How to Install Jellyfin on Ubuntu? [Step-by-Step]

This guide with demonstrate you step by step instructions to install Jellyfin on Ubuntu. Jellyfin is a media server which lets you play and share music and videos over your local network or the internet. It's free and easy to use. Get your Ubuntu ready to share your favorite songs and movies with friends or play them anytime.

 

Introduction to Jellyfin Media Server

Jellyfin is a free and open-source media server software that allows you to organize, manage, and share your media files such as videos, music, and photos. It's a self-hosted platform, which means you can set it up on your own server or computer. Jellyfin is known for its user-friendly interface and flexibility, allowing users to access their media from any device with a web browser or dedicated app.

 

Steps to Install Jellyfin on Ubuntu

In this section we will share step by step instructions to properly install and setup Jellyfin Media Server on Ubuntu.

 

Step 1: Update and Upgrade Ubuntu

Before installing Jellyfin, ensure your Ubuntu system is up-to-date. Open the terminal and run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

 

Step 2: Install the Jellyfin Repository

Add the Jellyfin repository to your Ubuntu system:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https
sudo add-apt-repository universe
wget -O - https://repo.jellyfin.org/ubuntu/jellyfin_team.gpg.key | sudo apt-key add -
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture)] https://repo.jellyfin.org/ubuntu jammy main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jellyfin.list

 

Step 3: Install Jellyfin Package

With the repository added, install Jellyfin using:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install jellyfin

 

Step 4: Start and Enable Jellyfin Service

To start Jellyfin and enable it to run at boot using systemctl commands:

sudo systemctl start jellyfin
sudo systemctl enable jellyfin

Check the status of jellyfin service:

sudo systemctl status jellyfin

 

Step 5: Allow access to Jellyfin media server through firewall

Configuring the firewall for Jellyfin on Ubuntu involves allowing traffic through a specific port (default: 8096) that Jellyfin uses to communicate. Here's how to do it:

UFW is typically installed by default on Ubuntu. You can check its status with sudo ufw status. Execute the following command to allow traffic through the default Jellyfin port:

sudo ufw allow 8096/tcp

In case you are using firewalld, Use sudo systemctl status firewalld to see if firewalld is installed and running. Allow traffic through the Jellyfin port (default: 8096) by adding a rule to firewalld:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=8096/tcp

Apply the changes by reloading firewalld with sudo firewall-cmd --reload. Confirm that the rule has been added successfully with sudo firewall-cmd --list-all. You should see port 8096/tcp listed.

 

Step 6: Access Jellyfin Web Interface

Open a web browser and navigate to http://localhost:8096 to access the Jellyfin web interface. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

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Create a user, define a password:

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If you have a media library, add it. You can also do this step later.

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Continue by clicking the Next button:

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Allow remote connections, continue installation:

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Complete the installation with Finish:

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Login with the user and password you created:

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Now your Jellyfin server is ready to use:

 

Troubleshooting Errors

If you made a error during installation, you can go back with the following steps. Open the system.xml file with an editor:

$ sudo nano /etc/jellyfin/system.xml

Replace the following in line 4:

<IsStartupWizardCompleted>true</IsStartupWizardCompleted>

To this:

<IsStartupWizardCompleted>false</IsStartupWizardCompleted>

Then restart the Jellyfin service:

$ sudo systemctl restart jellyfin

After this process, visit http://jellyfin_server_ip:8096 with a web browser and restart the installation.

 

Remove/Uninstall Jellyfin Server

The following Jellyfin packages were installed during the installation:

ii  jellyfin-ffmpeg5                           5.0.1-8-jammy                           amd64        Tools for transcoding, streaming and playing of multimedia files
ii  jellyfin-server                            10.8.10-1                               amd64        Jellyfin is the Free Software Media System.
ii  jellyfin-web                               10.8.10-1                               all          Jellyfin is the Free Software Media System.

Type the following command to remove all installed packages:

$ sudo apt purge jellyfin*

You are now ready for a clean install. For installation, review from the beginning of the article and start the installation.

 

Summary

In this article, we explored the process of installing Jellyfin on Ubuntu, an open-source media server that allows you to manage and stream your media content across various devices. We began by discussing the prerequisites, ensuring compatibility with Ubuntu version 18.04 or later and administrative access. Then, we installed the required dependency, FFmpeg, and added the Jellyfin repository to the system. Next, we installed Jellyfin using the command line and configured the firewall to allow access to Jellyfin's web interface.

Once the installation and configuration were complete, we accessed the Jellyfin web interface through a browser and followed the setup wizard to create an initial user account. You can use Jellyfin to manage media libraries. You can also stream media content directly from the Jellyfin web interface or using compatible client apps on various devices, including Android, iOS, and Roku. For more information you can refer jellyfin.org - Jellyfin Installation