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(2024/04/14) Configuration status web page updated automatically

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(2024/11/13) MinimServer 2.2 update 256 has been released

Installing MinimServer 2 on a Synology NAS

Table of contents

Installing or updating MinimServer 2
Installing or updating MinimServer 2 from the DSM Package Center
Installing or updating MinimServer 2 using manual install
Synology models and processor types
Manual install for ARM models
Manual install for Intel models
Manual install for PowerPC models
Usage notes
Running MinimServer 2 in a Docker container
Updating from DSM 6.2 to DSM 7
Installing Java on DSM 5.2 (Intel models)
Installing Java on PowerPC models
Uninstalling MinimServer 2

The Synology installation package for MinimServer was created by forum member winxi and inspired by the Synology packages maintained by patters (take a look at his blog for further information).

Installing or updating MinimServer 2

You can install MinimServer 2 on all models of Synology NAS from the x09 series onwards.

If you are running Synology DSM 7 (all NAS models) or DSM 6 (NAS models with an Intel or ARM processor), install the latest version of MinimServer as described in the section Installing or updating MinimServer 2 from the DSM Package Center. To check whether your NAS has an Intel or ARM processor, see the list of models and processor types.

For previous versions of Synology DSM (DSM 5 and DSM 4) and NAS models with a PowerPC processor (see the list of models and processor types), you need to do a manual install as described in the section Installing or updating MinimServer 2 using manual install.

Installing or updating MinimServer 2 from the DSM Package Center

To install MinimServer from the Synology DSM Package Center, follow the steps below.

  1. If you are updating from a previous version of MinimServer, it's best not to uninstall the previous version.
  2. If you are currently running MinimWatch 0.8, you need to update to MinimWatch 2 before installing MinimServer 2. See the MinimWatch page for details.
  3. Update DSM to the latest level of DSM 6.x or 7 that is available for your NAS.

    Note: If you are updating from DSM 6.2 to DSM 7 and you currently have MinimServer installed and running on DSM 6.2, you need to follow the procedure described in the section Updating from DSM 6.2 to DSM 7 to ensure you don't lose any configuration settings.

  4. In Synology DSM, open the Package Center. Check that the MinimServer package in the Multimedia section has a version number starting with '2.' and install this package. To update an existing MinimServer installation, click the Update button for the MinimServer entry in the Installed section. If you are running MinimServer 0.8 and the Update button is not shown, follow the instructions in the section Installing or updating MinimServer 2 using manual install.
  5. Review the License Agreement, accept it and click Next.
  6. Check the box "Run after installation" and click Apply.
  7. If installation was successful, the MinimServer icon should appear in the DSM main menu. If an error occurred, you will see a notification message. You might need to look in the system log for more details about what caused the error.
  8. Click on the MinimServer icon in the main menu. This should display the MinimServer configuration page in your web browser.
  9. If this a new installation of MinimServer, you need to enter a content directory. This is the location on your Synology NAS where your music files are located. Follow the instructions on this page to use File Station to obtain the correct directory name and copy and paste it into the "Content directory" field on the configuration page. After you have pasted the content directory location, click the Update button.
  10. MinimServer will now scan all the music files under the content directory. Depending on how many music files you have, this might take some time. When this scan starts, the media server status on the MinimServer configuration page will change from Stopped to Starting. You can refresh the configuration page in your browser to see how the scan is progressing. When the scan is complete, the status will change to Running if the scan completed successfully or Error if a problem occurred.
  11. If the MinimServer configuration web page is showing the media server status as Running, you should be able to see your MinimServer library in a UPnP control point.
  12. You can use the MinimServer configuration web page to install the latest MinimServer updates, add more content directories, change MinimServer configuration settings or enable the optional MinimStreamer extension (see the MinimStreamer page). Alternatively, you can install MinimWatch 2 on another computer (Windows, Mac or Linux) on your local network. MinimWatch provides a convenient way to monitor the status of MinimServer and view the MinimServer log. You can find instructions for installing MinimWatch 2 on the MinimWatch page. You need to use MinimWatch 2 because the previous version of MinimWatch isn't compatible with MinimServer 2.
  13. If you have updated from MinimServer 0.8 to MinimServer 2, some of your configuration properties in MinimWatch might be missing or greyed out. To restore any missing properties and enable all features previously available in MinimServer 0.8, select the License tab of the MinimServer configuration page and activate a trial license or full license as described in this section. You might also need to reinstall the MinimStreamer package (see the Installing MinimStreamer section).
  14. If this is a new MinimServer installation, it will be running as MinimServer 2 Starter Edition with limited functionality and some configuration settings disabled (see the Starter Edition page). To use all features and configuration settings of MinimServer 2, you need to activate a trial license or full license as described in this section.

