Need help reverting from an errant update on old hardware

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

I've been running the DVR server on a 2012 Mac mini. I realize that its last compatible operating system (10.15) is no longer supported, but it's the only hardware I have available for this use and I've been happily getting by with the last working version.

It always ignored later versions, but that seems to have changed in the last few weeks. Starting with 2026.10.21.2302, it resumed auto-updating and is now on 2026.10.24.0621. This is all well and good, except that these versions seem to use a version of ffmpeg not compatible with my system. This means that transcoding always fails, making remote access difficult.

The error logs and debug info have this in common:

dyld: Symbol not found: _kCMFormatDescriptionTransferFunction_sRGB
Referenced from: /Users/Nathan/Library/Application Support/ChannelsDVR/latest/ffmpeg (which was built for Mac OS X 11.0)
Expected in: /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreMedia.framework/Versions/A/CoreMedia
in /Users/Nathan/Library/Application Support/ChannelsDVR/latest/ffmpeg

I may have misdiagnosed the issue, but I think I need to revert to the older version or find a way to use a compatible ffmpeg. I would appreciate any assistance, as I don't know how to do either.

#2

Just install linux (debian)

#3

Ah, yes. My first post in an online forum, and I immediately fall victim to a drive-by gnu-ing. Thank you for confirming that the stereotypical “Linux guy” is not an endangered species.

I asked a question about a specific issue within a given hardware/OS environment. It was not a question about switching platforms. If I were interested in making that kind of change, that's what I would have asked.

Although, I probably wouldn't need to. It’s a well-documented process that wouldn't call for a trip to this troubleshooting forum. (If some combination of search terms leads someone to this thread because that is what you want to do, let me point you here, here, and here.)

You see, this hardware/OS combo also has other uses that rely on this setup. You didn’t know that, nor could you. However, you could reasonably assume that there were reasons for the existing environment (see Chesterton's Fence) and stay within the scope of the problem, as presented.

That’s why we should be careful with any advice starting with the word “just.” It's often unaware of context and lacking in nuance. “Just...” can be the preface for advice that says, “I don't understand your concerns, nor do I intend to. Now let me tell you how I brilliantly solve a different, simpler, hypothetical problem.”

Remember, kids, whenever you're tempted to say those three magic words: “Just install Linux” really means “I don’t know.”

So...does anyone else have thoughts on reverting the server software or the ffmpeg version?

#5

Running an out of date Channels DVR Server is only going to last so long before you start having a really bad time.

The clients do not assume or maintain backwards compatibility because the server is designed to always be on the latest stable release.

I would work on finding a cheap used computer to run it on as a priority.