FAQ
Short answers to the questions we hear most often.
Is it really free?
Yes. Every feature, every device, forever. The project lives on voluntary donations — a coffee if you feel like it.
Where is my data stored?
At your place. The server keeps its database next to your media files; nothing leaves your machine, and nothing ever phones home unless you ask it to.
What do I need to run it?
Any machine that can run Docker — a mini-PC, a NAS, or the laptop in the drawer. See Installation to get going.
Do I need to set up a database?
No. De Rien uses an embedded SQLite database that lives inside the container and migrates itself on startup. There's no PostgreSQL or MySQL to install.
How do I log in the first time?
De Rien is passwordless: you sign in with a magic link. If you haven't set up
email yet, the link is printed to the container logs — run
docker compose logs app and open it from there.
Do I need a GPU?
No. Transcoding runs on your CPU out of the box. A GPU is only worth it if you transcode a lot of streams at once — see Configuration → GPU transcoding.
Does it phone home?
Only if you let it. The update check and an anonymous daily usage ping (counts only — never titles, names or emails) are on by default and can be switched off. Set the relevant variables to empty/false and your server talks to nothing external. See Configuration.