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How to set up an iTunes server on Debian Linux

If you want to share your music collection on your local network it's now easier than ever thanks to Firefly Media Server.

Step 1: Install Firefly Media Server

Login to Debian server and become root using the command 'su -' then install the mt-daapd package. This will install Firefly Media Server, a music streaming server using the DAAP protocol.

apt-get install mt-daapd

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Step 2: Configure mt-daapd

The configuration settings for Firefly Media Server are stored at /etc/mt-daapd.conf. You'll now need to edit the file and define where your music collection is stored. The settings you'll want to change are mp3_dir (enter the location of your music), rescan_interval (enter the number of seconds to waiting before rescanning the music) and maybe the server name. You'll also want to change the password from the default mt-daapd.

Step 3: Restart mt-daapd

Now that you've got the settings configured, simply restart Firefly by entering mt-daapd restart.

Step 4: Login to the web front end

Go to your server's IP address and access port 3689 using your browser (ie. 192.168.0.99:3689) and login using the admin password. Scan your music using the "full scan" option and leave mt-daapd to index the music.

If it's taking ages and you want to track its progress and check for potential errors try doing this to monitor the log in real-time:

tail -f /var/log/daemon.log

Step 4: Stream your music over the network

After the music has been scanned, which could take a while if your music collection is large, you should see the share name appear in your media player. iTunes obviously works with DAAP, but Rhythmbox on Linux is just as good. Other media players also include this functionality now, as do standalone devices such as the Roku Soundbridge.

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With some tweaking, it's also possible to get Firefly to serve video, but support for this is currently a little limited. Check out the Firefly forums for more details.