing up the host OS? I don't really want to get a third device just to run a Kodi or Jellyfin client, so I might have to use the RPi 4 for that and do without a secondary Adguard instance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-02 00:53 It's getting quite complicated already and there's not much space left in his TV cabinet, so I want to avoid giving him three devices. There's room for the SFF PC and USB HDD there, and I think I can tuck the RPi away somewhere too, especially if it's just running Adguard and doesn't need to be connected to the TV or accessible, but I don't think there's room for a Roku. Worse case scenario he'll just have to keep using the Plex app on his TV. It probably hasn't been updated in a while but it still works, mostly. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-02 00:54 Ah, OK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zeal514 · 2023-12-02 01:30 Hmm docker will run the server. You'll need a OS that can run the client... That said, it'll be very limited, and be essentially a computer. You could throw Libreelec on the Pi for Kodi, but the Pi will be solely a Kodi player. Question is, what is your plan for media storage? Where is the jelly server? Want to stream it all through Kodi add-ons? These are very different solutions. Which both will lead to different optimal situations. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- up--Yours · 2023-12-02 01:32 >I don't really want to get a third device just to run a Kodi or Jellyfin client, so I might have to use the RPi 4 for that and do without a secondary Adguard instance. Yeah, I get you, :) so it's kinda server&client at the same time XD but then you would have to set the SFF pc to directly open a browser in a kiosk mode on boot, pointing to the Jellyfin URL. So your father doesn't have to click around :) Did I understand correctly? You still can do it, but why the trouble! If they are on the same device just use the apt version of Jellyfin (never used the software yet - its on my bucket list) or if you want to use kodi just install libre ELEC as a system unless you have another plans for the SFF pc, and thus you want to use the docker approach :) Should this be the case, I would suggest that you use the RPI as the device behind the TV as a client for the dockerized service running on the SFF pc ;) Thus, you would get the best of two worlds, more power for other server applications, and less clutter in the TV room ;) plus, the PI could still run the AdGuard-Unbound as docker and act as a client for your Media home server and as an axillary ad blocker/DNS resolver in case the main fails. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Darkmatter43 · 2023-12-02 01:41 If the PC is only used for clients to these services, why is the solution of putting a Roku not an option? You could put the Roku instead of the pc, not in addition to. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- omeromano · 2023-12-02 03:29 I'd do Jellyfin server on the SFF or pi, then get a chromecast with Google TV for the client. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- _Morlack · 2023-12-02 06:22 I got your point, but saying docker is for server only is wrong. As OP replyed is for isolation. You can use docker for desktop processes too. Not a simple task (but not so hard too) but completeley doable just mounting a couple local files related to X11/Wayland and set some envvar. Can be stressfull find out the right combo in order to let the application work well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Reverent · 2023-12-02 06:41 Or just use a sandbox tool meant for client applications, like Flatpack, instead of bastardizing Docker. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zegrento7 · 2023-12-02 07:51 Why is this bastardization? Toolbox and Distrobox provide a simple way to run desktop apps in a configurable level of isolation via docker/podman and are way more flexible than flatpak. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- tariandeath · 2023-12-02 08:02 From my experience with people who just want their TV and content to just work; Roku or Chromecast with Google TV are some of the best options for running your media server clients. Both take up basically no space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-02 14:37 No, the PC will be running lots of containers, for NAS/Backup, Adguard-Unbound, Home Assistant, Tailscale, NVR, etc. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-02 14:45 The media will all be stored on the USB HDD attached to the SFF PC running various services in Docker, like NAS/Backup, Adguard-Unbound, Home Assistant, Tailscale, etc. If I'm using Kodi as the client, I probably don't need a media server running on the SFF PC as I can just just SMB or NFS shares, but if I want to use Plex or Jellyfin I'll need to run a media server. I wonder if I could run Libreelec or the Jellyfin client in a VM on the RPi alongside Docker? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zeal514 · 2023-12-02 15:57 ok, so you dont intend to use addons and the subscription service that allows access to repos that just allow you to stream all movies, rather than download them. In that case, I highly recommend using just a streambox, really a nvidia shield is the best if you don't want lag, and want to have a clean custom experience. ​ Heres the issue i forsee, data storage. When storing all of that data, you need storage space. Are you going for all 1080p? cause once you start downloading 4k, space becomes limited. Typically in this situation, people just throw a stream box like a shield at the TV. Than install a NAS, or some sort of server elsewhere in the house, and stream all of the files from that server to the shield. The maintence involved here is setting up the Arr's, and a seerr client. setting up proper trackers. Deleting old media as to save on space. Limit the size of the files you want to keep. There is no automation program for deleting the data, so that either needs to be built by you, or deleted manually. I find this to be more stable, but also far more expensive in terms of data. I also find that running a Jellyfin server offers the most features, I guess plex as well, but plex is always been a bug fest for me, not that Jellyfin isn't, but atleast