How to setup a simple DLNA server in NixOS?

Help
1

My system:

  • NixOS (unstable)
  • home-manager (master, standalone, flakes)

I am trying to setup a simple DLNA server.

Nothing like UMS or Plex.

I am thinking of much simpler options like miniDLNA or dms or rygel.

Lucky miniDLNA is available in nixpkgs.

I saw the options for miniDLNA and setup my home-manager as such:

~/.config/home-manager home.nix

  # DLNA Server
  services.minidlna.settings.enable = true;
  services.minidlna.settings.notify_interval = 60;
  services.minidlna.settings.friendly_name = "PCMEDIA";
  services.minidlna.settings.media_dir = ["V,/mnt/ORION/DLNA/"];  

{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  # Home Manager needs a bit of information about you and the paths it should
  # manage.
  home.username = "moss";
  home.homeDirectory = "/home/moss";

  # This value determines the Home Manager release that your configuration is
  # compatible with. This helps avoid breakage when a new Home Manager release
  # introduces backwards incompatible changes.
  #
  # You should not change this value, even if you update Home Manager. If you do
  # want to update the value, then make sure to first check the Home Manager
  # release notes.
  home.stateVersion = "22.11"; # Please read the comment before changing.
  
  # The home.packages option allows you to install Nix packages into your
  # environment.
  home.packages = [
    # polybar dependencies
    pkgs.weather-icons
    pkgs.jq

    # pdf tools
    pkgs.poppler_utils

    # tor
    pkgs.tor-browser-bundle-bin
   
    # file download app
    pkgs.aria2
    
    # torrent client
    pkgs.qbittorrent
    
    # google chrome
    pkgs.google-chrome
    
    # ebook management
    pkgs.calibre

    # calculator
    pkgs.speedcrunch
    
    # chat
    pkgs.telegram-desktop

    # storage encryption
    pkgs.veracrypt

    # video download
    pkgs.yt-dlp

    # # It is sometimes useful to fine-tune packages, for example, by applying
    # # overrides. You can do that directly here, just don't forget the
    # # parentheses. Maybe you want to install Nerd Fonts with a limited number of
    # # fonts?
    # (pkgs.nerdfonts.override { fonts = [ "FantasqueSansMono" ]; })

    # # You can also create simple shell scripts directly inside your
    # # configuration. For example, this adds a command 'my-hello' to your
    # # environment:
    # (pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "my-hello" ''
    #   echo "Hello, ${config.home.username}!"
    # '')
  ];

# kitty Terminal

  programs.kitty = {
    enable = true;
    theme = "Github";
    font = {
      name = "JetBrainsMono Nerd Font Mono";
      size = 12;
    };
    settings = {
      #CURSOR
      cursor_shape = "beam";
      cursor_blink_interval = 1;
  
      #MOUSE
      copy_on_select = "yes";
  
      #Performance tuning
      repaint_delay = 0;
      input_delay = 0;
      sync_to_monitor = "no";

      #Window layout
      window_padding_width = "2 5";

      #Tab bar
      separator = "top";
      tab_bar_style = "separator";    
    };
  };

  # DLNA Server
  services.minidlna.settings.enable = true;
  services.minidlna.settings.notify_interval = 60;
  services.minidlna.settings.friendly_name = "PCMEDIA";
  services.minidlna.settings.media_dir = ["V,/mnt/ORION/DLNA/"];  

  # Home Manager is pretty good at managing dotfiles. The primary way to manage
  # plain files is through 'home.file'.
  home.file = {
    # # Building this configuration will create a copy of 'dotfiles/screenrc' in
    # # the Nix store. Activating the configuration will then make '~/.screenrc' a
    # # symlink to the Nix store copy.
    # ".screenrc".source = dotfiles/screenrc;

    # # You can also set the file content immediately.
    # ".gradle/gradle.properties".text = ''
    #   org.gradle.console=verbose
    #   org.gradle.daemon.idletimeout=3600000
    # '';
  };

  # You can also manage environment variables but you will have to manually
  # source
  #
  #  ~/.nix-profile/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh
  #
  # or
  #
  #  /etc/profiles/per-user/moss/etc/profile.d/hm-session-vars.sh
  #
  # if you don't want to manage your shell through Home Manager.
  home.sessionVariables = {
    EDITOR = "hx";
    TERMINAL = "kitty";
  };


  # Let Home Manager install and manage itself.
  programs.home-manager.enable = true;
}

But the switch fails:

$ home-manager switch
error: The option `services.minidlna' does not exist. Definition values:
       - In `/nix/store/rpwbpw76a21rgw7crvcmkp35vmxnq9xh-source/home.nix':
           {
             settings = {
               enable = true;
               friendly_name = "PCMEDIA";
               media_dir = [
           ...
(use '--show-trace' to show detailed location information)

It says “The option `services.minidlna’ does not exist.”

How can I setup miniDLNA?

2

services.minidlna only exists in nixos.

3

So I can’t use home-manager to configure it… Is there another way? Or should I just go with /etc/nixos/configuration.nix?

I have started using NixOS only a few days ago so I am n00b.

4

Yes, the minidlna module only exists in nixos, not home-manager.

5

As @Sandro has stated minidlna service doesn’t exist in home-manager right now. One needs to use /etc/nixos/configuration.nix.

The relevant configuration.nix snippet to setup minidlna in NixOS:

#DLNA
services.minidlna.enable = true;
services.minidlna.settings = {
  friendly_name = "DLNA MEDIA";
  media_dir = [
     "V,/mnt/media/Movies/" #Videos files are located here
     "A,/mnt/media/Songs/" #Audio files are here
 ];
  log_level = "error";
};

users.users.minidlna = {
  extraGroups = [ "users" ]; # so minidlna can access the files.
};

  • Make sure minidlna can access the media directories specified by adding the minidlna to the usergroup users.

  • If minidlna is listing the wrong files clear out the db_dir or /var/cache/minidlna/*.

6

Also,

  # so changes in media dirs are updates in the server listing
  # also make sure "inotify-tools" packages is installed
  inotify = "yes";