A Plex alternative
Pilot Program
Dim, a relatively new open source media manager, looks to implement the appearance and feature set of the commercial Plex media center.
Many media players, also known as home theater software suites or media managers, are available for Linux. Of particular interest are the candidates that rely on the client-server principle, which users can host themselves and which also support secure access from the outside. The better-known representatives of this genre include the open source projects Kodi, Emby, LibreELEC, and Jellyfin, and the primarily proprietary Plex [1], which originated as a fork of the Xbox Media Center's (XBMC) Frodo version.
Although not open source, Plex is very popular on Linux because of its extensive functionality, good user interface, and suitability as a streaming media server. However, it has shifted too heavily in the direction of Netflix and Amazon Prime for many users, while basic features have been missing for years, such as smooth fading in and out of audio tracks.
For about a year, developers have been working on Dim [2], open source software that emulates Plex's appearance and functionality as closely as possible. First released in April 2021, the current version is Dim 0.3.0-rc6. By the time you read this article, version 0.3.1 should already be available or close to official release.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe 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
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.
-
United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
A new open source portal seeks to coordinate and scale open source efforts across the United Nations system.
-
KDE Linux Drops AUR
KDE Linux developers have dropped the Arch User Repository from the build pipeline due to security concerns; other distributions should consider doing the same.
-
California May Exempt Linux from Its Age-Verification Law
After backlash from the Linux community, California may be backing off on its promise to force all operating systems to verify age, but one platform may still have to comply.