MMTL (My Movie and TV Library)

A lightweight, polished, NAS-friendly private media center

Docker-first setup · Multi-user management · Media library · Metadata · Downloads · Emby-protocol clients · Cloud playback

中文 · Quick Start · Docker Compose · FAQ · Live Demo

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What is it?

MMTL is a self-hosted media center for personal libraries, home NAS, and home-theater users.

It helps you:

• Manage movies, TV shows, anime, variety shows, music, and adult libraries.
• Create multiple user accounts for family members, friends, or different devices.
• Scan files and enrich posters, summaries, years, seasons, and episodes.
• Play in the web UI, or log in with a MMTL account from Emby-protocol apps such as Infuse, VidHub, SenPlayer, and Emby clients.
• Connect qBittorrent for search, subscriptions, downloads, and post-download organization.
• Connect OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, and other storage backends with STRMURL or 302 redirect playback.
• Run on NAS, mini PCs, VPS, Linux, Windows Docker Desktop, or any Docker-friendly host.

The project is moving fast. With the default PostgreSQL deployment, back up both data/ and postgres/.

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Key Highlights

• One server, many clients: deploy MMTL once; you do not need to run a separate Emby server.
• Emby-protocol compatibility: add the server in third-party players as an Emby/Jellyfin-compatible server, then log in with your MMTL username and password.
• Multi-user management: supports admins, regular users, account enable/disable, expiry dates, device management, Bot registration, and redeem codes.
• Local + cloud media in one place: manage local disks, download folders, OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, and other storage backends from one panel.
• Download-to-library workflow: connect qBittorrent for search, subscriptions, download completion organization, and metadata matching.
• NAS-friendly: simple Docker Compose deployment. The primary database lives under postgres/, while runtime secrets and files live under data/.

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Who is it for?

• Beginners who want to edit one docker-compose.yml and start the service.
• NAS users who want a low-resource media center for local disks and cloud storage.
• PT/download users who want downloads, organization, metadata, and playback in one panel.
• External-player users who want to log in to Emby-protocol third-party apps with one MMTL account.
• Family-sharing users who want separate user accounts without deploying a separate media server for each person.
• Developers who want to study or extend a Go + React self-hosted media app.

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Live Demo

• URL: https://mgo.3jzs.com
• Username: admin
• Password: admin123

The demo is for feature preview only. Do not save private API keys, tracker cookies, or personal data there.

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Quick Start

Docker Compose is the recommended path. Beginners do not need .env, bare-metal binaries, or source builds. Use the single-image SQLite template if you want the smallest possible setup.

mkdir -p MMTL
cd MMTL
# Simplest option: one MMTL container + SQLite
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ShukeBta/MMTL/main/docker-compose.simple.yml -o docker-compose.yml
# Or tier 1: MMTL + PostgreSQL
# curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ShukeBta/MMTL/main/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml

Edit docker-compose.yml:

vi docker-compose.yml

Start:

docker compose up -d

Open:

http://SERVER_IP:18080

Default login:

Username: admin
Password: admin123

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Docker Compose Recommended

The repository docker-compose.yml is the lightweight recommended template: no .env required, and by default it only starts MMTL + PostgreSQL. This is the best starting point for most NAS users.

If you already have an older ./data/mmtl.db, the first start with the new compose file automatically imports it into PostgreSQL. Keep ./data; it still stores the JWT secret, runtime data, and the old SQLite migration source.

Deployment modes

Mode	Command	Best for
Single image: SQLite	docker compose -f docker-compose.simple.yml up -d	Beginners and single-user setups that want one image only, no PostgreSQL/Redis
Lightweight: PG only	docker compose up -d	Most NAS devices, lowest resource use
Standard: PG + Redis	docker compose -f docker-compose.standard.yml up -d	Multi-user use and frequent Emby client refreshes
Search enhanced: PG + Redis + OpenSearch	docker compose -f docker-compose.search.yml up -d	Huge libraries and future standalone search indexing

Each compose file is standalone. Do not stack multiple -f files together.

The single-image docker-compose.simple.yml runs only MMTL with a built-in SQLite database — the simplest starting point. Do not set MMTL_DATABASE_DSN there, or it switches back to PostgreSQL. Move up to the PostgreSQL modes for multi-user or high-concurrency use (keep ./data when you switch). Redis and OpenSearch are enhancement layers, not source databases. Do not enable OpenSearch by default on low-memory NAS devices.

