Build your private media server with Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a powerful, open-source software media server that puts you in full control of your media. By installing it on Olares, you can turn your device into a personal streaming platform, organizing movies, shows, and music into a beautiful library accessible securely from anywhere.

Learning objectives

In this guide, you will learn how to:

• Install and set up Jellyfin on your Olares device.
• Add and organize your media libraries.
• Optimize playback using hardware acceleration.
• Install community plugins.
• Access and stream your media securely from client devices.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure:

• LarePass app installed on your client devices (desktop or mobile).
• Olares ID imported into the LarePass client.

Add media to Olares

Before setting up Jellyfin, you need to make sure your media is already available on Olares. You can add it in several ways:

• Upload files directly
  Upload your media to the /home/Movies/ folder in Files. For better speed and progress visibility, use the LarePass desktop client to upload.
• Mount an external drive
  After you insert a USB drive to your Olares device, it will be automatically mounted and accessible. Files in it are under the /external/ directory.
• Mount a network share
  If your media is on a NAS or other network server, you can connect it to Olares. For detailed instructions, see Mount SMB shares.

Naming conventions

Correct file naming is the key to accurate metadata and beautiful posters in Jellyfin. Follow Jellyfin's official guidelines for accurate metadata:

• Movie naming conventions
• TV shows naming conventions

Folder organization

Keep movies and TV shows in separate folders for easier management and correct metadata retrieval.

Install and configure Jellyfin

With your media ready, install Jellyfin and complete its setup wizard.

Install Jellyfin

1. Open the Market app in your Olares web interface.
2. Find Jellyfin in the Fun category or use the search bar.
3. Click Get, then Install.
4. Once the installation is finished, click Open to launch the setup wizard.

Complete the initial setup

Follow the wizard prompts to finish configuring Jellyfin.

1. Select your preferred display language and click Next.
2. Create a username and password for your Jellyfin admin account, and click Next.
3. When prompted to set up your media libraries, you can skip this step for now.
4. For metadata, select your preferred language and country and click Next.
5. For remote access, keep the default settings (unchecked) and click Next. Olares VPN will handle secure remote access.
6. Click Finish to complete the setup wizard.
7. You will be taken to the login page. Sign in with the admin credentials you just created.

Add media libraries

With Jellyfin installed and running, the next step is to tell it where your media is stored.

1. In Jellyfin's sidebar, go to Dashboard > Libraries > Libraries.
2. Click Add Media Library.
3. Configure media library settings:
   • Content type: Choose the type of media (e.g., Movies, Shows, Music). For folders containing both movies and TV shows, choose Mixed Movies and Shows.
   • Display name: Enter the name to display for the library.
     
   • Folders: Click + to add the path to your media.
     
     • Olares Files: /home/movies/<YourMediaFolder>
     • External storage: /external/<YourMediaFolder>
4. Click Ok to save, and repeat for other media types (e.g., one for "Movies", one for "TV Shows").

Once saved, Jellyfin will automatically scan your folders and begin building your library. This process may take several minutes, depending on the size of your collection.

Enable transcoding

To ensure smooth playback for high-resolution videos, enable hardware acceleration. This allows Jellyfin to use your device's hardware for faster, more efficient transcoding.

1. In the Jellyfin Dashboard (click the ≡ icon > Dashboard), go to Playback > Transcoding.
2. Under Hardware acceleration, choose your preferred method based on your Olares device's hardware.

Enhance experience with community plugins

You can install plugins to improve metadata, fetch better artwork, and add new features.

The process for installing plugins is the same for all. Here's an example using Skin Manager:

1. In the Dashboard, go to Plugins > Catalog.
2. Click the ⚙ icon to go to Repositories page, then click + to add a new repository.
3. Enter the Repository Name and Repository URL of the plugin, and click Save.
4. Click Ok to confirm the installation.
5. Return to the Catalog tab, find your desired plugin (you may need to refresh) and click Install.
6. After installation, a prompt will appear to restart Jellyfin. Go to the Dashboard page and click Restart.
7. After it restarts, return to Dashboard > Plugins > My Plugins to confirm the plugin you installed is listed and has an Active status.

After installing plugins, you may need to enable or configure them before they take effect. Since each plugin behaves differently, check the plugin's GitHub repository or README for setup details.

Access your media library through Jellyfin clients

With Jellyfin set up and your libraries ready, the final step is connecting from your client devices so you can start streaming your media.

Configure Jellyfin authentication level in Olares

To ensure secure connections between Jellyfin and your devices, configure the authentication level through Olares.

Make sure LarePass VPN (or local network access) is enabled before starting the steps below. If you haven’t done this yet, see Enable VPN on LarePass for details.

1. In your Olares web interface, go to Settings > Application.
2. Find and click Jellyfin.
3. Go to the Entrances tab.
4. Set the Authentication level to Internal. This is a required step to enable the private endpoint to accept login credentials.

Connect your Jellyfin client

Assume you've already installed the official Jellyfin client app on your device.

1. Open the Jellyfin client app on your device.
2. Click Add Server.
3. In your Olares web interface, go to Settings > Application > Jellyfin > Entrances > Set up endpoint.
4. Copy the server address shown next to Endpoint (e.g., https://7e89d2a1.laresprime.olares.com)
5. Paste this address into the client and click Connect.
6. Sign in with your Jellyfin admin account.

You should now see your media libraries displayed in the app.

TIP

For the best experience, keep your LarePass VPN connection active when accessing Jellyfin remotely. This ensures you can always connect to your Jellyfin server securely.