Install PLAID.

Three ways, on Ubuntu, Debian or Docker. All of them end the same way: open http://<your-server>:32500.

Pick one.

Script

Ubuntu or Debian. Installs a system service that starts on boot. No Docker needed.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gh-prim/plaid/main/packaging/install.sh | sudo bash

It checks the package’s checksum before installing. Read it first, it’s short.

Debian package

  1. Download plaid_<version>_amd64.deb (or _arm64.deb) and checksums.txt from the latest release.
  2. Check it (optional):
    sha256sum -c --ignore-missing checksums.txt
  3. Install:
    sudo apt install ./plaid_<version>_amd64.deb
What you get
/usr/bin/plaidThe server
/etc/plaid/plaid.envConfiguration, kept on upgrades
/var/lib/plaidYour data, never deleted automatically
plaid.serviceEnabled and started, runs as the plaid user

Docker

git clone https://github.com/gh-prim/plaid.git && cd plaid
docker compose up -d

Mount your media folders read-only in docker-compose.yml, then use the paths inside the container when you add a library.

Open it.

http://<your-server>:32500

The first visit walks you through the admin account, your folders and their language.

Setup only works from your local network. From elsewhere, PLAID asks for the setup code it prints in its log.

PLAID’s first-run screen: Create the admin account. It lives on Living room only. There’s no PLAID account online.
First run, step 1 of 4. “Living room” is the server’s name.

Point it at your folders.

Movies and shows, each library in its own language. PLAID scans them, matches titles and fetches artwork. It never writes to your media.

The native package runs PLAID as the plaid user, which can’t read your home folder by default. Give it read access.

PLAID’s first-run scan: Scanning your libraries, done, the woven progress bar full.
First run, step 3 of 4. The progress bar is woven like the player’s timeline.

Needs

What it runs on

SystemsUbuntu 24.04 LTS and 26.04 LTS, Debian 12 and later
Architecturesamd64 (most PCs), arm64 (Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 with a 64-bit OS, ARM servers)
Also installedFFmpeg, from your distribution

After

Everyday commands

Is it running, and what is it saying?

systemctl status plaid
journalctl -u plaid -f
The full guide: configuration, upgrades, hardware transcoding