First Time Setup

StackARR Stacks

StackARR let’s users install multiple apps onto their computer. Each app has an app executable, networking, and storage configuration that together make a “Stack”. The Stacks you install will turn your computer into a fully functional home server.

Docker

To run StackARR Stacks you need to also install Docker. Docker runs applications in something called a “Container”. You can think of containers as a micro virtual machine. All of the dependencies needed for the app are installed in the container.

Installing Storage – Optional

If you plan on using StackARR to run a media server, we recommend using a large storage drive so you don’t fill up your computer’s main SSD. You can definitely use the storage that exists in your computer, but you might run out at some point. We recommend one of the following storage devices.

• Large HDD installed in your computer: Desktop computers often have extra 5.5 inch hard drive bays.
  Pros: can be very cheap to add more storage. If you have multiple bays, you can install bays in RAID to protect against drive failures
  Cons: Can be difficult to install if you aren’t familiar with computers.
• External USB Hard Drive: This is a very easy method to expand storage. You can just plug in a hard drive to a USB port to use with StackARR.
  Pros: Very easy to install and an affordable option.
  Cons: External hard drives aren’t redundant. You’ll need to manually make copies if you want to protect against data loss
• NAS (Network-Attached Storage): A NAS is the best performing storage option. You can install multiple HDDs into a NAS for expandable and redundant storage. They’re almost as easy as using a USB hard drive but you are protected against data loss if one hard drive fails
  Pros: Almost as easy to install as a USB hard drive (if you use a reputable brand like Synology). They have the best performance and protect against data loss
  Cons: NAS devices are expensive. You need to buy Hard Drives to install in the NAS on top of the price of the NAS itself

Volumes

Each StackARR stack runs in a Docker container and has its own filesystem. That means that apps don’t have access to any files on your computer until we “mount” the folder you want into the Docker container. When installing Stacks, the installer will give you a list of default volumes inside of the container, and all you need to do is select where on your computer that folder should be mounted to. As an example, if you’re installing the Plex Stack, the installer will have 3 default volumes: App Data, Tv Shows, Movies. For each of these, you just select a folder on your hard drive or external storage, and StackARR mounts everything correctly so your Stack can read and write the right files.

Ports

Every computer has a specific address called the IP (internet protocol) address. Think of an IP address as a unique identifier for your computer or device on a network, much like a home address. Each device has 65,535 ports, which act like apartment numbers within this address. These ports allow different applications to communicate without interference. For instance, web traffic might use port 80, while SSH connections use port 22.

Each container in StackARR can be set to listen on one or more ports. Default Ports are given in the install process. You usually won’t need to modify them.