How to manage a movies and TV library on Linux with Tbinge

If you’re a Linux user with a huge TV and Movie library, you might be on the lookout for an application that can manage shows they want to watch — introducing Tbinge, an app that does just that: it lets users more easily catalog things they want to watch from the comfort of the Linux desktop.

Tbinge isn’t the first application for Linux that helps users catalog TV and Movie viewing, but it’s an excellent implementation and has a simple UI which even beginners can appreciate. In this guide, we’ll go over how you can get your hands on the Tbinge app, and how to set it up as well.

Install Tbinge

Tbinge is an Electron application, and it runs on Linux thanks to NodeJS and Yarn. The primary way users on Linux can get their hands on this program is by installing the Snap package. However, it’s also possible to pull down the source code directly and use it that way.

To start the installation for Tbinge on your Linux PC, open up a terminal window using the Ctrl + Shift + T or Ctrl + Alt + T keyboard combination. Then, follow the instructions below that match the Linux installation method you prefer.

Snap package

Snap packages are great, and because of this installation method, virtually all modern Linux distributions can install apps through this service. However, before you can take advantage of the awesome technology that Snaps have to offer, you’ll need to set up the Snap runtime on your Linux PC.

Setting up Snaps on Linux is a very easy process, and you should be able to find distribution-specific instructions if you check out your OS’s official website. Or, if you’re having trouble, consult our in-depth tutorial on how to enable Snap on your Linux OS.

Once Snaps are up and running on Linux, install the latest Snap of Tbinge on Linux with the snap install command below.

sudo snap install tbinge

Source code

The source code for Tbinge can be compiled outside of Snaps, so if you love Linux but don’t love Snaps, this is good news! To start the building process, start by installing NodeJS/NPM.

Ubuntu

sudo apt install npm

Debian

su -
apt-get install curl
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_11.x | bash -
apt-get install -y nodejs

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S npm

Fedora

sudo dnf install npm

OpenSUSE

sudo zypper install npm

Generic Linux

Do you have a Linux distribution not covered here? Check out the official instructions to get NPM going. Keep in mind that when running the non-Snap release of Tbinge, problems may occur. If you’re not a fairly advanced Linux user, don’t bother with this version.

Once you’ve got NPM working, install Yarn, and build the source code.

sudo npm install yarn -g

yarn electron:build

After the code is done being compiled, launch the application using the commands below.

cd ~/tbinge/dist_electron/linux-unpacked
./tbinge

Using Tbinge

To start using Tbinge, launch the application from your application menu by searching for “Tbinge.” Alternatively, you’ll be able to open up the Tbinge app directly from the desktop by pressing Alt + F2 and writing in the command below.

tbinge

With the application open, Tbinge will present a welcome message. Read the message. When you’re done reading the welcome message, click the blue “close button,” and follow the instructions below.

Add TV Shows to Tbinge

The TV Shows feature within Tbinge is useful if you watch a lot of TV shows and want a way to track them comfortably on the Linux desktop. To use this feature, locate the yellow TV icon and select it with the mouse.

Inside of the TV area, you’ll see a blank black page with the words “Start here!” pointing to a blue + icon. Select the blue + icon with the mouse.

Upon clicking the icon, a right-hand side-bar will appear with a search box labeled “TMDB TV.” Select the box and search for, and add TV shows you are keeping track of to Tbinge.

To mark any show “watched,” select it in your TV Library and select the “Watched” button. Repeat this process to add as many shows as you’d like.

Add Movies to Tbinge

The Movies feature a great way to keep track of movies you’ve seen on the Linux desktop, much like the TV feature is useful for tracking shows. To get to the “Movies” feature, find the green film icon with the mouse.

In the Movie area, there will be a blue + icon. Click the icon with the mouse to bring up the side panel on the right. Then, search for movies you’d like to keep track of with the search box and add them to your library.