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Getting Started

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LAP87 edited this page Apr 15, 2026 · 8 revisions

Getting Started

What You Need First

  • one or more tagged library roots using {tmdb-*} for movies and {tvdb-*} for series
  • one or more source roots that expose the RD-backed files
  • a config based on config.example.yaml

Optional, but strongly recommended:

  • TMDB and TVDB credentials for full metadata matching
  • Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin only if you want automatic refresh after changes

Install Options

You can run Symlinkarr in three ways:

  • download a release tarball from GitHub Releases
  • build locally with Cargo
  • run with Docker

Command forms:

  • release binary: ./symlinkarr ...
  • source checkout: cargo run -- ...
  • Docker: usually docker compose up -d for daemon mode

Release binary example:

tar -xzf symlinkarr-<version>-linux-amd64.tar.gz
cd symlinkarr-<version>-linux-amd64
./symlinkarr --help

First Run

From source:

cargo run -- config validate --output json
cargo run -- doctor --output json
cargo run -- scan --dry-run
cargo run -- scan
cargo run -- web

From a release binary:

./symlinkarr config validate --output json
./symlinkarr doctor --output json
./symlinkarr scan --dry-run
./symlinkarr scan
./symlinkarr web

Web UI default: http://127.0.0.1:8726

Docker Quick Start

Use the published image:

services:
  symlinkarr:
    image: ghcr.io/lap87/symlinkarr:latest

Then:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Use config.docker.yaml for container-facing paths.

Backup Expectation

Symlinkarr backups now go further than a simple link snapshot.

  • Symlinkarr Backup is the main backup to keep
  • Restore Point is the lighter rollback snapshot created around risky runs
  • backup create writes a tracked-link manifest, a sibling SQLite snapshot, and an app-state bundle for the active config plus any secretfile: secrets the install can see
  • environment-only secrets still need to be backed up separately
  • a fresh install still needs config/secrets placed before first startup

Useful First Commands

symlinkarr status --health
symlinkarr cache status
symlinkarr repair auto --dry-run
symlinkarr discover list

Windows

Native Windows is not supported. Use WSL2 or a Linux container.

Repo guide:

Clone this wiki locally