Plank

A self-hosted media server for streaming movies via torrents.

⚠️ This repo is under heavy development and we dont have a consistent way to migrat your media data in your loal db or on the file system when we make breaking changes. Use this project at your own peril.

Features

• Add magnet links and stream while downloading
• Browse and search your movie collection
• Search for movies and TV shows, add to library or stream directly, just like Netflix
• Access to any movie or show
• Secure user accounts
• Profile-like organizations with admin controls
• Docker ready
• Get subtitles in any language

Quick Start

One-Line Deploy (Linux)

bash <(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/logscore/plank/master/scripts/deploy.sh)

The script will install dependencies, clone the repo, configure environment, and start the app.

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Legal Disclaimer & Safety Warning

IMPORTANT: This software is provided for educational and legitimate use only. Users are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with their local copyright laws and regulations.

Your Responsibility:

• Copyright Laws: Check your country's copyright laws before using torrents
• File Safety: I as the developer have no control over torrent content, safety, or legality
• Use at Your Own Discretion: All torrent downloads are at your own risk
• Privacy Protection: Strongly consider using a torrent-ready VPN for privacy protection

Security Recommendations:

• Use a reputable VPN or tunnel service for all torrent activities
• Scan downloaded files with antivirus software (soon-to-be-feature)
• Verify file contents before opening
• Never download suspicious or unverified torrents
• Never run executable likes like .exe, .bat, .scr unless you explicitly intend to (ie. video games)

What This Software Does:

• Provides a media streaming interface for torrent content
• Integrates with Prowlarr for torrent search functionality
• Does NOT host, upload, or distribute any copyrighted material accessible on the internet

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First-Time Setup Guide

The fastest way to get started is my running the script above. It handles nearly everything for you.

Prerequisites

We recommend using Docker for installation as it automatically sets up Prowlarr (media torrent searching) and FlareSolverr (captchas) for torrent browsing.

If you wish to use the bare metal version, you will need to manually run those services. That documentation can be found here and here.

You can also opt out of those services by not configuring them if you want to manually add media files to your media library via magnet links. The choice is yours.

Torrent Indexer Guide

Torrent indexers are the sources that provide torrent search results. Choose based on your content preferences:

🎬 General Entertainment Package

Recommended for most users seeking movies, TV shows, and general content:

1. YTS - Movies only, high quality, small file sizes
2. 1337x - Well-established tracker, mixed content types (not stable sometimes)
3. The Pirate Bay - Largest library, requires careful verification of media

🎌 Anime Fan Package

Recommended for anime enthusiasts:

1. Nyaa.si - Largest anime torrent repository
2. AnimeTosho - Automated mirroring service, high reliability
3. AniDex - Alternative anime source with good organization

📺 TV Show Specialists

Recommended for TV series focus:

1. EZTV - Specialized in TV series, recent episodes
2. TorrentGalaxy - Good TV/movie mix, active community
3. TorLock - Verified torrents focus, fewer fake files

😩 Gooner Gang

Look it up yourself, you filthy animal

Enhanced Environment Setup

Update your .env file with these essential variables:

# Database
DATABASE_URL=./plank.db

# Where the files are saved when downloaded
DATA_PATH=./data

# Get yours here https://www.themoviedb.org/settings/api
TMDB_API_KEY=your_tmdb_api_key_here

# Prowlarr (Torrent Search)
PROWLARR_URL=http://prowlarr:9696 # Use service name 'prowlarr' if inside docker, or localhost:9696 if bare metal
PUBLIC_PROWLARR_URL=${PROWLARR_URL}
PROWLARR_API_KEY= # We recommend leaving this blank when running fully self hosted. Configured automatically

# OpenSubtitles (Subtitle Downloads)
# Create and account and get API key at https://www.opensubtitles.com/consumers
OPENSUBTITLES_API_KEY=
OPENSUBTITLES_USERNAME=
OPENSUBTITLES_PASSWORD=

# Authentication
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=super-secret-32-char-string
BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://localhost:3300

# Reserved for future functionality. Keep as true
ENABLE_FILE_STORAGE=true

PORT=3300
ORIGIN=http://localhost:3300 # Required for Docker CSRF protection

Verify Your Setup

In an ineractive shell:

1. Start containers:

   docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env up -d

2. Check container status:

   docker ps

   You should see plank, prowlarr, and flaresolverr running.

