How to install Owncast on nixOS Latest

Owncast is a free self-hosted live streaming server for your website to stream your content live online. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install Owncast on nixOS Latest.

Prerequisites

  • nixOS Latest should be installed on the server/computer where you want to install Owncast.
  • A terminal or SSH client to connect remotely to the server.
  • Basic knowledge of using the terminal.

Step 1: Update the system

Before starting the installation, it is always recommended to update the system to the latest version. To do so, open Terminal/SSH and type the following command:

sudo nix-channel --update && sudo nixos-rebuild switch

It will update the NixOS channels and rebuild the system to the latest version.

Step 2: Install Git

Git is a popular version control system used to clone Owncast from GitHub repository. To install Git, type the following command in the terminal:

sudo nix-env -i git

Step 3: Clone Owncast from the GitHub repository

To clone Owncast from the GitHub, you first need to create a directory where it will be stored. Type the following command in terminal:

sudo mkdir /var/owncast

Now, Navigate to the directory using the following command:

cd /var/owncast

Finally, clone the Owncast repository by running the following command:

sudo git clone https://github.com/owncast/owncast.git .

You may also change the ownership of the Owncast directory, so your user can work with the files without having to resort to sudo.

sudo chown -R your_user:your_user /var/owncast

Step 4: Install Owncast

Once you have cloned the Owncast repository, run the following command to install it.

sudo make

It will install all the required dependencies to run Owncast, including the Go programming language.

Step 5: Run Owncast

After completing the installation, run the following command to start Owncast:

sudo /var/owncast/owncast

It will start the Owncast server on the default HTTP port 8080.

To access the Owncast dashboard and set up your stream, you can browse to the server's IP address followed by the port number in a web browser. The URL will look like:

http://ip-address:8080

Conclusion

Now you have successfully installed Owncast on nixOS Latest. You can stream your content live online and share it with your audience. Owncast is a very flexible live streaming server that allows customization of your streaming setup to suit your needs.