A while back I built a test server using old parts from my PC graveyard and TrueNAS. It worked so well I never bothered to upgrade it. Now is the time and I'm thinking of starting from scratch. The new system will be dedicated to running Channels, with a relatively large media collection and a couple cable card tuners. I would like to get back into adding Pluto and Samsung channels. It's been a while because I'm not all that familiar with Docker.
All that to say that I will probably move away from TrueNAS and was wondering what recommendations people have for the most simple setup.
Docker is not that difficult to figure out if you know the basics of CLI. There are many good tutorials on setting it up. Most, if not all, new Windows 11 pc's can handle Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) without any changes to the bios. If you are comfortable running Linux, it is even easier to set up docker. To me, it's fun just tinkering with stuff until I figure it out. Good luck.
I appreciate it. My biggest question is what platform to start with. I was using TrueNAS with TrueCharts but I don't think that's the best way to go. I was debating using ProxMox and one VM for storage and the other with Ubuntu for Channels and docker.
Thank you. I do like to tinker but since it runs all the tv's in my house, I also don't want to overcomplicate the setup. I'm just trying to figure out the most reliable starting platform for channels with docker containers and storage. Windows and WSL is an interesting idea that I had not considered.
But it is also nested virtualization. Run ubuntu server (i have a tutorial on the forum) with docker. It is very simple and performance will run circles around Windows.
Proxmox is truly fantastic, and with some decent hardware running it, can do so many things. It's based on Debain, as is Ubuntu, and is packaged with all the tools needed to manage both VMs and LXCs. It allows you to virtualize everything, and is very easy to use:
I've written about it here:
Channels itself can be installed as an LXC container, using the tteck (now community) scripts, or you can install it via Docker in an LXC.
Once you have the basics of Proxmox, and CDVR running, every other Channels-related extension can be installed via Project One-Click -- which is part of OliveTin-for-Channels. There's a new EZ-Start process to get OliveTin and Portainer installed here:
If you decide against Proxmox for any reason, you can also go with Debian server (it's a single installer for both Desktop and Server -- but don't install a Desktop, as it adds complexity ). No Snap Store nonsense. There's a reason why many, many Linux distros are based on Debian!
Unless you are wanting to learn something new, I recommend using an OS that you are comfortable with. They all work and all have advantages and issues.
Watch out for some old hardware that is very power hunger. It's very easy to make up the cost of power by using a modern mini PC based on the N100 or newer N150. Check that the graphics drivers of the N150 will be supported for the OS you chose as it's still rather new. As for storage, internal, USB attached and NAS all work. NAS has the advantage of redundancy protecting you from a single drive failure though one must remember that RAID is not backup. Some OS support RAID as well though you must consider what the RAID recovery process is.
I totally agree with you regarding keeping things simple and how important the Channels DVR server can be to the entertainment in our home. Who wants the family breathing down your back as you troubleshoot.
Boy I sure hear ya there. For those of us that selected Windows for our server, things like ADBTuner turns into a very daunting process, just to get our lost TVE channels running.
I need to do another one on how to install docker, channels container, and portianer etc. Until then you can just skip the channels install and do a docker install.
While I agree a native Linux environment will perform better, WSL will work just fine for most user cases unless you really need to run stuff the drains resources or need kernel level control. If you are just running docker images, it will perform well.
I find if I leave wsl running for more than a day or 2 my system gets buggy. It has been a while since I have tested wsl so maybe that changed. I run channels on a dell i5 i3030 running xubuntu. I installed an rtx 2000 ada and an intel pcie nic. A removable nic is essential to me as the cheap realtech ones fail often on me. I also run a supermicro sys-551A-T for mcebuddy and storage but probably could do that in a vm if I wanted to. I know it is overkill but it works great especially for remote viewing.
There are a lot of channels docker projects going on. You mention cable card use as well. As everyone knows your provider tomorrow could announce the are no longer going to support them. Who knows how long TVE is going to work for. Personally I think in the future a low performance dvr server will be reserved for OTA based recording and anything more than that will require a lot more horsepower.
I think a future channels dvr is going to require a machine with a strong modern cpu with 12 plus cores/threads and lots of ram. This will allow a nice running Proxmox server with flexible virtual OS options to run the various projects that currently exist and projects coming in the future. So imo go with something like this or go cheap enough to be replaced without too much heartache like a n100 Beelink.
The future is streaming with OTA channels for a while. SLM brings recording with Channels DVR and Streaming together into a wonderful user experience.
It can be fun to put together systems that can capture cable equivalent yet it appears that many who are doing this here are constantly dealing with issues. I for one do not want my family naging me every time they can't watch TV. Not only that these high power systems will cost you in electricity and your starting to look at not saving any funds from cable after you pay for the components as well.
I feel you I recently canceled MY Cable even though I had fully working Cable Cards. I find myself recording less and less ...I have too much recorded including Stuff I no longer want to watch. The only thing I am recording right now is OTA and Max.... No longer want to invest in homemade DVRs when my equipment fails then my DVRs can RIP.
So I just watch and delete unless it is a new Movie or Series on Max.
I agree cablecard will go away sooner or later. I will hold on as long as I can. I tried OTA but I'm too far from the towers. When ATSC3 went live, I was able to get most networks clearly. That lasted about 3 weeks until encryption started. Hopefully that gets reversed but I won't hold my breath. I also used TVE. That worked well for a few months until channels started disapearing. The cable companies will win in the end.
