TV & Media Server

Here are my notes on setting up an old laptop as a home server. This discussion pairs nicely with the Raspberry Pi/Kodi TV streaming box I discuss here, and I also use this server to update my website with new webmentions as I discuss here.

Guide (Ubuntu Server):

• The Zero Dollar Home Server
  • Includes how to run with lid closed

Jellyfin

Kodi

• https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/clients/kodi/

Media

• Guide
• Software:
  • MakeMKV for ripping
    • Forum post on LibreDrive firmware compatibility
  • HandBrake for transcoding
    • vkc.sh blog post on transcoding with Handbrake

Copying Files

# find disk:
sudo fdisk -l
# or
df
# or find device path with either `lsblk` or `sudo blkid` and then mount:
udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdb

# mount:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/usb/

# copy files:
cp -v -r /media/usb/DVDs/Watchmen /media/myfiles/Shows

# copy contents of folder without copying folder
# https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/180985/how-to-copy-files-from-the-folder-without-the-folder-itself
cp -r /home/username/A/. /usr/lib/B/

Force-Unmount USB Drive

• “find every process that is accessing the /media/usb mount point and kill it,” then run umount as usual

sudo fuser -km /media/usb
sudo umount /media/usb

Finding DVDs

• DVDCompare

YouTube

• Use this link to access the YouTube setup interface: http://<your-server-ip-address>:50152/youtube/api
• https://github.com/anxdpanic/plugin.video.youtube/issues/1016

Misc

• https://turner.enemyterritory.org/shared/repo/user/carrvo/website/homeserver-bom-calculator.html