pgsql-jellyfin/docs/FILE_BASED_CONFIG_SUMMARY.md

# Summary: File-Based Startup Configuration

## ✅ Implementation Complete!

Yes, startup options can now be configured via file in addition to command-line arguments and environment variables!

## 🎯 Configuration Methods

Jellyfin now supports **three ways** to configure startup paths:

### 1. 📄 Configuration File (NEW!)
- File: `startup.json`
- Format: JSON
- Location: Current directory, app directory, or config subdirectory
- **Best for**: Production servers, containers, persistent configurations

### 2. 🔧 Command-Line Arguments
- Example: `--datadir /var/lib/jellyfin`
- **Best for**: Testing, one-time overrides, debugging

### 3. 🌍 Environment Variables
- Example: `JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/jellyfin`
- **Best for**: System-wide settings, CI/CD, user-specific overrides

## 📊 Priority Order

When a path is configured in multiple places, Jellyfin uses this priority (highest to lowest):

```
1. Command-line options (--datadir, etc.)
   ↓
2. Environment variables (JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR, etc.)
   ↓
3. Configuration file (startup.json)
   ↓
4. Default values
```

## 📁 Configuration File Format

Create a file named `startup.json`:

```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin",
    "ConfigDir": "/etc/jellyfin",
    "CacheDir": "/var/cache/jellyfin",
    "LogDir": "/var/log/jellyfin",
    "TempDir": "/var/tmp/jellyfin",
    "WebDir": "/usr/share/jellyfin/web"
  }
}
```

### All Properties are Optional!

You can omit any property or set it to `null`, and Jellyfin will fall back to environment variables or defaults:

```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/custom/data"
  }
}
```

## 📍 File Locations

The `startup.json` file is searched in these locations (first found is used):

1. `./startup.json` (current working directory)
2. `{AppDirectory}/startup.json`
3. `{AppDirectory}/config/startup.json`

## 🔧 Changes Made

### New Files Created
1. **Jellyfin.Server/Resources/Configuration/startup.default.json** - Default template
2. **startup.json.example** - User-friendly example with documentation
3. **FILE_BASED_STARTUP_CONFIG.md** - Comprehensive documentation

### Code Changes
1. **Jellyfin.Server/Helpers/StartupHelpers.cs**
   - Added `LoadStartupConfiguration()` method
   - Searches for `startup.json` in multiple locations
   - Integrates file-based config into path resolution
   - Priority: CLI > Env Var > Config File > Default

### Modified Path Resolution
All six paths now support configuration file:
- DataDir
- ConfigDir
- CacheDir
- LogDir
- TempDir
- WebDir

## 💡 Use Cases

### 1. Production Server
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin",
    "ConfigDir": "/etc/jellyfin",
    "CacheDir": "/var/cache/jellyfin",
    "LogDir": "/var/log/jellyfin",
    "TempDir": "/var/tmp/jellyfin"
  }
}
```

### 2. Docker Container
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/data",
    "ConfigDir": "/config",
    "CacheDir": "/cache",
    "TempDir": "/temp"
  }
}
```

### 3. Portable Installation
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "./data",
    "ConfigDir": "./config",
    "CacheDir": "./cache",
    "LogDir": "./logs",
    "TempDir": "./temp"
  }
}
```

### 4. Performance Optimization
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/mnt/hdd/jellyfin/data",
    "CacheDir": "/mnt/ssd/jellyfin/cache",
    "TempDir": "/mnt/nvme/jellyfin/temp"
  }
}
```

## ✅ Validation

When Jellyfin starts, it logs the configuration file being used:

```
Loaded startup configuration from: /path/to/startup.json
```

If the file has errors:

```
Warning: Failed to load startup configuration from /path/to/startup.json: [error]
```

All resolved paths are logged:

```
[INF] Program data path: /var/lib/jellyfin
[INF] Config directory path: /etc/jellyfin
[INF] Cache path: /var/cache/jellyfin
[INF] Log directory path: /var/log/jellyfin
[INF] Temp directory path: /var/tmp/jellyfin
[INF] Web resources path: /usr/share/jellyfin/web
```

## 🎨 Example Scenarios

### Scenario 1: Basic File Configuration
**startup.json:**
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin"
  }
}
```
**Result:** DataDir from file, all others use defaults

### Scenario 2: Mixed Configuration
**startup.json:**
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin",
    "ConfigDir": "/etc/jellyfin"
  }
}
```
**Environment:**
```bash
export JELLYFIN_TEMP_DIR=/fast-storage/temp
```
**Result:** 
- DataDir & ConfigDir from file
- TempDir from environment variable
- Others use defaults

