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Install on Unraid

This page installs Arclight on Unraid. Unraid’s own Docker tab works with templates, while Arclight ships Docker Compose files, so there are two routes: the Docker Compose Manager plugin (recommended, uses the supplied files unchanged) or the command line. It is complete on its own. Menu names change between Unraid versions, so steps describe the purpose and give typical labels.

Why one data share

Section titled “Why one data share”

Arclight (and qBittorrent, if you add it) mounts one folder, DATA_ROOT, at /data: downloads in /data/downloads, library in /data/media/tv and /data/media/movies. A finished download is imported by hard link (instant, no extra space, seeding continues). Linux cannot hard-link between two different mounts, even on the same disk, so separate mounts force a full copy on every import. On Unraid there is a second catch: a share can span several array disks, and a hard link cannot cross disks. Use one share (for example data) for downloads and media, and set it so new files stay together (for example a split level that keeps a title’s files on one disk, or a single-disk or pool-only share). See folders-and-hardlinks.md.

1. Choose a layout

Section titled “1. Choose a layout”

Use the chooser in install-docker.md. For a VPN layout get your credentials first: Proton steps, other providers.

2. Create the shares

Section titled “2. Create the shares”

  1. In the Shares tab create a share named data. Inside it, from the Unraid terminal or a file manager, create downloads, media/tv and media/movies:

    Terminal window
    mkdir -p /mnt/user/data/downloads /mnt/user/data/media/tv /mnt/user/data/media/movies

  2. Container settings go in /mnt/user/appdata (the usual Unraid location), with a subfolder per container created automatically.

  3. Find the user ids. Unraid’s usual container user is nobody:users, normally PUID=99 and PGID=100. Confirm with id nobody in the terminal.

  4. Make that user the owner:

    Terminal window
    chown -R nobody:users /mnt/user/data
    chmod -R u+rwX,g+rwX /mnt/user/data

3. Install a way to run compose

Section titled “3. Install a way to run compose”

Docker Compose Manager plugin (recommended). In the Apps tab (Community Applications) search for “Compose Manager” and install the Docker Compose Manager plugin. It adds a Compose section to the Docker tab where you create a stack and paste a compose file and its environment values.

Command line. If your Unraid version provides docker compose in the terminal, you can run the files there as shown in install-docker.md. If it does not, use the plugin.

4. Create the stack

Section titled “4. Create the stack”

  1. In the plugin, add a new stack named arclight.

  2. Paste the contents of the compose file you chose (for example docker-compose.release.yml).

  3. Open the stack’s environment (.env) editor and enter:

    PUID=99
    PGID=100
    TZ=Etc/UTC
    CONFIG_ROOT=/mnt/user/appdata
    DATA_ROOT=/mnt/user/data
    PROTON_WIREGUARD_KEY=<your-key>
    VPN_COUNTRIES=Netherlands
    LAN_SUBNET=192.168.1.0/24
    GLUETUN_API_KEY=

    Variable meanings: install-docker.md. Set LAN_SUBNET to your network and TZ to your time zone. Leave the VPN lines out for a no-VPN layout.

  4. VPN layouts: generate the Gluetun control key. The helper script is in the repository’s scripts/ folder; run sh scripts/gluetun-auth.sh /mnt/user/appdata on any machine that has the repository, then copy the GLUETUN_API_KEY= line into the stack’s .env and the file it wrote (gluetun/auth/config.toml) into /mnt/user/appdata/gluetun/auth/. See the script.

  5. Start (“Compose Up”) the stack. Gluetun needs up to a minute to connect; the other containers wait for it.

If you prefer not to use the plugin, put the same compose file and .env in a folder on the flash drive or an appdata subfolder and run docker compose -f <file> up -d from there.

5. Open Arclight

Section titled “5. Open Arclight”
  1. Browse to http://<unraid-ip>:7878. In a VPN layout the ports are published by the gluetun container, but the address is your server.
  2. Complete the setup wizard. Root folders are /data/media/tv and /data/media/movies.
  3. Optional: qBittorrent. The built-in engine is already set up, so you only need this if you want qBittorrent too. Start the stack with the qbittorrent profile (or paste the qbittorrent service from the compose file), open http://<unraid-ip>:8080, set Tools > Options > Downloads > Default Save Path to /data/downloads, and add the client in Arclight with host localhost (VPN) or qbittorrent (no VPN), port 8080. In VPN layouts uncomment the 8080 port line on gluetun first.

Unraid’s web UI normally uses ports 80 and 443, so 7878 (and 8080, if you use qBittorrent) are free unless another container took them. If a port is taken, change the left side of the mapping, for example "7979:7878". A VPN layout needs the tun device (normally present on Unraid); no-VPN layouts do not.

Common problems

Section titled “Common problems”
Symptom Likely cause What to do
Health message about the container user PUID/PGID do not own the share Use 99/100 or the owner of data; chown and restart (docker-puid-pgid-mismatch)
Imports copy instead of hard-linking Downloads and library on different disks, or different mounts Keep one share on one disk; folders-and-hardlinks.md
Containers keep restarting Wrong VPN key, or Gluetun cannot start container restarting, VPN won’t connect

Moving from an older install with separate /tv, /movies and /downloads mounts: migration steps.

Section titled “Related”