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Minimum Requirements

Basic Setup

Suitable for small libraries (< 500 videos) on a single node
ComponentMinimum Spec
CPU4 cores (x86_64 or ARM64)
RAM4 GB
Storage20 GB (system) + video library space
OSLinux, Windows (with WSL2), macOS
SoftwareDocker 20.10+, Docker Compose 2.0+

Medium Library

1,000-5,000 videos
  • 8+ cores
  • 8 GB RAM
  • Hardware transcoding (optional)

Large Library

5,000+ videos
  • 16+ cores (or multi-node setup)
  • 16 GB RAM
  • NFS storage for multi-node

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Performance Factors

FactorImpactRecommendation
CPU CoresEncoding speedMore cores = faster encoding
RAMJob concurrency4 GB + (2 GB per concurrent job)
StorageTemp files during encodingSSD recommended for temp directory
NetworkMulti-node performance1 Gbps+ for NFS shared storage

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Software Requirements

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Docker & Docker Compose

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

# Install Docker Compose
sudo apt install docker-compose-plugin

# Verify versions
docker --version          # Should be 20.10+
docker compose version    # Should be 2.0+

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Hardware Transcoding (Optional)

Hardware encoding is 5-10x faster than software encoding but may reduce quality slightly.

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Supported GPUs

NVIDIA

NVENCGTX 1050+ or RTX seriesRequires NVIDIA drivers

Intel

Quick Sync (QSV)6th gen (Skylake) or newerBuilt into CPU

AMD

VCE/VCNRX 400 series or newerLimited support

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Docker GPU Passthrough

NVIDIA Setup: 
# Install NVIDIA Container Toolkit
distribution=$(. /etc/os-release;echo $ID$VERSION_ID)
curl -s -L https://nvidia.github.io/nvidia-docker/gpgkey | sudo apt-key add -
curl -s -L https://nvidia.github.io/nvidia-docker/$distribution/nvidia-docker.list | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nvidia-docker.list

sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y nvidia-container-toolkit
sudo systemctl restart docker
Add to docker-compose.yml: 
services:
  bitbonsai-backend:
    deploy:
      resources:
        reservations:
          devices:
            - driver: nvidia
              count: 1
              capabilities: [gpu]

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Network Requirements

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Single Node

PortServiceRequired
4210Frontend UIYes
3100Backend APIYes (internal)
5432PostgreSQLYes (internal)
Only port 4210 needs to be accessible from your browser. Ports 3100 and 5432 are internal to Docker.

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Multi-Node Setup

PortServiceRequired
3100Main node APIYes (for child nodes)
2049NFS ServerYes (if using NFS)
111NFS RPCYes (if using NFS)
Bandwidth recommendation: 1 Gbps+ between nodes for NFS shared storage.

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Storage Considerations

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Disk Space

  • Docker images: ~5 GB
  • Database: 100 MB - 1 GB (scales with library size)
  • Temp files: 2-5 GB per active job
  • Logs: 1-2 GB (rotated automatically)
BitBonsai replaces original files after successful encoding.During encoding:
  • Original file: 100 MB (example)
  • Temp encoded file: 40 MB (60% savings)
  • Total: 140 MB (peak usage)
After encoding:
  • New encoded file: 40 MB
  • Savings: 60 MB (original deleted)

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Storage Performance

Storage TypeUse CaseNotes
HDDVideo libraryAcceptable (sequential reads)
SSDTemp directoryRecommended for faster I/O
NFSMulti-node shared storage1 Gbps+ network required

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Supported Operating Systems

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Next Steps

Install with Docker

Deploy BitBonsai using Docker Compose

Install on Unraid

Use Unraid Community Applications