How to Replace Your Subscriptions with a Raspberry Pi, by Tucker on YouTube. 20 min 50 s.
- Video length
- 20 min 50 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Download Raspberry Pi Imager on your computer and flash Raspberry Pi OS Lite to the microSD card. In the settings, enable SSH, set a username and password, and add your Wi-Fi details.
Assemble the Pi kit: fit the board into the case, attach the cooler if you have one, and connect the T7 SSD and power supply.
Boot the Pi and find its IP address in your router's device list. Connect over SSH with ssh youruser@your-pi-ip from a terminal.
Update the system with sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, then reboot so the changes take effect.
Install Docker and Docker Compose using the official install script, then run docker --version to confirm it works.
Create a folder for Immich and a docker-compose.yml file with the Immich database, server and machine learning services. Run docker compose up -d and open the web page on port 2283.
Add a Jellyfin service to your compose file, start it, and open port 8096 in a browser. Create your admin account and point a library at your media folder on the SSD.
Install Samba and edit smb.conf to share a folder on the SSD. Set a Samba password with smbpasswd and mount the share from your computer.
Install Tailscale with the official script, run sudo tailscale up, and log in. Install the Tailscale app on your phone and laptop and sign in to the same account.
Find the Pi's Tailscale IP address and use it to open Immich, Jellyfin and your Samba share from anywhere.
Tips and common mistakes
Use an SSD instead of a microSD card for your media and photos, since cards wear out quickly under constant writes.
Write down your container ports and folder paths before you start so you can find each service later.
Keep the Pi on a wired Ethernet connection if you stream large video files.
Back up your compose files and photo library to a second drive, because a home server is not a backup on its own.
Questions
Do I need the 8 GB model?
It helps when Immich runs its machine learning jobs, but 4 GB can work for a small library. The 8 GB version gives more headroom for several containers at once.
Can I use Plex or Nextcloud instead?
Yes. Swap the Jellyfin or Immich service in your compose file for Plex or Nextcloud and keep the same Docker and Tailscale setup.
Is this safe to expose to the internet?
Tailscale keeps the services on a private network, so you do not open router ports. Avoid port forwarding unless you know how to secure each app.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