Installing or updating MinimServer 2 using manual install

The manual install process for MinimServer depends on the processor type of your NAS. Check the list of models and processor types to find your processor type, then follow the instructions for manual install on ARM models, manual install on Intel models or manual install on PowerPC models.

Synology models and processor types

If you're doing a manual install of MinimServer, you need to know the processor type for your Synology model. This isn't necessary if you're installing using the MinimServer icon in the Package Center.

The following Synology models have an Intel processor: DS224+, DS423+, DS723+, DS923+, DS1823xs+, RS2423(RP)+, DS1522+, DS2422+, DS3622xs+, RS422+, RS822(RP)+ DS1621+, DS1621xs+, DS1821+, RS1221(RP)+, RS2421(RP)+, RS2821RP+, RS3621RPxs, RS3621xs+, RS4021xs+ DS220+, DS420+, DS620slim, DS720+, DS920+, DS1520+, RS820(RP)+, DS1019+, DS1819+, DS2419+, RS1219+, RS1619xs+, DS218+, DS418play, DS718+, DS918+, DS1618+, DS3018xs, RS818(RP)+, RS2418(RP)+, RS2818RP+, RS3618xs, FS1018, DS1517, DS1517+, DS1817, DS1817+, DS3617xs, RS3617(RP)xs, RS3617xs+, RS4017xs+, RS18017xs+, FS2017, FS3017, DS216+, DS216+II, DS416play, DS716+, DS716+II, DS916+, RS2416(RP)+, RS18016xs+, DS415play, DS415+, DS1515+, DS1815+, DS2415+, DS3615xs, RS815(RP)+, RC18015xs+, DS214play, RS814(RP)+, RS2414(RP)+, RS3614(RP)xs, RS3614xs+, DS713+, DS1513+, DS1813+, DS2413+, RS3413xs+, RS10613xs+, DS412+, DS712+, DS1512+, DS1812+, DS3612xs, RS812(RP)+, RS2212(RP)+, RS3412(RP)xs, DS411+, DS411+II, DS1511+, DS2411+, DS3611xs, RS2211(RP)+, RS3411(RP)xs, DS710+, DS1010+ and RS810(RP)+.

Note: Some of the models in the above list have an AMD processor. These models are Intel-compatible and use the Intel version of MinimServer.

The following Synology models have an ARMv8 processor: DS124, DS223j, DS223, DS423, DS120j, DS220j, DS420j, DS119j, DS118, DS218, DS218play, DS418j and DS418.

The following Synology models have an ARMv7 processor: DS419slim, RS819, DS218j, RS217, DS116, DS216se, DS216j, DS216, DS216play, DS416slim, DS416j, DS416, RS816, DS115j, DS115, DS215j, DS215+, DS715, DS1515, DS2015xs, RS815, DS114, DS214se, DS214, DS214+, DS414slim, DS414j, DS414, EDS14, RS214, RS814 and DS213j.

The following Synology models have an ARMv5 processor: DS213air, DS213, DS413j, DS112j, DS112, DS112+, DS212j, DS212, DS212+, RS212, RS812, DS111, DS211j, DS211, DS211+, DS411j, DS411, DS411slim, RS411, DS110j, DS210j, DS410j, DS109, DS209, DS409, DS409slim and RS409.

The following Synology models have a PowerPC processor: DS213+, DS413, DS110+, DS210+ and DS410.

Manual install for ARM models

If your Synology NAS has an ARMv8, ARMv7 or ARMv5 processor (see the list of models and processor types), use the following steps to install or update MinimServer using a manual install.

  1. If you are updating from a previous version of MinimServer, it's best not to uninstall the previous version.
  2. To install MinimServer 2 on a Synology ARM model, you must be running DSM 4.2 or later. You are recommended to install the latest level of DSM that is available for your NAS.
  3. On the MinimServer 2 Downloads page, find the Synology row for your version of DSM in the table of MinimServer downloads and click the download link (ARMv8, ARMv7 or ARMv5) for your Synology model (see the list of models and processor types).
  4. Accept the license and download the package file.