Database Choice And Disabling SQLite

The current Docker Compose setup uses PostgreSQL by default. SQLite is no longer the primary database in the recommended Docker deployment. The runtime database is controlled by:

environment:
  MMTL_DATABASE_TYPE: postgres
  MMTL_DATABASE_DSN: postgres://mmtl:mmtl@postgres:5432/mmtl?sslmode=disable

MMTL_DATABASE_DB_PATH is only used as a one-time migration source for old SQLite data:

• Fresh installs: docker compose up -d uses PostgreSQL and does not create a new SQLite primary database.
• Upgrades: if ./data/mmtl.db exists, the first start with the new compose file imports it into PostgreSQL.
• Migration fills missing rows by primary key and skips rows that already exist. If it fails partway through, a later start continues the remaining tables.
• After a successful import, PostgreSQL gets a completion marker in the settings table, so the old SQLite file is not imported again.
• Redis is a hot cache and OpenSearch is a search index; neither is a source database.

Recommended SQLite to PostgreSQL upgrade flow:

docker compose pull mmtl
docker compose up -d --no-deps mmtl
docker compose logs -f mmtl

After you see sqlite data migrated to postgres, or after the web UI shows your users, libraries, and settings correctly, you can stop using the old SQLite file as a migration source.

To make the deployment PostgreSQL-only after migration, keep PostgreSQL selected and point the old SQLite migration path at a non-existent file:

Only do this after the web UI confirms that users, libraries, settings, and media rows are already present in PostgreSQL.

environment:
  MMTL_DATABASE_TYPE: postgres
  MMTL_DATABASE_DSN: postgres://mmtl:mmtl@postgres:5432/mmtl?sslmode=disable
  MMTL_DATABASE_DB_PATH: /data/disabled-sqlite-migration.db

Then rename or move the old host-side SQLite file as an offline backup:

mv data/mmtl.db data/mmtl.sqlite.bak

For bare-metal or custom config.yaml deployments, use the same idea:

database:
  type: postgres
  dsn: postgres://mmtl:mmtl@127.0.0.1:5432/mmtl?sslmode=disable
  db_path: ""

Do not delete ./postgres. After migration, it is the real primary database. Keep ./data too, because it stores the JWT secret and runtime files.

Choose an image source

Both image sources are supported. Pick one and put it in image::

Source	Image	Best for
GitHub Container Registry (GHCR)	ghcr.io/shukebta/mmtl:latest	Recommended default, follows repository releases
Docker Hub	shukbet/mmtl:latest	Backup source when GHCR is slow or unavailable

To pin a version, first confirm the tag exists on the repository Packages page. Use this format:

image: ghcr.io/shukebta/mmtl:<version-tag>
# If GHCR does not have that tag, use Docker Hub as the backup:
# image: shukbet/mmtl:MMTL-v0.0.72

For the simplest setup, keep GHCR latest.

Manual pull examples:

# GitHub Container Registry
docker pull ghcr.io/shukebta/mmtl:latest

# Docker Hub backup
docker pull shukbet/mmtl:latest

Focus on this part:

volumes:
  - ./data:/data
  - ./cache:/cache
  - ./media:/media
  - ./downloads:/downloads

Meaning:

Host path	Container path	Purpose
./data	app /data	Settings, JWT secret, old SQLite migration source; the primary DB is under ./postgres
./cache	app /cache	Cache; safe to clean when needed
./media	/media	Media libraries; use /media/... in the web UI
./downloads	/downloads	Download directory and organization source
./postgres	PostgreSQL /var/lib/postgresql/data	New default primary database; back this up
./redis	Redis /data	Used only in standard mode; hot cache, rebuildable
./opensearch	OpenSearch /usr/share/opensearch/data	Used only in search-enhanced mode; higher memory use

If your NAS paths are:

/vol1/1000/Media
/vol1/1000/Downloads

change the compose file to:

volumes:
  - ./data:/data
  - ./cache:/cache
  - /vol1/1000/Media:/media
  - /vol1/1000/Downloads:/downloads

environment:
  MMTL_MEDIA_DIR: /vol1/1000/Media
  MMTL_DOWNLOAD_DIR: /vol1/1000/Downloads

Rules:

• The left side of volumes is the real path on your host/NAS.
• The right side is the container path. Keep /media and /downloads unless you know why you are changing them.
• In the web UI, create libraries with container paths such as /media/Movies or /media/TV.
• Do not write NAS absolute paths as ./vol1/...; ./ means a folder under the current compose directory.
• On Windows Docker Desktop, paths like D:/Media:/media and D:/Downloads:/downloads are fine.
• If you only scan/play existing media and never organize into the library, you may add :ro; if you use organize/rename/ingest, the media mount must stay writable.

