after almost 15yrs my plex server is no more. jellyfin behind nginx with authentik is running very nicely.
I want to leave too, but I really like PlexAmp for my music streaming. And no, Finamp doesn’t work nearly as well or look as nice.
What about subsonic or funkwhale? I think I also tried a third one I’m forgetting
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll try them out. One thing that I hate is critical for me is integration with Android auto. It’s the last Google service I can’t seem to quit. Might have to give up and just roll with Bluetooth instead.
symfonium has been mentioned in this post before specifically for android auto. i had the same hang up with apple car play. i didn’t use most of the plexamp fancy features. i just wanted it to play music and be easy to use when driving. manet finally came along for ios. though i’m still hoping one of the open source apps adds the functionality later.
Navidrome and Symphonium. I use Android Auto every day with no issues.
Finamp is good for android and has a flatpak
PlexAmp is so good. Nothing else comes close.
Unrelated but why a full VM for Linux stuff, lxc is much more efficient
I can backup an entire VM snapshot very quickly and then restore it in a matter of minutes. Everything from the system files, database, Jellyfin version and configs, etc. All easily backed up and restored in an easy to manage bundle.
A container is not as easy to manage in the same way.
How often do you do this?
Backups? I have an automatic job running every night.
Nice. You you restore often?
VMs can also be live migrated to another server in the cluster with no downtime and backups don’t need to take the VM down to do their thing. If in the future you want to move to physical hardware, you can use something like Clonezilla to back it up (not needed often, but still, something to consider).
Both have their places, but those factors are the main ones that come into play of when I want to use a VM or LXC.
How not?
If a lxc container is in a btrfs subvolume or in a zfs dataset (those are created easily like a directory, it’s not a partition), you can do a full 1:1 copy in less than one second via a snapshot, keeping all the system files, database, version and configs
Sure, ZFS snapshots are dead simple and fast. But you’d need to ensure that each container and its volumes are created in each respective dataset.
And none of this is implying that it’s hard. The top comment was criticizing OP for using VMs instead of containers. Neither one is better than the other for all use cases.
I have a ton of VMs for various use cases, and some of those VMs are container/Docker hosts. Each tool where it works best.
you can use commit, save/load, import/export for the same thing as VM snapshots
It’s not the same. You then need to manage volumes separately from images, or if you’re mounting a host folder for the Jellyfin files then you have to manage those separately via the host.
Container images are supposed to be stateless. So then if you’re only banking up the volumes, then you need to somehow track which Jellyfin version it’s tied to, in case you run into any issues.
A VM is literally all of that but in a much more complete package.
i’d consider that all a good thing, but i can also see how it’s more work
they’re supposed to be stateless because it’s easier to manage, upgrade, etc… if you don’t want that, you can just use load/save/commit (or import/export: can’t remember off the top of my head which is which) and ignore volumes: it amounts to the same thing… there’s also buildpack rebase so you can swap out the base container and keep your top level changes for quick version upgrades that are super simple to roll back
Stronger compartmentalization
honestly every explanation probably just ends at ‘this is what i learned on and it works’. same way i religiously use nano and try to do everything in bash first. or how a couple coworkers can’t stop explaining their vim workflow and defending python unprompted like it’s a trauma response for them. my current homelab is also running a r9 with 64gb ram and 30tb storage. if i were paying for remote hosting, still using salvaged hardware or being paid, i’d invest time learning newer processes. but containers haven’t caught my interested and this set up takes basically no effort on my part to maintain, so i can focus my limited free time elsewhere.
honestly every explanation probably just ends at ‘this is what i learned on and it works’.
Yeah, lots of these answers basically boil down to “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
These days the hammer is usually docker/podman/lxc containers instead of VMs though. Like, you don’t need a container to run a self-contained statically-compiled binary, yet people still do it for some reason.
Same.
The time it takes me to write a single function in Python is the same as writing a whole Bash-script using nano.
Also I initially set up my homelab using Docker in a VM on Proxmox. Totally useless abstraction, but I never found the time and patience to migrate the VM to bare metal.Not really useless, it’s an extra layer of management (a good thing). The Proxmox system can be nearly static while giving you external level management of the OS that manages the containers.