### Scenario 3: Override Everything
**startup.json:**
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin"
  }
}
```
**Command line:**
```bash
jellyfin --datadir /tmp/testing
```
**Result:** DataDir from command line (highest priority)

## 📦 Migration Guide

### From Environment Variables

**Before:**
```bash
export JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR=/var/lib/jellyfin
export JELLYFIN_CONFIG_DIR=/etc/jellyfin
export JELLYFIN_CACHE_DIR=/var/cache/jellyfin
```

**After:**
Create `startup.json`:
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/var/lib/jellyfin",
    "ConfigDir": "/etc/jellyfin",
    "CacheDir": "/var/cache/jellyfin"
  }
}
```

Then remove environment variables.

### From Command-Line Arguments

**Before:**
```bash
jellyfin --datadir /var/lib/jellyfin --configdir /etc/jellyfin --cachedir /var/cache/jellyfin
```

**After:**
Create `startup.json` and run:
```bash
jellyfin
```

## 🐳 Docker Integration

**docker-compose.yml:**
```yaml
version: '3.8'
services:
  jellyfin:
    image: jellyfin/jellyfin
    volumes:
      - ./startup.json:/app/startup.json
      - jellyfin_data:/data
      - jellyfin_config:/config
      - jellyfin_cache:/cache
```

**startup.json:**
```json
{
  "Paths": {
    "DataDir": "/data",
    "ConfigDir": "/config",
    "CacheDir": "/cache"
  }
}
```

## 🔒 Security

- Keep `startup.json` readable only by Jellyfin user
- Don't commit sensitive paths to public repositories
- Use file permissions: `chmod 600 startup.json`
- Consider separate files per environment

## 📚 Benefits

### Advantages Over Environment Variables
✅ **Portable** - Easy to copy between systems  
✅ **Version Control** - Track changes in Git  
✅ **Self-Documenting** - Clear structure  
✅ **Persistent** - Survives reboots  
✅ **No Shell Escaping** - No quoting issues  
✅ **Easy Editing** - Simple text file  

### Advantages Over Command-Line
✅ **Permanent** - No need to repeat options  
✅ **Complex Configurations** - Handle many options easily  
✅ **Documentation** - Can include comments  
✅ **Consistency** - Same config every time  

## 🏗️ Build Status

✅ **Build Successful**  
✅ **All tests passing**  
✅ **Backward compatible** - existing configurations continue to work  
✅ **No breaking changes**  

## 📖 Documentation Created

1. **FILE_BASED_STARTUP_CONFIG.md** - Complete guide with examples
2. **startup.json.example** - Template with examples and notes
3. **startup.default.json** - Minimal template
4. **This summary** - Quick reference

## 🚀 Getting Started

1. **Copy the example file:**
   ```bash
   cp startup.json.example startup.json
   ```

2. **Edit with your paths:**
   ```bash
   nano startup.json
   ```

3. **Place in one of these locations:**
   - Next to jellyfin executable
   - In config subdirectory
   - In current working directory

4. **Start Jellyfin:**
   ```bash
   jellyfin
   ```

5. **Verify it's loaded:**
   Check logs for "Loaded startup configuration from:"

## 📊 Complete Feature Matrix

| Path | CLI Option | Env Variable | Config File | Default |
|------|-----------|--------------|-------------|---------|
| Data | ✅ `--datadir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:DataDir` | ✅ OS-specific |
| Config | ✅ `--configdir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_CONFIG_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:ConfigDir` | ✅ OS-specific |
| Cache | ✅ `--cachedir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_CACHE_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:CacheDir` | ✅ OS-specific |
| Logs | ✅ `--logdir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_LOG_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:LogDir` | ✅ `{data}/log` |
| Temp | ✅ `--tempdir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_TEMP_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:TempDir` | ✅ `{system_temp}/jellyfin` |
| Web | ✅ `--webdir` | ✅ `JELLYFIN_WEB_DIR` | ✅ `Paths:WebDir` | ✅ `wwwroot` or `jellyfin-web` |

## 🎉 Result

**All startup options are now configurable via file, in addition to command-line and environment variables!**

This provides maximum flexibility for all deployment scenarios:
- Development
- Testing  
- Staging
- Production
- Containers
- Portable installations
- Multiple instances

Choose the configuration method that works best for your use case! 🚀