Choose where to run Tilecast Server
Tilecast Server runs in Docker on a computer you control. Your displays keep playing content they already downloaded if the server is off, but they can’t receive changes, commands, or new content until it’s back. Choose a computer that stays on.
If you’re starting from nothing, a computer in the same building as your displays is the easiest place to start. Move to a hosted server later if your needs change.
What the server needs
Section titled “What the server needs”- Docker Engine and Docker Compose v2. The installation guide starts everything with
docker compose. - A computer that stays on. Don’t use a laptop that sleeps, or a machine that someone shuts down at night, if your displays need updates while it’s off.
- Docker that starts at boot. The Compose file restarts the containers with
restart: unless-stopped, but only after Docker itself is running. Enable the Docker service at boot on your operating system. - Disk space for media. Tilecast keeps your uploads and the versions it prepares for Players. By default it also keeps the original files (
TILECAST_KEEP_ORIGINALS=true) and rejects an upload that would leave less than 1 GiB free (TILECAST_MEDIA_RESERVED_FREE_BYTES). - A 64-bit x86_64 CPU. Tilecast’s release workflows don’t state a multi-architecture build. Before you use another architecture, such as an ARM single-board computer, check the platforms listed for the
ghcr.io/gbyo/tilecast-serverimage on GitHub.
The Compose file starts PostgreSQL beside the server, and the server image includes FFmpeg and FFprobe. You don’t install them separately.
Tilecast doesn’t publish minimum CPU or memory figures. Media processing uses background workers (TILECAST_MEDIA_WORKERS, 2 by default), so a computer that handles video conversion slowly still works; uploads finish processing later.
Pick a place to run it
Section titled “Pick a place to run it”| Option | Good for | Things to check |
|---|---|---|
| A spare PC or small desktop computer at your site | One site, Players on the same network | It must stay powered on and keep the same local address. Plan for power cuts. |
| A virtual machine on a server you already run | Sites that have a hypervisor and a backup routine | Give it a fixed address and store the Docker volumes where your backups reach. |
| A rented virtual server (VPS) on the Internet | Players at several sites, or no suitable computer on site | Players reach it over the Internet, so it needs HTTPS. Use a reverse proxy, or run it behind a Cloudflare Tunnel. |
| A computer at one site, reached through a tunnel | Remote Players without renting a server | The site’s Internet connection and power now matter to every remote display. See Cloudflare Tunnel. |
A network-attached storage device or router that can run Docker may also work. Treat it like any other computer: check it can keep the containers running and has room for the data.
Where the data lives
Section titled “Where the data lives”Compose creates two named volumes. Keep both when you move or rebuild the server.
postgres_dataholds the database.tilecast_dataholds media, backups, and cached Player releases.
Backups from Studio are stored in tilecast_data, so a failed disk takes them too. Download a copy and keep it somewhere else. See Back up and restore Tilecast.
Before you continue
Section titled “Before you continue”Check that you can answer yes to each of these.
- Does the computer stay on when nobody is using it?
- Can you run
docker compose versionand see version 2 or later? - Is there room for your media, plus space for backups?
- Will the computer keep a stable address on your network?
If so, continue to Installation. If you used the Setup Advisor, return to your plan.