3. Test Prowlarr:

   • Access http://localhost:9696
   • Try searching for content on your configured indexers

4. Test Plank:

   • Access http://localhost:3300
   • Create an account and try searching for content

Security Best Practices

🛡️ Essential Security Measures:

VPN Usage (Strongly Recommended):

• Use a reputable torrent VPN service for all torrent activities
• Ensure your VPN has a no-logs policy
• Consider a kill switch feature for connection drops

Network Security:

• Run this software in a Docker container (already configured)
• Consider network isolation if possible
• Use TailScale for direct encrypted access
• Keep your system and antivirus software updated

File Safety:

• Scan downloaded files before opening
• Never run executable files (.exe, .bat, .scr)
• Verify file sizes and types match expectations
• Use file scanning tools for suspicious content

🔧 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Prowlarr Connection Problems:

Issue: Can't access Prowlarr api

• Solution: Check if containers are running: docker ps
• Solution: Ensure you have the Prowlarr api key by checking the /settings page
• Solution: Verify port 9696 isn't blocked by firewall (if running outside the docker network)
• Solution: Restart containers: docker compose restart

Indexer Setup Problems:

Issue: Indexer configuration fails

• Solution: Check internet connection
• Solution: Try different indexer url (some may be down)
• Solution: Check if FlareSolverr is running (needed for some indexers)

Issue: No search results

• Solution: Ensure you have a TMDB api key configured in /settings search results are dependant on TMDB
• Solution: Ensure at least one indexer is configured and tested
• Solution: Check if FlareSolverr is running: http://localhost:8191
• Solution: Try different search terms

Docker Issues:

Issue: Container fails to start

• Solution: Check environment variables in .env file
• Solution: Verify Docker is running: docker version
• Solution: Check port conflicts (3300, 9696, 8191)
• Solution: Sometimes distro mirrors are out of sync. Wait and try again.

Issue: "Cross-site POST form submissions are forbidden"

• Solution: Ensure ORIGIN env var matches your browser URL (e.g. http://localhost:3300, http://192.168.1.2:3300, etc.)

Issue: Permission errors

• Solution: Check volume permissions for media directories
• Solution: Ensure proper PUID/PGID if using custom user IDs

Performance Issues:

Issue: Slow torrent downloads

• Solution: Use an ethernet connection instead of WiFi
• Solution: Configure port forwarding for 6881 (the exposed torrent client port) in your router
• Solution: Check VPN isn't throttling speeds, or that it isnt blocking torrent traffic all together
• Solution: Verify tracker health in Prowlarr

Issue: Memory usage high

• Solution: Monitor Docker container resource usage
• Solution: Limit or expand the container resources
• Solution: Restart the containers in case of a memory leak

Getting Help:

1. Check container logs: docker compose logs -f
2. Verify each service is accessible individually
3. Test with minimal configuration first
4. Check GitHub issues for known problems
5. Email me if you genuinely can't figure it out. No AI slop or you're insta-banned.

Docker

I highly recommend running ./scripts/deploy for Docker and bare metal deployments.

git clone https://github.com/logscore/plank.git
cd plank
cp .env.example .env
# Edit your .env file with your environment variables
docker compose -f docker/docker-compose.yml --env-file .env up -d

Bare Metal

git clone https://github.com/logscore/plank.git
cd plank
cp .env.example .env
# Edit your .env file with your environment variables
npm install
npm run build
npx drizzle-kit migrate
node build

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Default
DATABASE_URL	Path to SQLite database	./plank.db
DATA_PATH	Where downloaded files are saved	./data
TMDB_API_KEY	TMDB API key for metadata (get one here)	-
PROWLARR_URL	Prowlarr API URL	http://localhost:9696
PUBLIC_PROWLARR_URL	Public-facing Prowlarr URL	Same as PROWLARR_URL
PROWLARR_API_KEY	Prowlarr API key (auto-configured when fully self hosted)	-
OPENSUBTITLES_API_KEY	OpenSubtitles API key (get one here)	-
OPENSUBTITLES_USERNAME	OpenSubtitles account username	-
OPENSUBTITLES_PASSWORD	OpenSubtitles account password	-
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET	Auth secret (auto-generated)	-
BETTER_AUTH_URL	Base URL for auth	http://localhost:3300
ENABLE_FILE_STORAGE	Save downloaded files to disk (reserved for future use)	true
PORT	Server port	3300
ORIGIN	Public URL for CSRF (Docker)	http://localhost:3300

Development

We develop in Docker containers with live reloads. It keeps the dev environment and production closely knit so writing code that runs everywhere is easier.

Fill in your .env then run:

./scripts/dev.sh

License