How to Install Owncast on OpenBSD

In this tutorial, we will be installing Owncast, an open-source self-hosted live video streaming server on an OpenBSD server.

Prerequisites

Before we start with the installation, make sure your OpenBSD system is up to date and has the following packages installed:

• go - This is to compile Owncast from the source code.
• ffmpeg - This is a dependency for Owncast to convert video streams to different formats.
• nginx - This is a web server that we will use as a reverse proxy for accessing Owncast.

You can install these packages using the following command:

sudo pkg_add -vvv go ffmpeg nginx

Installing Owncast

1. Clone the Owncast repository using the following command:

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

2. Make sure you are on the latest release version of Owncast. You can check the latest release version on the Owncast releases page.

3. Build the Owncast binary by running the following command:

   make build
   

4. The Owncast binary should now be compiled and ready to use. You can run Owncast by running the following command:

   ./owncast
   

   This will start Owncast on the default port 8080.

   You can now access Owncast in your web browser by going to http://your_server_IP:8080.

Setting up Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

We will now set up Nginx to act as a reverse proxy to Owncast. This will allow us to access Owncast via a domain name or IP address using the default HTTP port 80.

1. Open the Nginx configuration file in your preferred text editor:

   sudo vi /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
   

2. Edit the http block and add the following server block:

   server {
     listen 80;
     server_name your_domain.com;
   
     location / {
         proxy_pass http://localhost:8080;
         proxy_set_header Host $host;
         proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
     }
   
     location /api {
         proxy_pass http://localhost:8080/api;
         proxy_set_header Host $host;
         proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
         proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
     }
   }
   

   Replace your_domain.com with the domain name or IP address that you want to use to access Owncast.

3. Save and close the Nginx configuration file.

4. Restart the Nginx service for the changes to take effect:

   sudo /etc/rc.d/nginx restart
   

5. You can now access Owncast via your domain name or IP address by going to http://your_domain.com or http://your_server_IP.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed and set up Owncast on an OpenBSD server using Nginx as a reverse proxy.

If you want to self-host in an easy, hands free way, need an external IP address, or simply want your data in your own hands, give IPv6.rs a try!

Alternatively, for the best virtual desktop, try Shells!