PiZeroStream

Here is a complete step-by-step guide to setting up a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a private offline streaming server that you can access via Wi-Fi and manage via SSH.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up a Raspberry Pi Zero W as a Private Offline Streaming Server

1. Hardware Requirements:

• Raspberry Pi Zero W (with Wi-Fi)
• MicroSD Card (16GB or larger)
• External Storage Device (USB flash drive or hard drive)
• Power Supply (5V)
• USB OTG Cable (to connect external storage)
• MicroSD Card Reader (for initial setup)

2. Software Requirements:

• Raspberry Pi OS Lite
• Jellyfin Media Server
• Hostapd and Dnsmasq (for Wi-Fi access point)
• SSH Client (e.g., PuTTY for Windows, Terminal for macOS/Linux)

3. Preparing the SD Card:

Download Raspberry Pi OS Lite:

1. Visit the Raspberry Pi website.
2. Download Raspberry Pi OS Lite.

Flash the OS to the SD Card:

1. Use the Raspberry Pi Imager or Balena Etcher to flash the OS onto the SD card.

Enable SSH and Configure Wi-Fi:

1. After flashing, create an empty file named ssh (no extension) in the boot partition of the SD card to enable SSH.
2. Create a file named wpa_supplicant.conf in the boot partition with the following content to configure Wi-Fi (replace Your_SSID and Your_PASSWORD with your Wi-Fi credentials):

   country=US
   ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
   update_config=1
   
   network={
       ssid="Your_SSID"
       psk="Your_PASSWORD"
       key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
   }
   

4. Initial Raspberry Pi Configuration:

Boot the Raspberry Pi:

1. Insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi and power it on.

Connect via SSH:

1. Use an SSH client like PuTTY (Windows) or Terminal (macOS/Linux) to connect to the Pi:

   ssh pi@raspberrypi.local

   Default username: pi Default password: raspberry

Update the System:

1. Update and upgrade the system:

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get upgrade -y

5. Set Up the Wi-Fi Access Point:

Install Hostapd and Dnsmasq:

1. Install the necessary packages:

   sudo apt-get install hostapd dnsmasq -y

Configure Hostapd:

1. Edit the Hostapd configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf

   Add the following content:

   interface=wlan0
   driver=nl80211
   ssid=YourNetworkName
   hw_mode=g
   channel=6
   wmm_enabled=0
   macaddr_acl=0
   auth_algs=1
   ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
   wpa=2
   wpa_passphrase=YourPassword
   wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
   wpa_pairwise=TKIP
   rsn_pairwise=CCMP
   

2. Edit the default Hostapd file to point to the configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/default/hostapd

   Set:

   DAEMON_CONF="/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf"
   

Configure Dnsmasq:

1. Backup the original configuration and create a new one:

   sudo mv /etc/dnsmasq.conf /etc/dnsmasq.conf.orig
   sudo nano /etc/dnsmasq.conf

   Add the following:

   interface=wlan0
   dhcp-range=192.168.50.2,192.168.50.20,255.255.255.0,24h
   

Configure Network Interfaces:

1. Edit the DHCP configuration:

   sudo nano /etc/dhcpcd.conf

   Add:

   interface wlan0
   static ip_address=192.168.50.1/24
   nohook wpa_supplicant
   

2. Ensure the network interfaces are correctly configured:

   sudo nano /etc/network/interfaces

   Add or modify:

   allow-hotplug wlan0
   iface wlan0 inet static
   address 192.168.50.1
   netmask 255.255.255.0
   

Start and Enable Services:

1. Start and enable Hostapd and Dnsmasq:

   sudo systemctl start hostapd
   sudo systemctl start dnsmasq
   sudo systemctl enable hostapd
   sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq

6. Install and Configure Jellyfin:

Install Jellyfin:

1. Install Jellyfin:

   sudo apt install apt-transport-https -y
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install jellyfin -y

Configure Jellyfin:

1. Access Jellyfin’s web interface at http://192.168.50.1:8096 from a browser connected to the Pi's Wi-Fi network.
2. Follow the setup wizard to configure your media library, pointing it to the folder on your external storage where you have your media files.

7. Accessing the Pi and Streaming Content:

Connect to the Pi’s Wi-Fi Network:

1. Use your device (laptop, smartphone, etc.) to connect to the Pi’s Wi-Fi network using the SSID and password you configured.

SSH into the Pi:

1. Use an SSH client to connect to the Pi using its static IP address:

   ssh pi@192.168.50.1

Access Jellyfin Interface:

1. Open a browser and navigate to http://192.168.50.1:8096.

Stream Movies:

1. Use the Jellyfin interface to browse and stream your movies.

By following these steps, you will have a Raspberry Pi Zero W set up as a private offline streaming server, accessible via its own Wi-Fi network and manageable via SSH.