Jellyfin on Proxmox
Jellyfin on Proxmox
I want to use Jellyfin on Proxmox, if that is a thing. After reading a post here where most people recommended Debian as host OS I want to make a VM running Debian and install Jellyfin Server there.
Now I have a few questions:
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I see many people install Jellyfin via docker. Does that have any advantages? I would prefer to avoid docker as it adds a level of complexity for me.
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where do I save my media? I have a loose plan to run a second VM running openMediaVault where all my HDDs are passed through and then use NFS to mount a folder on the Jellyfin VM. Is that a sane path?
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what do I have to consider on Proxmox, to get the best hardware results on Jellyfin? Do I need some special passthrough magic to get it running smoothly? I don't have a dedicated GPU, does that make the configuration easier?
Just run it in an lxc? I've installed it using: https://tteck.github.io/Proxmox/
Thank you for your answer. I maybe want to add some features in the future, like all those *arr- programs. Wouldn't it be easier to have everything in one VM instead of many LXC?
Use LXC unless that's for some reason not possible. It has less overhead than VMs. How many services you put into one container is for you to decide. I have one for jellyfin and one for the arrs and download client. Splitting everything into more containers might be beneficial, if something stops working. You can then fix or use a backup for the one thing without inhibiting the other services.
Unless you want to use docker. Then, as others have mentioned, make one VM and put all your dockers there.
Another benefit to LXC is you can map devices, including GPU, to multiple LXC while keeping them accessible to the host. For my home setup I currently have 3 LXC with access to the iGPU, 1 for jellyfin+caddy via podman nested, 1 for moonfire-nvr via podman nested, and been trying to use 1 to figure out hardware transcoding with owncast through multiple install methods but no luck so far. I've also been playing with mapping rtl-sdr v3 devices, zigbee stick, zwave stick, and coral usb for a variety of projects lately.
edit: I forgot to answer the question and went straight to ranting, lol. LXC is like a bare-metal VM. You can install & run multiple things on them like a normal VM including podman or docker.
I'd highly recommend to take a deeper look into Docker. While it might look complicated at first, it really isn't. Once you get the gist of it, you'r setup life will me much simpler in the future.
In a nutshell: Say you need to run jellyfin (or whatever)
Generally, you'd need to install jellyfin from the repos or download it's binary, etc... Then you'd have to dig through the configuration process, where files are scattered all across the system. Probably, in some cases, you'd have to copy/move/symlink media files around, etc.
With Docker however, you just spin up the jellyfin as a container, and bind the necessery configuration and media files to that container, which is usually a one-liner.
So instead of having scattered config files all around the place, you can have something like ~/Docker/configs/jellyfinn and bind that folder (or file) to the containers /etc/jellyfin. And you can use the same approach to have your media files in ~/Movies and bind thst to jellyfin /data folder. These are just examples, you'll just have to look where the docker containers expect the files to be, which is usually well documented.
And the final step is to bind the ports of the container to the host, so you can interact with the service as if it was running on the host.
So I run Jellyfin on a Ubuntu container, just wanting to note that while the config files live somewhere on the system, you don't actually need to touch them. All configuration can be performed via the web interface so it's all abstracted out. It's not any easier to use Docker in that respect at all. What you're describing as bind ports mean that your Docker host also needs access to the files/folders, then you map it via bind folders.
Same thing in my case, I make sure that Proxmox has access to the files, then map the folder into the container and then Jellyfin can access it directly. No fiddling around with Jellyfin configs.
If you're using NFS, I'd argue it's easier not to use Docker. Just install Jellyfin, setup NFS client to mount the folder and then configure Jellyfin to find the folder. Job done.
+1 for using Docker.
I run an AdGuard Home, Plex, Unifi Controller and Wireguard on a Raspberry Pi. When I upgraded to the Pi4 from a Pi3 I just had to plug my portable HDD into the new Pi. Copy over the docker-compose.yml and configure the disk to mount on boot. No messing around having to install and reconfigure each of the apps. No need for Plex to redownload all its metadata as it used to when I migrated in the past.
Docker containerizes jellyfin. If you use proxmox you don't need to containerize in a "container".
That makes sense, docker is off the table.
Edit: or is it? Not decided yet.
Hardware wise, docker on debian is much efficient (and easier to pass through your gpu for hardware decoding) than docker on a vm or lxc on proxmox.
My setup: jellyfin in a debian12 LXC installed normally with the official documentation for Debian (no docker) My medias are on a different drive than the OS, i just add a mount point to the container, although, this needs to be done via the CLI (you can avoid the CLI if it's in the same drive I think, not sure)
Exactly this myself. Debian lxc with jellyfin repo added, media on ZFS with passthrough mountpoints, very performant and easy to maintain.
Docker just adds layers of complexity for no benefit here
Jellyfin is very conveniently packaged in docker, so while it may seem daunting, I highly recommend at least trying that route.
Running an nfs mount, docker or not, should be perfectly fine. Jellyfin just uses normal storage so won't care if it's nfs. No real special considerations with proxmox either, especially without worrying about a dedicated GPU. Just spin up a Debian guest and go.
The other comment made sense to me, why contain a container. But you are right, I will learn more about docker, it seems like a great tool.
