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Documentation Index

Complete guide to all documentation files. Start here if you're new!

Getting Started (Pick Your Path)

Path 1: Quick Start (Existing Docker System)

You already have Docker, Tailscale, and Linux set up

  1. Read: README.md - Overview of the stack
  2. Clone: git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USER/home_media.git
  3. Setup: Follow "Quick Start" in README.md
  4. Secure: Follow SECURITY.md
  5. Monitor: Run ./health_check.sh to verify everything

Time: ~30 minutes

Path 2: Full Production Setup (Fresh Server)

You have a bare Linux server and need everything

  1. Read: DEPLOYMENT.md - Complete system setup
  2. System preparation (Docker, Tailscale, UFW)
  3. Clone and configure
  4. Launch and verify

  5. Health monitoring

  6. Then follow Path 1 (Security setup)

Time: ~1-2 hours

Path 3: Quick Reference (Already Running)

Your stack is up, you need commands

Usage: 

chmod +x health_check.sh
./health_check.sh

Documentation Files

README.md

  • What this stack is (12 services)
  • Key features & architecture
  • Security overview
  • Quick start guide
  • Start here!

DEPLOYMENT.md NEW - COMPREHENSIVE

Complete production deployment guide covering: - Part 1: System Preparation - Docker Engine installation - Tailscale setup - UFW firewall configuration - Data directory creation

  • Part 2: Repository Setup
  • Clone from GitHub (wget & git methods)
  • Environment configuration

  • Application data directories

  • Part 3: Launch Stack

  • Starting services

  • Verification steps

  • Part 4: Health Monitoring

  • Essential health check commands
  • Automated health check script

  • Resource monitoring

  • Part 5: Post-Deployment

  • Service access methods

  • First-run checklist

  • Part 6: Maintenance

  • Daily/Weekly/Monthly tasks

  • Quarterly backups

  • Part 7: Troubleshooting

  • Common issues & solutions

  • Recovery procedures

  • Part 8: Security Verification

  • Part 9: Backup & Disaster Recovery

SECURITY.md

Service-by-service security setup: - Initial setup checklist for each app - Authentication requirements - API key management - Inter-service integration guide - Network architecture - Monitoring & logs - Maintenance schedule

Read if you're setting up for the first time!

SETUP.md

Legacy setup guide (see DEPLOYMENT.md for fuller version): - Prerequisites - Installation steps - Configuration options - Initial verification

COMMANDS.md NEW - REFERENCE

Quick lookup for commands: - Docker Commands: ps, logs, exec, stop, start, etc. - System Commands: disk usage, permissions, networking - Troubleshooting Scenarios: - Container won't start - Services can't reach each other - Permission denied errors - Out of disk space - Tailscale not connecting - One-liners: Quick health checks - Backup & Recovery: Backup commands

Bookmark this page!

QUICKREF.md

  • Directory structure
  • Essential files table
  • Service access URLs
  • Configuration commands
  • Quick command reference

health_check.sh NEW - AUTOMATED

Executable bash script that runs automated health checks: - Container status - Disk space - Network connectivity - Tailscale integration - Resource usage - Error detection

Run regularly: 

./health_check.sh

CHECKLIST.md NEW - PRINTABLE

Print-friendly deployment checklist covering: - Pre-deployment system setup - Repository setup - Launch stack steps - Security setup for each service - Final verification - Troubleshooting quick reference - Maintenance notes

Print this before deploying!

Find Information By Topic

Installation & Setup

Security & Authentication

Docker & System Commands

Monitoring & Health Checks

Troubleshooting

Maintenance

Network & Firewall

Checklists

Pre-Deployment Checklist

  • [ ] Read README.md
  • [ ] Understand architecture (12 services, Tailscale-only)
  • [ ] Have Linux server ready
  • [ ] Have Tailscale account
  • [ ] Have GitHub account (or fork this repo)

Deployment Checklist (Printable)

Print CHECKLIST.md! Contains: - Pre-deployment tasks - Package installation - Docker setup - Repository setup - Launch stack - Security setup per service - Final verification - Troubleshooting reference

