How to setup Syncplay server on Ubuntu 20.04

Syncplay is a tool that allows you to synchronize media playback across the network on multiple instances of media players. This is useful for remote group watching movies or TV shows among family and friends.

This is especially useful in the current Covid 19 pandemic where friends and family cannot meet together to watch movies.

While the public Syncplay servers are available for public use, I prefer self-hosting my services wherever I can. Syncplay allows you to self-host on your server, allowing friends and family to connect to it instead.

Prerequisites

1. Any GNU/Linux based server. (We are using Ubuntu Server 20.04.1 LTS)
2. Git
3. Python 3.4.x and above, python3-twisted package

Setting up the server

Before we begin run the apt command and update the system to the latest packages available upstream. As a root user run.

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apt update
apt upgrade

Next, we will be creating a disabled user account called syncplay in our server. This user account will be responsible for starting and stopping the syncplay service as well as storing the syncplay repository.

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adduser --disabled-login syncplay

You will be asked information about the user. Just press ENTER for all the questions asked.

Using the su command switch to the newly created user syncplay and enter it’s home directory.

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su syncplay
cd ~

Run the following command to pull the latest repository from upstream.

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git clone https://github.com/Syncplay/syncplay.git

We will now reset the HEAD to the latest stable commit in our master branch. Go here and find the commit hash for the latest stable release. In our case it was v1.6.6 with hash 7b8cb3b.

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git reset --hard 7b8cb3b

Alternatively you can download the latest stable source tarball from release and extract it.

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wget https://github.com/Syncplay/syncplay/archive/v1.6.6.tar.gz
tar -xvf v1.6.6.tar.gz
mv syncplay-1.6.6 syncplay
rm -rf v1.6.6.tar.gz

Now we install python3-twisted package. You can use the apt command to install the latest twisted package. I recommend using the native package manager for installing python packages. As root use the apt install command to install.

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apt install python3-twisted

# You can also use pip to install the package although I highly discourage this method of installation.

pip install Twisted

Starting the server.

Navigate into the syncplay directory you created above and run syncplayServer.py.

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cd syncplay
./syncplayServer.py

You should be getting a greeting from Syncplay followed by a notice regarding salt.

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Welcome to Syncplay server, ver. 1.6.6
PLEASE NOTE: To allow room operator passwords generated by this server instance to still work when the server is restarted, please add the following command line argument when running the Syncplay server in the future: --salt EYQUKZBTHA

Copy the string after --salt and save it. We will be using it later when creating the systemctl service files.

Kill the server by pressing Ctrl + C.

Setting up systemctl service files.

As a root user type nano /lib/systemd/system/syncplay.service or any editor you would like to use.

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nano /lib/systemd/system/syncplay.service

and paste the following lines of code.

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[Unit]
Description=Syncplay Server
After=network.target
[Service]
WorkingDirectory=/home/syncplay/syncplay
User=syncplay
Group=syncplay
Type=simple
ExecStart=/home/syncplay/syncplay/syncplayServer.py --salt <YOUR SALT> --port 8999 --password
ExecStop=/bin/kill -s HUP $MAINPID
PIDFile=/home/syncplay/syncplay/syncplay.pid
RestartSec=15
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Please paste your salt replacing <YOUR SALT> with the salt you previously copied. By default we are using port 8999. Users can change this value to any other port they would like to use.

You can also set a server password for your syncplay server. Add your desired password after --password. For example if you want to set the password as testing123 edit the ExecStart line as ExecStart=/home/syncplay/syncplay/syncplayServer.py --salt <YOUR SALT> --port 8999 --password testing123.

More information regarding the switches and available options can be found here

Press Ctrl + X and then Y to save the file.

Now type

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systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now syncplay

This will start the syncplay server and also enable it to start on boot.

You can now exit the server and connect to your newly setup syncplay server.

Now open Syncplay Client on your system and use the following settings to connect.

1. Server address: Your Server Public IP.
2. Server Password (if any): Type your password. Leave it blank if you have not specified in the previous step.
3. Username (optional): Your username which you would like to use.
4. Default room: Type any room you would like to use.

Press Store configuration and run Syncplay. You should be now connected to your Syncplay server.

If your server is behind a router or firewall make sure to setup the Port Forwarding rules to allow access from the internet.

Have fun watching together!