Thank you for your confirmation with NFS. Just read about it yesterday, in search of an alternative to samba, what all the windows user seem to use.
Jellyfin is also conveniently packaged as a .deb and provide a repo for Ubuntu/Debian. It's pretty easy to spin up a Debian container, add the repo, and apt install jellyfin, IMHO easier than doing the same thing with a VM, then docker...
Yes, but less portable. Harder to work with if you have to move stuff around, like migrate to a new VM.
Silly question but what is your question? Yes you can run jellyfin in docker in a VM on Proxmox. Personally have a similar setup and I don't use GPU encoding or decoding.
Also GPU passthough to a VM with vfio is generally pretty good and stable so if you want GPU acceleration it shouldn't be to hard. I personally run a virtual machine for gaming that has a GPU and USB controller passed though to it. I can't even tell the difference in terms of hardware performance
There seem to be many ways to reach the same goal:
- run Jellyfin in Docker in a VM in Proxmox
- install Jellyfin Server in Debian in a VM in Proxmox
- install a Jellyfin LXC container on proxmox
- ... Probably more
I try to find the best way for me.
Docker is the easiest to maintain.
I used to use Proxmox but switched to Unraid which has a nice UI to manage Docker containers. That's one thing I wish Proxmox would add.
I forget the specific issue I had trying the LXC route, but the easiest one for me was Docker in a VM. This LinuxServer.io guide really helped me. I've been meaning to move from Docker to Podman so I can learn how that works and get the security benefits, but the existing setup works and there were a few stumbling blocks I don't feel like dealing with again. For example, and in case any other newbies like me run into these:
- First time I passed through my disks to the VM from the Proxmox host I didn't document well what commands I had to run. When I later backed up the VM and then deleted to restore from backup I had to go look up device IDs again so made sure to save it. Now after a restore I only have to remember to run one command to give it the drives:
qm set 101 -scsi1 /dev/disk/by-id/ && qm set 101 -scsi2 /dev/disk/by-id/ && qm set 101 -scsi3 /dev/disk/by-id/
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Changing docker storage location so the VM doesn't fill with docker data.
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I like to specify a docker folder, with a config folder for each service. With my frankenstein server of mismatched drives pooled via MergerFS however, I found writes for my merged path ( /mnt/storage ) were slower than when using a specific drive's path (such as /mnt/data2). Giving paths on data2 for containers to store configs, and data1 for qBittorrent and NZBGet gave me the best download speeds. For the same reason I specify a data2 path for Jellyfin and Plex to use for transcoding and reads use the merged path. That way completed downloads are moved to whichever data drive has the most free space
I used to use Plex running in an LXC in Proxmox but when I switched to Jellyfin I did it through docker and I haven't looked back. The setup was easier, maintenance is easier (updates can be scripted to be automatic really easily) and it works in a reliable predictable way like the rest of my docker containers.
I just have a VM in Proxmox that has docker installed and that contains all of my containers.
I run a Debian server on proxmox with a nfs share to an openmediavault VM, just like you intend to. Works like a charm. When you search for Media Server on smarthomebeginner.com you can find a setup with Docker. I really recommend it, Docker makes it so much easier.
So since the LXC route is promoted here take a look into these Helper Scripts they make the use of LXC very easy.
That said you could still adjust parameters afterwards and when you feel comfortable with.
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I'm currently running Jellyfin on a VM in Proxmox and have been for a long time, it works great. My storage solution isn't glorious, but it is simple. I just have a Debian LXC container in proxmox that bind mounts a large disk and exposes that through an NFS share. Then I've installed jellyfin with Podman/Docker on a VM that has that NFS share mounted.
Also, a lot of people have already said this, but Podman/Docker only looks intimidating before you use it. It's A LOT easier to get applications running then using the "traditional way". The only thing that could potentially increase complexity for you is to expose a GPU to the docker container. But since you said you don't have a dedicated GPU I'd strongly recommend using a docker container for the job. Once you've used it, you'll never look back.
The only thing that could potentially increase complexity for you is to expose a GPU to the docker container.
This isn't that difficult either. Most of it is ensuring the host system sees the GPU, and configuring the Docker container to pass through the correct device.
Hey, since I'll be going down that same road soon, any tips on GPU passthrough? Can I simply follow the proxmox wiki?
A lot of services that I run on my Proxmox host are far easier to set up and maintain as a docker container because that's just how the developer packages them. Proxmox says that Docker in an LXC is no-no, so to reduce the maintenance overhead and to stick to supported builds, I use a bunch of VMs with many running Docker. Jellyfin has install instructions to run directly on Debian, and that works for me, but don't be afraid to run Docker on a Proxmox VM if it will make your life easier.
Proxmox could be the perfect learning environment for docker, just make a new VM if I borg something. I will look into it, thanks. Just not for this specific project, Jellyfin on Debian sounds good for me.
Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, contractions, and other phrases which expand to something larger, that I've seen in this thread:
Fewer Letters More Letters LXC Linux Containers NAS Network-Attached Storage Plex Brand of media server package Unifi Ubiquiti WiFi hardware brand
4 acronyms in this thread; the most compressed thread commented on today has 6 acronyms.
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