Radarr is a powerful self-hosted application designed to automate the process of tracking, managing, and downloading movies. Built specifically for efficiency and customization, Radarr integrates seamlessly with various download clients and indexes to keep your media library organized. By hosting Radarr yourself, you gain full control over your data, advanced customization, and the ability to tailor configurations to your environment. This guide walks you through installing, configuring, and managing Radarr, including setting up Docker, securing it with Nginx, debugging common issues, automating backups, and leveraging its unique features.
Installing Radarr
📦 Docker/Docker Compose Setup
Docker is the recommended way to deploy Radarr due to its simplicity and portability. Below is a docker-compose.yml file specifically configured for Radarr:
version: '3.8'
services:
radarr:
image: lscr.io/linuxserver/radarr:latest
container_name: radarr
environment:
- PUID=1000 # Replace with your user ID
- PGID=1000 # Replace with your group ID
- TZ=Etc/UTC # Replace with your timezone
volumes:
- /path/to/config:/config # Configuration files
- /path/to/movies:/movies # Movie directory
- /path/to/downloads:/downloads # Downloads directory
ports:
- 7878:7878 # Radarr web interface
restart: unless-stopped
Save the above file as docker-compose.yml and run the following commands to deploy Radarr:
cd /path/to/your/docker-compose
## Deploy the container
docker-compose up -d
🚀 Manual Installation on Linux
To manually install Radarr on a Linux server, follow these steps:
## Update package lists and install dependencies
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y curl mediainfo sqlite3 libchromaprint-tools
## Download the latest Radarr release
curl -L -o radarr.tar.gz $(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/Radarr/Radarr/releases/latest | grep "browser_download_url.*linux.tar.gz" | cut -d '"' -f 4)
## Extract the downloaded archive
tar -xvzf radarr.tar.gz -C /opt/
## Rename the extracted folder
sudo mv /opt/Radarr /opt/radarr
## Create a Radarr systemd service
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/radarr.service > /dev/null <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Radarr Daemon
After=network.target
[Service]
User=$(whoami)
Group=$(whoami)
ExecStart=/opt/radarr/Radarr -nobrowser
Restart=on-failure
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
## Enable and start the Radarr service
sudo systemctl enable radarr
sudo systemctl start radarr
Access Radarr via http://<your_server_ip>:7878.
Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy
🌐 Nginx Configuration
Create an Nginx server block to route traffic to Radarr:
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/radarr.conf
Paste the following configuration:
server {
listen 80;
server_name yourdomain.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:7878;
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 $scheme;
}
}
Enable the configuration and reload Nginx:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/radarr.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
🔒 SSL/TLS Setup
Secure Radarr with a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate:
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
Configure automatic renewal for certificates:
sudo systemctl enable certbot.timer
sudo systemctl start certbot.timer
Logging and Debugging Radarr
🗃️ Enabling Debug Logs
To enable debug logging in Radarr:
-
Navigate to the Radarr web interface.
-
Go to Settings > General > Logging.
-
Set the log level to Debug.
📄 Viewing Logs
For Docker deployments, view Radarr logs with:
docker logs radarr
For manual installations, logs are located at:
/opt/radarr/logs/
🛠️ Troubleshooting Common Issues
Use the logs to identify errors like missing dependencies or incorrect file permissions. Check for common errors in the web interface or by inspecting logs:
cat /opt/radarr/logs/*.txt | grep "ERROR"
📤 Exporting Logs
To forward logs to an ELK Stack, use Filebeat or a similar log shipper. For example:
sudo apt install filebeat
sudo nano /etc/filebeat/filebeat.yml
Configure Filebeat to monitor Radarr logs and send them to Elasticsearch.
Backup and Restore
🗂️ File-Based Backups
Create a backup of Radarr configuration files:
tar -czvf radarr_backup_$(date +%F).tar.gz /path/to/config
🔄 Database Backups
Backup the Radarr database:
cp /path/to/config/radarr.db /path/to/backup/radarr.db.$(date +%F)
📅 Automated Backup Scripts
Automate backups with a cron job:
crontab -e
Add the following line to schedule daily backups:
0 2 * * * tar -czvf /path/to/backup/radarr_backup_$(date +\%F).tar.gz /path/to/config
Updating and Upgrading Radarr
⬆️ Updating Docker Images
Update Radarr to the latest version in Docker:
docker-compose pull radarr
docker-compose up -d
🛠️ Manual Updates
For manual installations, repeat the download and extraction steps from Manual Installation, overwriting the existing files.
🔍 Checking for Updates
In the Radarr web interface, go to System > Updates to check for available updates.
Leveraging Radarr’s Unique Features
🔧 Enabling APIs
Enable the Radarr API for custom integrations:
-
Navigate to Settings > General > Security.
-
Enable API Key and copy your unique key.
Test the API with curl:
curl -H "X-Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" http://<your_server_ip>:7878/api/v3/movie
🌟 Advanced Configurations
Integrate Radarr with external tools like Sonarr or a media server:
-
Use Connect settings to sync Radarr’s status with Plex or Emby.
-
Configure Download Clients to integrate with tools like qBittorrent or NZBGet.
Wrapping Up
Self-hosting Radarr gives you unparalleled control over your movie library, allowing you to automate downloads and maintain a tidy collection. This guide covered everything from installation and security to debugging and leveraging advanced features. By implementing these steps, you’ll unlock the full power of Radarr and ensure a smooth, efficient media management experience that’s tailored to your needs.
