PeerTube is a decentralized video hosting platform that empowers users to self-host and share videos while maintaining complete control over their data. Designed to bypass the restrictions of centralized platforms, PeerTube uses WebTorrent technology for peer-to-peer video distribution and supports federation through the ActivityPub protocol. This guide walks you through deploying, configuring, and managing a self-hosted PeerTube instance, covering essential topics like installation, reverse proxy setup, logging, backups, updates, and advanced configurations.
Installing Peertube
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Using Docker is one of the easiest and most efficient ways to deploy PeerTube. Below is a docker-compose.yml file tailored for PeerTube:
version: '3.7'
services:
peertube:
image: chocobozzz/peertube:latest
container_name: peertube
ports:
- "9000:9000"
environment:
- NODE_ENV=production
- PEERTUBE_DB_HOST=postgres
- PEERTUBE_DB_USERNAME=peertube
- PEERTUBE_DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword
- PEERTUBE_DB_NAME=peertube
- PEERTUBE_REDIS_HOST=redis
volumes:
- ./data/config:/config
- ./data/storage:/data
- ./data/logs:/logs
depends_on:
- postgres
- redis
restart: unless-stopped
postgres:
image: postgres:13
environment:
POSTGRES_USER: peertube
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: yourpassword
POSTGRES_DB: peertube
volumes:
- ./data/db:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
redis:
image: redis:6
restart: unless-stopped
To deploy:
mkdir -p /opt/peertube && cd /opt/peertube
nano docker-compose.yml # Copy the above YAML content
docker-compose up -d
This will deploy PeerTube, PostgreSQL, and Redis containers. Replace yourpassword with a secure password for the database.
🚀 Manual Installation
For those who prefer a manual setup, follow these steps on a Linux server:
- Install dependencies:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl gnupg nginx postgresql redis nodejs npm yarn
- Download and configure PeerTube:
curl -L https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/releases/download/vX.X.X/peertube-vX.X.X.tar.xz -o peertube.tar.xz
tar xf peertube.tar.xz
mv peertube /var/www/peertube
cd /var/www/peertube
yarn install --production
cp config/production.yaml.sample config/production.yaml
- Setup systemd service:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/peertube.service
Add the following content:
[Unit]
Description=PeerTube
After=postgresql.service redis.service
[Service]
Type=simple
User=peertube
WorkingDirectory=/var/www/peertube
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /var/www/peertube/dist/server
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Enable and start the service:
sudo systemctl enable peertube
sudo systemctl start peertube
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
Below is an example Nginx server block for PeerTube:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:9000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
}
}
Create the configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/peertube
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/peertube /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure your PeerTube instance with Let's Encrypt:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
Automate certificate renewal:
sudo systemctl enable certbot.timer
🛠️ Testing and Reloading Nginx
Validate the Nginx configuration and reload:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Logging and Debugging Peertube
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
Enable debug logging in production.yaml:
logs:
level: debug
Restart PeerTube:
sudo systemctl restart peertube
📄 Viewing Logs
For Docker users:
docker logs -f peertube
For manual installations:
journalctl -u peertube -f
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Check Node.js or database connectivity errors in the logs. Example:
journalctl -u peertube | grep "error"
📤 Exporting Logs
Send logs to an external system (e.g., ELK Stack):
- Update
production.yaml:
logs:
transports:
- console
- file
- syslog
- Install syslog dependencies:
sudo apt install rsyslog
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Backup PeerTube configuration and data:
tar -czvf peertube-backup.tar.gz /var/www/peertube
🔄 Database Backups
Backup PostgreSQL:
pg_dump -U peertube peertube > peertube-db-backup.sql
Restore:
psql -U peertube -d peertube -f peertube-db-backup.sql
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Create a cron job:
crontab -e
Add the following line:
0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backups/peertube-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /var/www/peertube
Updating and Upgrading Peertube
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
Update PeerTube via Docker:
docker-compose down
docker-compose pull
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
Download the latest version, extract, and replace the old files:
curl -L https://github.com/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/releases/download/vX.X.X/peertube-vX.X.X.tar.xz -o peertube.tar.xz
tar xf peertube.tar.xz
rsync -av --delete peertube-vX.X.X/ /var/www/peertube/
Restart PeerTube:
sudo systemctl restart peertube
🔍 Checking for Updates
Regularly check the GitHub releases page or use:
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/Chocobozzz/PeerTube/releases/latest | grep "tag_name"
Leveraging Peertube’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Enable the API by configuring production.yaml:
api:
enabled: true
Test the API with curl:
curl -X GET http://yourdomain.com/api/v1/videos
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Customize video encoding settings in production.yaml:
transcoding:
profiles:
- name: 720p
bitrate: 1500k
- name: 1080p
bitrate: 3000k
Save and restart PeerTube for changes to take effect.
Wrapping Up
By following this guide, you've successfully deployed, configured, and optimized PeerTube for self-hosted video sharing. From installation to advanced configurations, these steps ensure a secure, scalable, and feature-rich platform. Start harnessing the full potential of PeerTube to manage your video content with absolute control and freedom!
