Help & support
Can you set up a server easily?
The Plex documentation comprises an active forum board spanning different topics such as Plex Media Server, Plex Players, Online Media Sources and so on, as well a vast repository of articles providing detailed step-by-step instructions to set up the media server, available Plex apps and more. Also available are more advanced guides on how to automatically adjust quality while streaming, tweaking server settings and so on. As many features require a premium subscription, the documentation clearly identifies which features are available for free users.
In addition to a FAQ covering routine troubleshooting questions, the USM website is home to a forum board where you can tap the wisdom and experience of fellow users. There’s a forum each dedicated to Mac- and Linux-specific support, as well as discussion on third-party additions and plug-ins that you can use to bolster the functionality of your USM installation. There’s also a forum board for users to request new features. If you’re looking for instructions on general configuration options, guides on available plug-ins, working with external applications and the various transcode settings, you must visit the project’s wiki hosted on Github.
Like the other projects featured in this Roundup, Gerbera provides documentation covering installation and everyday operation. Where applicable, the documentation also includes screenshots to help users make sense of the interface. But some of its sections, such as Configuration, are rather too concise and geared towards experienced users.
As of writing, the Jellyfin forum boards are intermittently inaccessible, and its documentation, although spanning everything from installation to administration, is bare-bones.
Kodi present itself as the Arch or Gentoo of Linux distributions, at least in terms of the vast amount of documentation. The Glossary page on its wiki is a must-read, irrespective of the media server you ultimately settle on, as it will introduce you to commonly used terms that aren’t defined in the documentation available for other projects.