====== MiniDLNA - A lightweight, simple media server ======

If you'd like to set up a home media server, but you're limited by memory and processing power, then MiniDLNA might be just what you're looking for.  It doesn't have the bells-and-whistles of something like Plex Media Server, but it gets the job done, and all you need is a DLNA-compliant media client to access it.

> The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) was founded by a group of PC and consumer electronics companies in June 2003 to develop and promote a set of interoperability guidelines for sharing digital media among multimedia devices under the auspices of a certification standard.
>
> //from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Living_Network_Alliance|Wikipedia]].//

These instructions are for the Raspberry Pi 4, but MiniDLNA can be installed on just about any flavor of Linux, and it should be easy to adapt these instructions accordingly.

===== Requirements =====

A Raspberry Pi 4, running Rasbian.  That's it!

===== Setup =====

Ensure that your Raspberry Pi is up-to-date:

<code bash>
sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade
</code>

Then, install MiniDLNA:

<code bash>
sudo apt install minidlna
</code>

The MiniDLNA daemon starts automatically after installation.  It reads configuration information from /etc/minidlna.conf.

Edit the configuration file:

<code bash>
sudo vi /etc/minidlna.conf
</code>

Then, look for the section specifying the location(s) to scan for media files:

<code autoconf>
# * "A" for audio (eg. media_dir=A,/var/lib/minidlna/music)
# * "P" for pictures (eg. media_dir=P,/var/lib/minidlna/pictures)
# * "V" for video (eg. media_dir=V,/var/lib/minidlna/videos)
</code>

I created my media folders in my home directory, and my entries look like this:

<code autoconf>
media_dir=A,/home/pi/minidlna/music
media_dir=P,/home/pi/minidlna/pictures
media_dir=V,/home/pi/minidlna/video
</code>

The only other required setting is a friendly DLNA host name for your server.  Look for this entry:

<code autoconf>
#friendly_name=
</code>

Uncomment it, and add a friendly name of your choosing, e.g.:

<code autoconf>
friendly_name=MyMediaServer
</code>

Your MiniDLNA installation is now ready to use.

===== Adding Media Files =====

Copy media files to the MiniDLNA folders appropriate for their type, e.g.:

  * .mp3 files in /home/pi/minidlna/music
  * .jpg files in /home/pi/minidlna/pictures
  * .mp4 files in /home/pi/minidlna/video

The MiniDLNA daemon is sensitive to read permissions, so make your media readable by everyone:

<code bash>
chmod -R a+r /home/pi/minidlna
</code>

After adding media files, the MiniDLNA daemon must be restarted:

<code bash>
sudo systemctl restart minidlna
</code>

===== Client Access =====

The MiniDLNA server should be accessible by any DLNA-compliant media client on your network.  Examples:

  * Roku Media Player
  * Universal Plug-n-Play in the VLC media player

===== Monitoring =====

You can check the status of your media server from a browser anywhere on your network by going to http://192.168.0.140:8200.  (Change the IP address to match the address of your server.)