I have a 3 server Proxmox cluster running various VMs doing different things. Some of those VMs are my container systems.
Besides, you can run containers directly on Proxmox itself.
This is probably the wrong post to ask this question, so sorry in advance.
I have a dual boot Linux + Windows. Jellyfin runs wonderfully on muy Linux partition with docker-compose. Anybody knows how can I clone it in my Windows partition, such that configs, metada and accounts remain the same? I’ve failed to do this, and only the media volume remaines identical on both OS.
This may not be the answer you are looking for, but one method would be to use WSL on windows to run a Linux distro with Docker installed and just migrate everything over, basically 1-to-1. Then set WSL to auto start when you boot up windows. If you install Docker Desktop on Windows, it will also pick up that you’re using Docket via WSL and allow you to manage shit from the client. I don’t do that though, I’m
a masochistold-school.Looks like there is a config and cache location in their docker scripts. The easiest way to make a docker application portable is to bind mount the config and cache. That way you have access to the actual files and could copy them to your windows partition.
If you’re already using a volume for that data, I think it becomes a bit trickier. I know technically you can move or copy volumes, but I’ve never tried. Although you could still bind mount a random directory and still copy the files out.
I’m also 90% done migrating to jellyfin. I’ve had the instance running for 6 months now, the cultural change to watch jellyfin is complete, except for my wife’s iPad.
Heck, I should just retire Plex. That will force the change.
These are the thoughts of a cold and calloused sysadmin. Didn’t get the email about the change? Too bad.
yeah it took me about 6 months with jellyfin to feel like i was ready to finally kill plex. the thing that finally did it was getting an email from plex asking if i’d like to check out whats streaming on hbomax.
What are you using to watch jellyfin on iOS?
Can also use the web client
Maybe, Streamyfin? its the only iOS App with Downloads and Offline-Mode
In order of personal preference:
Maybe just try them all out and find the one that fits you best. You could also use more than one (which is what I do).
Welcome to the jelly. ONE OF US. ONE OF US.
Gooble gobble
ONE OF US. ONE OF US.
Foss superiority gang
Long ago I ran a Windows Media Center PC in the living room and used the hell out of it. When WMC finally went EOL, I look for alternatives and found Plex. I never got around to setting up a Plex box, and now I see it too is ready for the scrap heap. I think this is what getting old is. You plan on doing something and never get around to it. Time passes much faster up here in age.
Did plex do something again
Their last UI changes
Also, Plex email blasted a few weeks ago about how nobody can share their libraries anymore without paying for a subscription. That was the push I needed to check out Jellyfin again, and the experience ranges from “good enough” to “that’s better than Plex” for me and my buddies.
Yeah the jelly team did a good work and the product work well on what I have tested.
And my god, it’s amazing how each UI iteration gets worse. How is that even possible? My shits never been so buried in menus.
my only issue is how user friendly it isn’t compared to Plex.
i genuinely want to leave Plex (especially the more and more they enshittify) but I just could not figure out how to set up jellyfin. i use Linux every day, and know I’m at least a tiny bit more tech smart than your average PC user, but I can’t imagine trying to explain to my family how to set jellyfin up.
Host Jellyfin either by running their easy setup script or by hosting it on docker, in order for it to be publicly accessible you will need to either port forward and give people your external IP or you need to have your own website. It’s very easy with a docker container to get it running locally, you literally just spin it up, the same as Plex.
The only thing that plex has over jellyfin at the moment (in my opinion) is the simple sign on and user options that allow users to have their own usernames and not have to know anything about reverse-proxying a domain for jellyfin access. It’s that little bit of back-end that you have to set up that’s the problem for the ‘normie’ users that a lot of plex admins cater to. That, and there’s some holes in where the jellyfin app is available.
And Plexamp.
And a decent AppleTV app.
There’s plugins that can replace Plexamp
So it does the Sonic adventure on mobile in a free app? And has offline storage? And has a station creator?