    For ARMv8 (DSM 7), the package file is . For ARMv7 (DSM 7), the package file is . For ARMv5 (DSM 7), the package file is .

    For ARMv8 (DSM 6), the package file is . For ARMv7 (DSM 6), the package file is . For ARMv5 (DSM 6), the package file is .

    For ARMv8 (DSM 5 or 4), the package file is . For ARMv7 (DSM 5 or 4), the package file is . For ARMv5 (DSM 5 or 4), the package file is .

  5. If you are running Synology DSM 6 or DSM 5.2, open the DSM Package Center and select the Settings page. Make sure that Trust Level is set to 'Synology Inc. and trusted publishers'. Select the Certificate tab of the Settings page. Download the file minimworld.pub from this link and import this file into the Package Center using the Import button on the Certificate tab. After you have done this, MinimWorld Ltd will appear in the list of trusted publishers on the Certificate tab and you will be able to install packages that have been signed by MinimWorld Ltd.
  6. In the Package Center, click the 'Manual Install' button. When prompted to select a file, browse to the MinimServer .spk file that you have downloaded and double-click this file, then click the Next button. If you receive a red warning saying that MinimServer is provided by third-party developers and might damage your system, click Agree to continue.
  7. Continue from step 5 in the section Installing or updating MinimServer 2 from the DSM Package Center.

Manual install for Intel models

If your Synology NAS has an Intel processor (see the list of models and processor types), use the following steps to install or update MinimServer using a manual install.

  1. If you are updating from a previous version of MinimServer, it's best not to uninstall the previous version.
  2. To install MinimServer 2 on a Synology Intel model, you must be running DSM 5.2 or later. You are recommended to install the latest level of DSM that is available for your NAS.
  3. On DSM 6.x or DSM 5.2, MinimServer 2 requires Java 8 or later. If you are running DSM 6.x, install the Java8 package from Package Manager. If you have the Java7 package installed, uninstall it.
  4. If you are running DSM 5.2, install Java 8 by following the instructions in the section Installing Java on DSM 5.2 (Intel models).
  5. If you are running DSM 7, the Synology Java8 package is not available. MinimServer 2 for DSM 7 doesn't require this package because the MinimServer package includes its own Java runtime.
  6. On the MinimServer 2 Downloads page, find the Synology row for your version of DSM in the MinimServer 2 Downloads table and click the download link for x64 or x86 (DSM 7) or for Intel (DSM 6 or DSM 5). For DSM 7, nearly all Intel models need the x64 package. Only the DS214play and DS415play need the x86 package.
  7. Accept the license and download the package file. For DSM 7, the package file is or . For DSM 6, the package file is . For DSM 5, the package file is .
  8. Continue from step 5 in the section Manual install for ARM models.

Manual install for PowerPC models

If your Synology NAS has a PowerPC processor (see the list of models and processor types), use the following steps to install or update MinimServer using a manual install.

  1. If you are updating from a previous version of MinimServer, it's best not to uninstall the previous version.
  2. To install MinimServer 2 on a Synology PowerPC model, you must be running DSM 5.2 or DSM 6. You are recommended to install the latest level of DSM that is available for your NAS.
  3. If your Synology NAS doesn't have Java installed, install Java by following the instructions in the section Installing Java on PowerPC models.
  4. On the MinimServer 2 Downloads page, find the Synology row in the MinimServer 2 Downloads table and select the download link for PowerPC.
  5. Accept the license and download the file. For DSM 6, the package file is . For DSM 5 or 4, the package file is .
  6. Continue from step 5 in the section Manual install for ARM models.

