Install on a QNAP NAS

This page shows how to run Arclight on a QNAP NAS using Container Station, QNAP’s Docker app. It is for someone with a QNAP that can run containers (an x86 or ARM64 model with Container Station installed). QNAP changes the Container Station screens between versions, so the steps describe what to look for, not exact menu text. The compose contents and environment variables are exact.

What you will end up with

One shared folder for all data: downloads and your TV and movie libraries.
One folder for Arclight’s configuration.
Arclight and FlareSolverr running from a compose file in Container Station, reachable on port 7878.

Before you start

Install Container Station from the App Center if it is not there, and open it once so it finishes setting up.
A TMDB API key (free). See requirements.md.
Check your NAS can run the published image: it is built for linux/amd64 and linux/arm64 (see requirements.md). Older 32-bit ARM models cannot.
For a VPN layout, use the compose files from the repository’s docker/ folder and follow install-docker.md for the Proton key and the Gluetun key script. That requires SSH access to run the script. The example here has no VPN.

1. Create the folders

In File Station (or Control Panel > Shared Folders), create:

Folder	Example path	Used for
One shared folder `data`	`/share/data`	`DATA_ROOT`, the parent of everything below
`downloads` inside it	`/share/data/downloads`	Torrent downloads
`media/tv` and `media/movies` inside it	`/share/data/media/tv`, `/share/data/media/movies`	Libraries
Config folder	`/share/appdata/arclight`	Database, logs, settings

The real path of a QNAP shared folder can look like /share/CACHEDEV1_DATA/data on some models, with /share/data as a link to it. Use whichever path Container Station’s folder picker or an SSH ls shows to be real. If you are unsure, SSH in and run ls -l /share to see where the shared folders point.

Why one share holding everything: Arclight imports finished downloads with hardlinks, which only work inside one filesystem and one container mount. A share for downloads and another for media, mounted separately, forces a full copy for every import and breaks seeding. See folders-and-hardlinks.md.

2. Find the user and group IDs

PUID and PGID are the numeric ids of the user that should own the files. Over SSH:

id youruser

Use the uid and gid it prints. QNAP administrator accounts often have uid 0 or 500-ish values depending on the model; do not run the app as root if you can avoid it, but a dedicated user you create under Control Panel > Users is best. Make sure that user has read and write access to the data shared folder and the config folder (Shared Folders > Edit Shared Folder Permissions). Details: Troubleshooting: permission denied.

3. Create the application

In Container Station choose to create an application (the option that takes a compose / YAML file), name it arclight, and paste:

services:
  arclight:
    image: ghcr.io/zacabrewer/arclight:latest
    container_name: arclight
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Etc/UTC
      - ARCLIGHT_FLARESOLVERR_URL=http://flaresolverr:8191
    volumes:
      - /share/appdata/arclight:/config
      - /share/data:/data
    ports:
      - "7878:7878"
      - "6881:6881"
      - "6881:6881/udp"
    stop_grace_period: 30s
    restart: unless-stopped
    depends_on:
      - flaresolverr

  flaresolverr:
    image: ghcr.io/flaresolverr/flaresolverr:latest
    container_name: flaresolverr
    environment:
      - LOG_LEVEL=info
      - TZ=Etc/UTC
    restart: unless-stopped

Replace the two host paths, PUID, PGID and TZ (for example Europe/London). Container Station may not read a .env file; if yours does not, typing values straight into the file as above is the simplest approach.

Item	What it does
`/config`	Arclight’s database and settings. Back it up (backup-restore.md).
`/data`	The one data mount. Do not add separate mounts for downloads or media.
`6881` tcp and udp	The built-in torrent engine’s default port. Remove these lines if you use only usenet or an external client.
Port `7878`	The web UI. If QNAP or another app already uses it, change the left number.

Optional: qBittorrent

The built-in engine is all you need. If you also want qBittorrent, add this service and use the same /data mount. In qBittorrent, open Options > Downloads and set the default save path to /data/downloads:

  qbittorrent:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Etc/UTC
      - WEBUI_PORT=8080
    volumes:
      - /share/appdata/qbittorrent:/config
      - /share/data:/data
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    restart: unless-stopped

Then add it in Arclight under Settings > Download Clients with host qbittorrent and port 8080 (download-clients.md). If both engines run, give them different peer ports.

4. First start

Create the application and wait for both containers to show as running.
Open the Arclight container’s logs. You should see “Arclight starting as … (PUID:PGID)”.
Browse to http://<your-nas-ip>:7878. You land in the setup wizard: first-run-wizard.md. There is no default login.
Set the root folders to /data/media/tv and /data/media/movies. The built-in engine’s download folder defaults to /data/downloads when /data exists; confirm it under Settings > Torrent Engine.

5. Verify it works

No red health warnings on the dashboard.
After one download imports, the file in the library and the one in downloads should share an inode (link count 2: stat -c %h <file> over SSH). If not, see hardlinks not working.

Common gotchas

Symptom	Likely cause
Container restarts at once	`/config` not writable by `PUID:PGID`. See container restarting.
“Permission denied”	The shared folder permissions do not include your user.
Imports copy instead of link	Downloads and media mounted as separate volumes, or on different shared folders.
Port 7878 refused from another PC	NAS firewall or Container Station network mode; only TCP 7878 is needed.
Image will not pull	NAS has no internet access to `ghcr.io`, or an unsupported CPU.
Folders you created appear empty inside the container	You used a path that is a link to a different volume; use the real path.

Updating

Pull the new image and recreate the application in Container Station (see updating.md). Settings stay in /config.