Install Jellyfin Media Player on Chrome OS
Do you run a Jellyfin Media Server on your home network and wish to access your content directly on your Chromebook? You can achieve this by harnessing the power of Linux on Chrome OS. Follow this guide to install the Jellyfin Media Player on your Chromebook seamlessly.
How to Enable Linux on Your Chromebook
If you’re using a Chromebook that supports virtualization, you will be able to install and run Linux apps. However, Linux support isn’t enabled by default. Instead, it must be enabled on your system. To enable this feature, you need to access the settings area. Find the “clock” icon in the Chrome OS dash, and click on it with the mouse. Then, select the “gear” icon to navigate to the settings menu of your Chromebook.
When you’ve loaded up the Chrome settings menu, locate the “Advanced” section and expand it by clicking the downward arrow next to it. When you select this button, you’ll see additional Chrome OS settings, including the “Developers” section.
In the “Developers” area, look for “Linux development environment” and click on this option. After selecting “Linux development environment,” you can enable Linux support by clicking on the “Turn on” button. This button will download a Debian Linux LXC container. This container is necessary for running Linux applications on Chrome OS.
When you’ve enabled Linux support on your Chromebook, open the Chrome OS app menu, and search for “Terminal”. In the Terminal, locate and select “Penguin” to access the Linux container’s command-line interface.
Once you’ve loaded up the command-line interface, it is time to update the container. To start, run the apt update command to refresh the software sources in the Linux container.
sudo apt update
After the apt update command is finished running, you must use the apt upgrade command to install updated versions of your packages. Be aware that this process might take some time to complete.
sudo apt upgrade -y
How to Install Jellyfin Media Player on Chrome OS – DEB
The simplest way to install the Jellyfin Media Player on your Chromebook is through the downloadable DEB package. This method is convenient, as it skips the need to configure software repositories. Simply download, and install, and you’re ready to go.
Start by opening the Chrome OS terminal app on your desktop and select “Penguin.” This step opens a command-line interface within the Linux container. To grab the latest Jellyfin Media Player version, execute the wget command:
wget https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-media-player/releases/download/v1.9.1/jellyfin-media-player_1.9.1-1_amd64-bookworm.deb
The command above fetches the Jellyfin Media Player DEB package into the home directory of the Linux container. Now, proceed with the software installation using the apt install command:
sudo apt install ./jellyfin-media-player_1.9.1-1_amd64-bookworm.deb
However, remember that while this DEB approach is easier than others, it doesn’t offer automatic updates directly from Jellyfin. If you’re eager to try out new Jellyfin features as they’re launched, make it a habit to check the Jellyfin Media Player GitHub release page for the latest “bookworm” DEB packages. Or, you might want to consider the Flatpak installation method for apps that update themselves.
How to Install Jellyfin Media Player on Chrome OS – Flatpak
For those who prioritize automatic updates and the newest features, opt for the Flatpak version of Jellyfin Media Player from the Flathub app store. Begin by entering the Linux command-line interface on your Chromebook via the Chrome OS terminal and select “Penguin.”
Initially, you must install the flatpak package, which is vital for managing Flatpak applications, by using the apt install command:
sudo apt install flatpak
With flatpak ready, you’ll need to enable the Flathub app store, celebrated for its broad range of apps, Jellyfin Media Player included. Turn on Flathub with this line:
flatpak --user remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
Now, with Flathub enabled, you can install Jellyfin Media Player on your Chromebook with this command:
flatpak install flathub com.github.iwalton3.jellyfin-media-player
Upon completing the installation, find Jellyfin Media Player in the “Linux apps” section of the Chrome OS app menu.
How to log into Jellyfin Media Player
To access your content on Jellyfin Media Player from your Chromebook, first, you need to launch the Jellyfin Media Player app. Once the app is open, look for the “Add Server” button and click on it. This action prompts you to enter the IP address of your Jellyfin Media Server.
After entering your server’s IP address in the “Host” section, click the “Connect” button. This will establish a connection to your Jellyfin Media Server. Next, input your user credentials — your username and password — to log into the server. Once logged in, you’ll have full access to start enjoying your media collection.
