Self-hosted media server goodness (Changelog & Friends #44)

May 17, 2024

Alex Kretzschmar shares insights on building the perfect media server with Linux, Plex, Jellyfin, ZFS, mergerfs, TrueNAS, Docker Compose. Topics include hardware, software, data protection, Synology features, content creation, server naming, privacy concerns, Plex vs. Jellyfin comparison, favorite movies, technical Wi-Fi challenges, and collaborative content creation.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

From Synology To Custom Linux Servers

Alex described his decade-long media-server journey from Synology to Unraid to custom Linux builds.
He shared how mergerfs enabled incremental drive growth without upfront RAID commitments.

INSIGHT

MergerFS Trades Parity For Flexibility

MergerFS glues disparate disks under one mount without striping or parity, letting you add or remove drives freely.
That flexibility trades away built-in parity and ZFS-style bit-rot protection.

ADVICE

Use ZFS For Critical Data

Use ZFS for important data that requires bit-rot protection and snapshot/replication features.
Pair ZFS with tools like sanoid/syncoid to automate snapshots and replication.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Alex Kretzschmar joins Adam to discuss their experiences with building the “perfect media server” and all the hardware and software involved to make it happen — LinuxServer.io, PerfectMediaServer.com, Plex, Jellyfin, ZFS, mergerfs, TrueNAS, Docker Compose and so much more in this episode.

Join the discussion

Changelog++ members get a bonus 5 minutes at the end of this episode and zero ads. Join today!

Sponsors:

Sentry – Code breaks, fix it faster. Don’t just observe. Take action. Sentry is the only app monitoring platform built for developers that gets to the root cause for every issue. 90,000+ growing teams use sentry to find problems fast. Use the code CHANGELOG when you sign up to get $100 OFF the team plan.
Tailscale – Adam loves Tailscale! Tailscale is programmable networking software that’s private and secure by default. It’s the easiest way to connect devices and services to each other, wherever they are. Secure, remote access to production, databases, servers, kubernetes, and more. Try Tailscale for free for up to 100 devices and 3 users at changelog.com/tailscale, no credit card required. Also check out Remotely access Home Assistant via Tailscale for free!
Coda – Your all-in-one collaborative workspace. Coda brings teams and tools together for a more organized work day.
Fly.io – The home of Changelog.com — Deploy your apps and databases close to your users. In minutes you can run your Ruby, Go, Node, Deno, Python, or Elixir app (and databases!) all over the world. No ops required. Learn more at fly.io/changelog and check out the speedrun in their docs.

Featuring:

Alex Kretzschmar – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X
Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!