---
title: "TubeArchivist"
section: "smarthome"
parent: "/"
description: "Self-hosted YouTube archiving and media management running on the Synology NAS."
layout: base.njk
---
<h1>TubeArchivist</h1>
<div class="detail-content">

<p>TubeArchivist runs on the Synology NAS via Docker Compose, self-hosting
a searchable archive of downloaded YouTube content (Elasticsearch +
Redis + the TubeArchivist app itself). It's used to archive channels
worth rewatching — tutorials, long-form content, and anything that might
disappear behind copyright strikes or channel deletions.</p>

<h2>Why this needed real troubleshooting</h2>
<p>Running Elasticsearch on Synology's DSM kernel isn't fully
straightforward: newer Elasticsearch releases require a Linux kernel
feature (SECCOMP) that Synology's kernel doesn't compile in. The fix is
version-pinning Elasticsearch to the last release that still works
without it, rather than fighting the kernel.</p>

<h2>Other Synology-specific quirks</h2>
<ul>
<li>Synology's Container Manager doesn't always auto-join containers to the same Docker network even when they're defined in one Compose file — an explicit named network avoids silent connectivity failures between the app, Elasticsearch, and Redis.</li>
<li>A version upgrade of the app itself required a very specific step-by-step path (skipping versions breaks the database migration) rather than jumping straight to the latest release.</li>
<li>Initial indexing of large channels takes significant time — Elasticsearch needs to build and optimize indices for full-text search across video titles, descriptions, and metadata.</li>
</ul>

<h2>How it fits into the backup strategy</h2>
<p>TubeArchivist data is split into two categories with different backup
priorities. The downloaded media files and Elasticsearch metadata are
backed up as part of the NAS backup volumes, since they take significant
time to re-download and re-index. The Redis cache is excluded — it only
holds session data and can be safely rebuilt on restart.</p>

<h2>What's backed up</h2>
<table>
<tr><th>Data</th><th>Included in NAS backup?</th></tr>
<tr><td>Downloaded media files</td><td>Yes, via the NAS's own backup volumes</td></tr>
<tr><td>Elasticsearch metadata/index</td><td>Yes, via the NAS's own backup volumes</td></tr>
<tr><td>Redis cache</td><td>No — safe to delete/rebuild, only holds session data</td></tr>
</table>

<h2>Day-to-day usage</h2>
<p>Channels are added via the TubeArchivist web interface, which provides
a YouTube-like browsing experience for the archived content. New videos
from subscribed channels are automatically downloaded on a schedule. The
search function indexes titles, descriptions, and metadata, making it
easy to find specific videos in a large archive. The system runs headless
on the NAS with no dedicated display — all interaction happens through the
web interface or the companion mobile app.</p>

</div>