Minimal compose example

The root docker-compose.yml follows this style:

services:
  mmtl:
    # Pick one image source:
    # GitHub Container Registry (GHCR):
    image: ghcr.io/shukebta/mmtl:latest
    # Docker Hub backup:
    # image: shukbet/mmtl:latest

    restart: unless-stopped
    init: true
    depends_on:
      postgres:
        condition: service_healthy

    # Browser: http://SERVER_IP:18080
    ports:
      - "18080:8080"

    # Let the container reach qBittorrent running on the host:
    # qB URL example: http://host.docker.internal:8085
    extra_hosts:
      - "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"

    volumes:
      # Application data. Back this up before upgrades.
      - ./data:/data
      - ./cache:/cache

      # Beginners can create ./media and ./downloads.
      # NAS users should replace source with real absolute paths.
      # create_host_path=false prevents Docker from silently creating an empty
      # folder when the host path is wrong.
      - type: bind
        source: ./media
        target: /media
        bind:
          create_host_path: false
      - type: bind
        source: ./downloads
        target: /downloads
        bind:
          create_host_path: false

    environment:
      TZ: Asia/Shanghai
      PUID: "1000"
      PGID: "1000"

      MMTL_APP_HOST: 0.0.0.0
      MMTL_APP_PORT: 8080
      MMTL_APP_WEB_DIR: /app/web/dist
      MMTL_APP_DATA_DIR: /data

      # Lightweight mode uses PostgreSQL by default.
      # Old SQLite data migrates from this path on first start.
      MMTL_DATABASE_TYPE: postgres
      MMTL_DATABASE_DSN: postgres://mmtl:mmtl@postgres:5432/mmtl?sslmode=disable
      # After migration, change this to /data/disabled-sqlite-migration.db to disable the SQLite migration source.
      MMTL_DATABASE_DB_PATH: /data/mmtl.db
      MMTL_CACHE_CACHE_DIR: /cache

      # Use /media and /downloads in the web UI and downloader by default.
      # Only set MMTL_*_DIR to real host paths when migrating old
      # libraries/tasks that already stored host paths.
      MMTL_MEDIA_DIR: /media
      MMTL_MEDIA_CONTAINER_DIR: /media
      MMTL_DOWNLOAD_DIR: /downloads
      MMTL_DOWNLOAD_CONTAINER_DIR: /downloads

  postgres:
    image: postgres:16-alpine
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      POSTGRES_DB: mmtl
      POSTGRES_USER: mmtl
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: mmtl
    volumes:
      - ./postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -h 127.0.0.1 -U mmtl -d mmtl"]
      interval: 10s
      timeout: 5s
      retries: 10

Note: PostgreSQL is the primary database. Lightweight mode still has short in-process caching. Redis is a cross-process hot cache, and OpenSearch is a search enhancement layer; neither is a source database.

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First-time Setup

1. Create a library

   • Go to the library page.
   • Use a container path such as /media/Movies.
   • Start a scan.

2. Connect qBittorrent

   • Go to download client settings.
   • If qBittorrent runs on the host, try http://host.docker.internal:8085.

3. Configure metadata providers

   • Go to system settings / external APIs.
   • Add TMDb, Bangumi, TheTVDB, Fanart, Douban, or other providers when needed.

4. Use external players

   • Add the server as an Emby/Jellyfin-compatible server.
   • Server URL: http://SERVER_IP:18080.
   • Use the username and password created in MMTL. No separate Emby server is required.
   • Admins can create regular users in the web UI or Bot so each person can log in with their own account.

5. Use cloud playback

   • Configure OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, or another provider in storage settings.
   • Choose STRMURL or 302 redirect playback in the admin settings.
   • The enabled option takes priority. If both are disabled, playback falls back to the normal server playback path.