Idk man there’s a music player
So, no.
Got it. :-)
plex is still definitely easier to get started on. i don’t begrudge anyone still going that route, i had a lifetime plexpass the last 8yrs i think. jellyfin is a great option if you either already know how to set things up and want full control. Or you’re looking for an opportunity to learn more about reverse proxy, dns and authentication/access systems. plex is still i nice gateway drug.
Jellyfin us easy to run, but then when you are running it it just doesn’t have your files. Are they in the incorrect folder structure? Who knows
I literally just run Kodi and it just works, I can browse my folders and watch stuff
this was the dealbreaker for me. the demand for specific file and directory naming schemes with no default indexer seems deranged.
How do you keep all your virtual machines up-to-date? Or are those containers?
Unattended-upgrades or dnf-automatic
it’s mostly debian 12 or ubuntu 22 lts vms, i’m slow dumping ubuntu. so it’s all cron jobs running apt update and bash scripts for specific services like the minecraft server. i’m just old and have spent so much time modifying xml in nano that sticking with virsh has worked for me. i’ve only got two containers running in docker, frigate and authentik.
I have been running in parallel both jelly and plex and jelly is good.
How is the Jellyfin software situation looking? Last time I checked it was pretty meh compared to plex. if I recall correctly the best app was Infuse and it was a monthly sub. Are there better options these days? I mostly watch plex on my TV through Android or Apple TV.
I’m pretty sure you can pay for a lifetime access to infuse, cause I don’t think I pay monthly.
Its monthly or lifetime and the lifetime is like 6-8 years of paying monthly.
Ah I didn’t know that. I doubt it was that much when I first got it, but I’m unsure. I’ve had it for a long time
Jellyfin is a lot better than it used to be, to get feature parity with Plex you will probably need to install some plugins but I literally searched “best Jellyfin plugins reddit” and the list in the first thread I found was all I needed. The webOS, Android, and Roku apps are very good, I’m not sure what the situation is on Apple TV but I think they have an app
swiftfin has reach what i’d call stable on apple tv. its a little janky still with homepods used as speakers. i had to switch the nativeplayer to avoid an audio delay bug. the native player doesn’t support auto play next episode. so far thats the only issue ive had. infuse doesnt have that bug but the issue hasnt annoyed me enough to need infuse. all my other uses are on android tv or webos and have had no complaints. for music, manet has good carplay functionality so its made a nice replacement for plexamp.
There are a few things about jellyfin that I don’t like compared to Plex. First I can’t skip the intro of a show drives me nuts. The second one is it has newly added but not newly released. Other then that it has been really good.
https://github.com/intro-skipper/intro-skipper
*edit it’s such a common complain this got posted twice at the same time :)https://github.com/intro-skipper/intro-skipper solves your intro skipping issue.
i love jellyfin i just wish there was a nicer way to highlight collections so you could make themed weekly or monthly collections of movies and shows that also still show up in the regular folders… almost like netflix.
That is coming, I saw a PR for that. Just need to be patient.
I’m probably mistaken, but I think there might actually be a plugin for this? I haven’t looked into it myself but I swear I scrolled past a plugin listing similar functionality at some point. Or I could be hallucinating. Or it could even exist but no longer work on the current version of the app. Who knows!?
i have a lifetime plex pass, but I’d consider moving to jellyfin when their closed-captioning support reaches parity with plex. i regularly spin up a jellyfin container to try it out, but i still run into issues. And jellyfin’s android apps are mediocre (in particular android auto support), especially for music compared to plexamp
that’s about where i was at for a long while. manet finally replaced my apple carplay functionality from plexamp and plex lost it’s last advantage for me. i definitely got my moneys worth from that lifetime plexpass though.
I find Jellyfin’s subtitle search much better than Plex’s. Bonus for leaving a subtitle file right along with your file, instead of buried somewhere else so you can’t easily edit it.
Get Bazarr so you never have to worry about subtitle searching again.
For android auto, I use symfonium as it can hook into my jf library
This. I use symfonium for my audiobooks. Great app.