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dubby docs
🚧 These docs are a work in progress and may contain inaccuracies. Content is being actively reviewed and validated.

Quick Start

Get your personal media server running in minutes.

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”
  • Docker installed (Docker Desktop or Docker Engine)
  • Media files (movies, TV shows) on local storage

1. Create a project directory

Section titled “1. Create a project directory”
Terminal window
mkdir dubby && cd dubby

2. Create docker-compose.yml

Section titled “2. Create docker-compose.yml”
services:
  dubby:
    image: dubbytv/dubby:beta
    container_name: dubby
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '3000:3000'
    environment:
      - BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=${BETTER_AUTH_SECRET}
      - TMDB_API_KEY=${TMDB_API_KEY:-}
      - REDIS_URL=redis://valkey:6379
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./cache:/cache
      - /path/to/media:/media
    depends_on:
      valkey:
        condition: service_healthy
    healthcheck:
      test:
        [
          'CMD',
          'node',
          '-e',
          "fetch('http://localhost:3000/health').then(r=>r.ok?process.exit(0):process.exit(1)).catch(()=>process.exit(1))",
        ]
      interval: 30s
      timeout: 10s
      start_period: 15s
      retries: 3


  valkey:
    image: valkey/valkey:latest
    container_name: dubby-valkey
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - valkey_data:/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ['CMD', 'valkey-cli', 'ping']
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 3


volumes:
  valkey_data:

Replace /path/to/media with the actual path to your media files.

3. Create a .env file

Section titled “3. Create a .env file”
Terminal window
# Generate a secret (save this — you'll need it if you recreate the container)
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)


# Get a free API key from https://themoviedb.org/settings/api
TMDB_API_KEY=

Or create it manually:

Terminal window
echo "BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)" > .env
echo "TMDB_API_KEY=" >> .env

4. Start the server

Section titled “4. Start the server”
Terminal window
docker compose up -d

5. Run the setup wizard

Section titled “5. Run the setup wizard”

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

The setup wizard will guide you through:

  1. Create your admin account — This becomes the server owner
  2. Configure privacy settings — Choose how Dubby handles external services and data masking
  3. Configure metadata — Add your TMDB API key for movie/TV artwork
  4. Add your first library — Select a type (Movies or TV Shows) and enter the container path (e.g., /media)
  5. Start scanning — Dubby will scan your media and begin fetching metadata

The wizard only appears on first run. After setup, manage libraries from Settings > Libraries.

What’s next?

Section titled “What’s next?”