Security Setup Checklist

  • [ ] Follow SECURITY.md Initial Setup Checklist
  • [ ] Change qBittorrent password (CRITICAL)
  • [ ] Set up Jellyfin user account
  • [ ] Set up Plex account
  • [ ] Configure Jellyseerr integrations
  • [ ] Test request workflow

Post-Launch Checklist

  • [ ] Access Jellyseerr via Tailscale
  • [ ] Request test movie
  • [ ] Verify Radarr picks it up
  • [ ] Monitor in qBittorrent
  • [ ] Verify download appears in Jellyfin
  • [ ] Set up backup strategy

External Resources

Official Documentation

  • Docker Docs: https://docs.docker.com/
  • Docker Compose: https://docs.docker.com/compose/
  • Tailscale Docs: https://tailscale.com/kb/

Service Documentation

  • Radarr: https://radarr.video/
  • Sonarr: https://sonarr.tv/
  • Lidarr: https://lidarr.audio/
  • Readarr: https://readarr.com/
  • Jellyfin: https://docs.jellyfin.org/
  • Jellyseerr: https://docs.jellyseerr.dev/
  • Plex: https://support.plex.tv/
  • qBittorrent: https://www.qbittorrent.org/
  • Prowlarr: https://wiki.servarr.com/prowlarr/

Community

  • Servarr Discord: https://discord.gg/servarr
  • Jellyfin Forums: https://jellyfin.org/
  • r/selfhosted: https://reddit.com/r/selfhosted

Tips & Best Practices

Security

DO: - Keep .env file secret (it's in .gitignore) - Use Tailscale for all access (no port forwarding) - Change default passwords immediately - Monitor access logs regularly

DON'T: - Expose services to the internet - Share Tailscale access broadly - Keep default passwords - Commit .env to git

Performance

DO: - Monitor disk usage weekly - Set up automated backups - Check logs for errors - Update images monthly

DON'T: - Run with insufficient disk space - Ignore error logs - Forget to backup configs - Let media library grow unmanaged

Maintenance

DO: - Run ./health_check.sh weekly - Keep docker images updated - Document custom configs - Test recovery procedures

DON'T: - Stop containers abruptly (use compose down) - Delete appdata without backup - Run as root unnecessarily - Ignore Tailscale connection issues

Need Help?

  1. First check: Run ./health_check.sh to identify issues
  2. Check logs: docker compose logs -f service_name
  3. Search docs: Look in COMMANDS.md troubleshooting section
  4. Read setup guide: Follow exact steps in SECURITY.md
  5. Check networks: Verify docker network ls shows arr_network

File Reference

File Purpose When to Read
README.md Overview & quick start First!
DEPLOYMENT.md Full production setup Fresh server
SECURITY.md Service authentication First-time setup
SETUP.md Basic setup (legacy) Reference
COMMANDS.md Docker & Linux commands Need a command
QUICKREF.md Quick lookup Quick lookup
CHECKLIST.md Deployment checklist Print & use during setup
health_check.sh Health checks Regular monitoring
.env.example Configuration template Setup time
.gitignore Git security Reference
docker-compose.yml Stack definition Reference

For Complete Beginners

  1. README.md - 5 min
  2. DEPLOYMENT.md - 30 min (skim Part 1-3)
  3. SECURITY.md - 15 min (follow checklist)
  4. Run ./health_check.sh - 2 min
  5. Bookmark COMMANDS.md - Reference

For Experienced Self-Hosters

  1. README.md - 5 min (overview)
  2. DEPLOYMENT.md Part 1 - 10 min (UFW/Tailscale review)
  3. SECURITY.md - 10 min (setup checklist)
  4. Bookmark COMMANDS.md - Reference

For Maintenance

  • Weekly: Run ./health_check.sh
  • Monthly: Check DEPLOYMENT.md Part 6 maintenance tasks
  • Quarterly: Review SECURITY.md checklist

Last Updated: February 14, 2026 Status: Production-Ready Next: Start with README.md or DEPLOYMENT.md depending on your setup!