Set up a DLNA Server in a Minute
Productivity Sauce
DLNA provides a hassle-free solution for sharing digital media between devices, and you can put this technology to good use on your local network. Install DLNA software on a server on your network, and you can easily access photos, videos, and music from any device that has a DLNA client on it. Using the minidlna application, you can turn any Linux machine into a DLNA server in a matter of minutes. Here is how to do this on Debian and Ubuntu. Since minidlna is available in the official software repositories of both distros, installing it is a matter of running the apt-get install minidlna command as root. Once the package has been installed, open the minidlna.conf configuration file in a text editor by running the nano /etc/minidlna.conf command as root. At the very least, you need to specify two things: paths to directories containing digital media and a descriptive name for the DLNA server. On my Raspberry Pi, I store photos, videos, and music in separate directories on a USB stick, so my minidlna.conf configuration file looks like this:
media_dir=P,/media/usb0/photos media_dir=V,/media/usb0/videos media_dir=A,/media/usb0/music friendly_name=Raspberry Pi DLNA server
Next, you should generate minidlna's database. To do this, stop the minidlna server with the /etc/init.d/minidlna stop command, then issue the following command (both commands should be run as root):
minidlna -R
Start then the minidlna server using the /etc/init.d/minidlna start as root, and you are done. Unfortunately, minidlna cannot update the database automatically, so you need to do this manually every time you add new media files.
To access digital media served by the DLNA server, you either need a DLNA-capable device or to install a DLNA client software. On Linux, you might want to give eezUPnP a try (see this article for more info), while the AnDLNA app can come in handy for accessing media files from an Android device.
Comments
comments powered by DisqusSubscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome OS Transitioning Toward a General-Purpose Distro
If you're looking for the perfectly vanilla take on the Gnome desktop, Gnome OS might be for you.
-
Fedora 41 Released with New Features
If you're a Fedora fan or just looking for a Linux distribution to help you migrate from Windows, Fedora 41 might be just the ticket.
-
AlmaLinux OS Kitten 10 Gives Power Users a Sneak Preview
If you're looking to kick the tires of AlmaLinux's upstream version, the developers have a purrfect solution.
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
comments
I'm using minidlna for a while, and found out that new media added will be served wihtout the need to restart the service.
Another tip, I found the android app BubbleUPnP it's great not only for DLNA, but for other streams.
Best regards.