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Update, Backup, Logs

Update

docker compose pull mmtl
docker compose up -d --no-deps mmtl

Logs

docker compose logs -f mmtl
tail -f ./data/logs/app.log
tail -f ./data/logs/error.log

The compose templates keep full application logs in ./data/logs/app.log and split warnings/errors into warn.log and error.log. Keep MMTL_LOGGING_LEVEL=info while diagnosing subscription, site search, organizer, or STRM generation issues; temporarily switch to debug only when deeper tracing is needed.

Use a writable container path for STRM output, such as /data/strm or a mounted media path. Deployments that previously saved /app/data/strm are migrated automatically to the configured MMTL_APP_DATA_DIR, which defaults to /data.

Backup

For the default PostgreSQL deployment, back up:

data/
postgres/

postgres/ is the primary database and contains users, libraries, settings, and media metadata. data/ stores the JWT secret, runtime files, and optional old SQLite migration source.

If you enabled the extended modes, these are optional:

redis/        # hot cache, safe to rebuild
opensearch/   # search index, rebuildable; backing it up can save reindex time on huge libraries

cache/ is usually not important. If you explicitly still use database.type=sqlite, the primary database remains data/mmtl.db.

Stop

docker compose down

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FAQ

1. The web page does not open

Check the container:

docker ps
docker compose logs --tail=100 mmtl

Then open:

http://SERVER_IP:18080

2. The library cannot find files

Most cases are path mistakes.

• Docker maps media to /media.
• In the web UI, use /media/Movies, not the original NAS path.
• Docker maps downloads to /downloads; use /downloads as the organization source when possible.

3. qBittorrent cannot connect

If qBittorrent is on the host, try:

http://host.docker.internal:8085

If qBittorrent is on another machine, use that machine's LAN IP.

4. NAS CPU usage is high

Suggested settings:

• Set ffprobe.max_concurrent to 1.
• Enable automatic organization, scrape-after-scan, and boot cloud scan only when you really need them.
• Avoid frequent full-library scans on large libraries. Prefer manual scan or scheduled night sync.

5. Should I use .env?

Beginners should not. Editing docker-compose.yml directly is easier to understand.

.env is not required by the provided deployment templates. For the single-image template, edit docker-compose.simple.yml directly and only adjust the port, volume paths, and optional hardware device mapping.

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Features

Area	Features
Libraries	Movies, TV shows, anime, variety, music, adult content
Metadata	NFO, local artwork, TMDb, TheTVDB, Bangumi, Douban, Fanart, JavBus/JavDB
Playback	Web playback, HTTP Range, HLS transcoding, direct links, STRMURL, 302 redirect
External clients	Emby-protocol compatible APIs; MMTL accounts can log in to third-party players
User management	Multi-user accounts, admin/regular users, expiry dates, device management, Bot registration and redeem codes
Downloads	qBittorrent, site search, subscriptions, post-download organization
File manager	Browse, organize, copy, move, hardlink, symlink
Operations	Task queue, recycle bin, duplicate files, notifications, logs
AI	OpenAI-compatible API, AI search, recommendations, assistant

Directory hardlinks are handled by recreating the directory tree and hardlinking each contained file. Linux cannot hardlink a directory itself. Hardlinks still require the source and target files to be on the same filesystem/subvolume from inside the container; if media and downloads are separate bind mounts, disks, btrfs subvolumes, or cloud mounts, use copy or symlink instead.

Development

Regular users should use Docker. Developers can run:

go run ./cmd/server

Frontend:

cd web
npm install
npm run dev

Tests:

go test ./...
cd web && npm run build

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Community and Friends

• Telegram group: https://t.me/MMTL
• NodeSeek: https://www.nodeseek.com/
• LINUX DO: https://linux.do/

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Donation

If MMTL saves you time, feel free to buy the author a bowl of noodles.

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Star History

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License and Non-Commercial Statement

This project uses GPL-3.0 as its base license. See LICENSE.

The maintainers also state and request:

• The project is intended for personal learning, home NAS, self-hosted media, non-commercial research, and community collaboration.
• Without explicit written permission from the author, do not use this project or derivative versions for commercial resale, paid hosting, paid SaaS, pre-installed commercial devices, closed-source redistribution, or other profit-oriented commercial use.
• For commercial cooperation, enterprise deployment, custom development, integrated redistribution, or commercial authorization, contact the author first.
• If there is any interpretive difference between this README and the formal GPL-3.0 license text, the code license is governed by LICENSE; commercial usage should additionally obtain author permission.

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Made with ❤️ by ShukeBta