jellyfin is opensource. ​ Alternatively, you can just run libreelec, which is just Kodi, and throw your addons and widgets on there, all on the pi, and setup a vpn for that pi. Than just sstream everything. The maintence involved here is updating repositories that go down, and they go down every few months. You'll need to stay on top of the subscriptions for your VPN and that other sub for streaming from the repos (I forget the name off the top of my head). I find this method to be far more time consuming with upkeep. Nothing worse than when you go to sit down at the end of the night to watch TV, and you find out Venom repo is down, and you can't pull data, so you need to go back and find a new repo, update it. Or like if a widget breaks with a random update, and now you are just without TV until you rebuilt it. But the pros are not having to store the media locally. A simple Pi behind the TV will do it all. Also, no Dolby Vision, idk if that matters to you, but it simply doesnt work in Kodi. Additionally, when using HDR, your menus will appear oversaturated, not sure how much you care for a clean gui, but to me that is very annoying. ​ >I wonder if I could run Libreelec or the Jellyfin client in a VM on the RPi alongside Docker? can you? yes. Should you? nope. I mean, unless you don't mind a laggy TV. ​ ​ I have a lot of stuff behind my TV as well. What I did was took a big piece of 3/4" plywood, alittle smaller than my TV. Bolted it to the studs. Than bolted the TV mount to the plywood. This enables me to screw all kinda of shit to the wall. I got my openWRT modem, a philliups hue hub, a couple of managed switches, led lights, a UPS, I still got tons of spcace. Hell i used to have like 5 Pi's back there too, but i since phased them all out for a dedicated home server for self hosting and data. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-04 05:51 My Dad won't be using add-ons and subscriptions services, or downloading stuff. I download or rip stuff for him and at the moment the files are stored on his PC running Plex server, but I'll be moving them to the SFF PC so he doesn't need to keep his main PC on just to watch stuff. I'm just using 1080p for everything at the moment, as neither of us have a 4k TV. I'll probably rip some stuff as 4k in future, but downloads will probably stay as 1080p to save space and download time. I used a RPi running Kodi myself for years, with a NFS server running on my Windows PC. I'm currently running it on my FireTV stick, so I could get him one of those as it's more useful than a RPi running LibreElec, which can't access catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, ITVx, etc. He already has access to those via his Virgin Media box, but the FireTV stick probably runs them more smoothly, and I can install the Jellyfin client and Plex client on that too, and then he'll still have the catch-up services if he ever decides to cancel his Virgin TV service to save money. I'll need to get him a simple two input automatic HDMI switch too, as all the ports on his AV receiver are already being used, but the FireTV stick and his BluRay player can share a port as he doesn't use the latter very often. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-04 06:24 Thanks. Yeah, the problem with LibreELEC is it has to be installed as the OS, so I wouldn't be able to use the RPi for the other stuff that I need to run on it if I install LibreELEC, and from what others have said, running it in a VM won't work as it will be too laggy, and running the Kodi client in Docker won't work as it is designed to run services/servers, so the container won't have access to the PC's video output. CEC from the TV may not work either, to allow him to navigate Kodi with the TV remote. I don't know much about Jellyfin yet but I assumed there was a PC client app, rather than accessing the server via a browser, as there's apps for other devices like the Firestick and Smart TVs. Even so, I can't run that in a VM or Docker for the same reasons that I can't run Kodi that way. So I may have to just use the RPi 4 for a few services like Adguard- Unbound, Tailscale, etc. and get him another device, maybe a FireTV stick, to run the Kodi or Jellyfin client. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- up--Yours · 2023-12-04 10:30 In my humble opinion you don't have to purchase an extra chrome/amazon/whatever stick at all. I'm at work now and will respond with a lengthy text when i get back to my PC but for now i will leave you for this https://wiki.libreelec.tv/installation/docker ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zeal514 · 2023-12-04 12:30 In that case, I'd honestly just get a small NAS, or build a small NAS. Throw a OS on it, and stick it anywhere in the house. That can host the jelly server, and the files you download. Than a fire stick if that's what you are used to should work fine. I personally like Shield as it has 0 compatibility issues and 0 lag. But, it's also expensive. Chrome cast 4k is alright, I have 1 for my uncle for Xmas, it lags sometimes. And I think is prone to interference on the remote. Roku is supposed to be good, but I find the hardware underwhelming, it's claim to fame is software though. For OS you can do a few things pending your level of comfort. Unraid, which is all GUI based, no CLI. TrueNAS which is both GUI and CLI. I personally just use Ubuntu server, and CLI everything. Faster that way. I keep my drives in a raid 5, but I plan to switch to ZFS soon enough. Check out Radar, sonar, prowlarr, and (jelly or over)seerr. Trash guides is the way to go. Once all that is setup, your downloaded media is automated. From ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Big-Finding2976 · 2023-12-04 14:27 Ah, so install LibreELEC and then install docker and containers under it? That might work, I'll give it a go. Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- up--Yours · 2023-12-05 02:19 Edited the first response with a longer explanation. Should you need assistance, please let me know :) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Wide-Ad5700 · 2023-12-13 04:38 They got the sticks that just plug into the back of the tv and then into a usb port but I understand whatcha saying could also use the pi as a media device just need to run a os with a gui