Install the server.
Local, VPS or Docker.

01How it fits together

02Local install

See Quick start. The same commands work on a server.

03Install on a VPS

1. Install Node.js 22 and ffmpeg on the server (on Debian or Ubuntu: apt install ffmpeg).
2. Upload the item to the server, for example to /opt/reelora.
3. Build the web player and the server.

cd /opt/reelora/web && npm ci && npm run build
cd ../server && npm ci && npm run build

4. Create .env from the template and fill in the two keys (next section).

cp .env.example .env
openssl rand -hex 32     # run twice: one value for ADMIN_SECRET_KEY, one for MEDIA_SIGNING_KEY
openssl rand -hex 24     # optional: ADMIN_SETUP_TOKEN for the first sign-in

5. Start it and keep it running.

npm start                # node --env-file-if-exists=.env dist/src/server.js, port 8080

Production runs the compiled JavaScript with plain node; nothing is compiled at run time. To keep it running, use systemd, PM2 or Docker. With PM2, start it through npm so that .env is loaded:

pm2 start npm --name reelora -- start

An example systemd unit (adjust the user and paths):

[Unit]
Description=Reelora server
After=network.target

[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/opt/reelora/server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/npm start
Restart=always
User=reelora

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

04The .env file

Only what the process needs before the console exists lives in server/.env. Everything else is set in the console. Full list on Configuration.

05Docker

The image builds the web player and the server and installs ffmpeg. Run these from the item's root folder:

docker build -t reelora -f server/Dockerfile .
docker run -d --name reelora -p 8080:8080 -v reelora-data:/app/server/data --env-file server/.env reelora

The volume reelora-data keeps the databases and media between container updates. Do not remove it.

06Reverse proxy and HTTPS

Put a TLS-terminating proxy in front of port 8080. Example Caddyfile (Caddy gets the certificate for you):

watch.example.com {
  reverse_proxy localhost:8080
}

1. Set TRUST_PROXY_HOPS=1 in .env (2 if a CDN sits in front of the proxy), so sign-in limits see the real client address.
2. Restart the server.
3. In the console, set Media & CDN → Public server address to https://watch.example.com. The status page treats an empty address as a blocker, because playback and checkout links are built from it.

With nginx, proxy all paths to http://127.0.0.1:8080 and raise client_max_body_size to at least your largest upload (console default: 500 MB).

07First sign-in to the console

Nobody can create the owner without a setup secret only you have. Use one of the two:

• ADMIN_SETUP_TOKEN from your .env, if you set it; or
• the one-time setup code the first start prints in the server log when the token is empty (journalctl -u reelora, pm2 logs reelora or docker logs reelora).

1. Open https://<your domain>/admin, enter the token or the code and create the owner account (12+ character password).
2. Remove ADMIN_SETUP_TOKEN from .env if you used it, and restart. Once an owner exists the setup route is closed for good, and the server log warns while the token is still set.
3. Work through the setup checklist on the Overview: brand, public server address (Media & CDN), legal links.
4. Turn on two-factor authentication for the owner (console → Security).

08Lost the owner password

On the server, in the server/ folder:

npm run reset-owner -- you@example.com
npm run reset-owner -- you@example.com --reset-2fa   # also clears two-factor

It prints a new one-time password, signs that owner out everywhere and records the reset in the audit log. Shell access to the server is the authorisation; there is no web route for it. Run it without an e-mail to list the owner accounts.

09Backups

Back up regularly:

• server/data/ (or your DATA_DIR): the databases reelora.sqlite and admin.sqlite, uploads and HLS files, and any generated key files.
• server/.env, above all ADMIN_SECRET_KEY.

The console's stored secrets are encrypted with ADMIN_SECRET_KEY: if you lose the key, enter the secrets again (key rotation and loss). SQLite can be copied safely while the server runs:

sqlite3 data/reelora.sqlite ".backup data/backup.sqlite"
sqlite3 data/admin.sqlite ".backup data/backup-admin.sqlite"

The console can also export its settings (console → Export and import).