Usage notes

  1. When you start MinimServer, it will scan all the music files under the content directory that you configured during the installation process. Depending on how many music files you have, this might take some time. You can monitor the status of the scan from the MinimServer configuration web page. If you have MinimWatch running, it will show the scan is in progress by displaying a yellow icon with a minim symbol (musical note) in the system tray or menu bar. When the scan has finished successfully, the colour of the minim icon will change to green (transparent on Mac). If MinimServer startup fails for any reason, the colour of the minim icon will change to red and you'll see a pop-up message describing the problem.
  2. It's a good idea to check the MinimServer log to see if there are any warning or error messages about problems found by MinimServer while scanning your music files. To view the log, right-click on the MinimWatch minim icon (left-click on Mac) and select 'Show log'. A warning in the log means that MinimServer has found something wrong with a file, but has been able to read the file and make it available for browsing and playing. An error in the log means that MinimServer wasn't able to read the file. If you see a message you don't understand, you can get help by creating a new thread in the MinimServer support forum as described on the Support page.
  3. The MinimWatch minim icon pop-up menu provides a number of selections that you can use to configure and manage MinimServer. For information about these selections, see the Controlling MinimServer using the minim icon section of the User guide.
  4. You can use the DSM Package Center to stop MinimServer. This stops MinimServer immediately and prevents it from starting when the DiskStation is restarted. MinimServer is still installed on the DiskStation, and you can restart it at any time using the DSM Package Center. If MinimServer is running when the DiskStation is restarted or shut down, it will be started automatically when the DiskStation restarts.
  5. MinimServer application data files are stored in the appData subfolder of the MinimServer shared folder and are directly accessible through the DSM File Station (navigate to MinimServer/appData). This is useful for accessing log files.

Running MinimServer 2 in a Docker container

For Synology models that support the Synology Docker package, you can run MinimServer 2 in a Docker container on your Synology NAS. This enables you to run multiple instances of MinimServer with different configuration settings. These instances can share the same music library. For more information, see Running MinimServer 2 in a Docker container on a Synology NAS.

Updating from DSM 6.2 to DSM 7

There are major changes in DSM 7 that require you to install a new version of MinimServer. If you are updating from DSM 6.2 to DSM 7 and you currently have MinimServer installed on DSM 6.2, follow the steps in this section to ensure you don't lose any configuration settings.

If your Synology NAS has an ARMv8, ARMv7 or ARMv5 processor (see the list of models and processor types), use the following steps to update DSM and MinimServer.

  1. Download and install DSM 7.
  2. If you see a message saying that you need to uninstall the Java8 or Java7 package before updating to DSM 7, uninstall the Java8 or Java7 package and continue with the DSM 7 update. Do not uninstall the MinimServer package.
  3. After installing DSM 7, you will see a message in Package Center saying that the MinimServer package needs to be repaired.
  4. Do not uninstall the MinimServer package. If you uninstall the MinimServer package, you might lose some configuration settings.
  5. In Package Center, install the DSM 7 version of the MinimServer package. For DSM 7.2.2 and later versions, the version number of this package is . For earlier versions of DSM 7, the version number of this package is .
  6. Select Run to start the MinimServer package. MinimServer should start normally and your previous configuration settings should be available.
  7. If files appear to be missing when viewing your library in MinimServer, this is likely to be a file permissions problem. On previous versions of DSM, MinimServer was able to run with root privilege and access all files. DSM 7 does not allow MinimServer to run with root privilege, so you need to give the Administrators group read permission for your library.
  8. If anything unexpected happens, post to the MinimServer forum describing the problem.

If your Synology NAS has an Intel processor (see the list of models and processor types), the DSM 7 update might require you to uninstall both the Java8 and MinimServer packages from DSM 6.2 before starting the DSM 7 update. To ensure you don't lose any MinimServer configuration settings, use the following steps to update DSM and MinimServer.

  1. On DSM 6.2, make sure you have MinimServer 2.0.18 update 197 (or later) installed. If you don't, install the latest MinimServer update and relaunch MinimServer.
  2. In File Station, check there is a MinimServer/etc/profiles folder containing .profile files for all your MinimServer profiles. For most users, there will be a single .profile file for the default profile.
  3. If you have a MinimServer full license activated for this NAS, deactivate it. To do this, click the MinimServer icon in the DSM main menu to open the MinimServer configuration web page, select the License tab and the Deactivate full license tab, then follow the prompts.
  4. In Package Center, uninstall the MinimServer package, choosing the option to save the configuration file.
  5. In Package Center, uninstall the Java8 package if it is installed.
  6. Download and install DSM 7.
  7. In Package Center, install the DSM 7 version of the MinimServer package. For DSM 7.2.2 and later versions, the version number of this package is . For earlier versions of DSM 7, the version number of this package is . This package includes its own Java runtime, so the Java8 package is no longer needed.
  8. If you deactivated a full license in step 3, reactivate the license. To do this, click the MinimServer icon in the DSM main menu to open the MinimServer configuration web page, select the License tab and the Activate full license tab, then follow the prompts.
  9. MinimServer should now be running normally with all your previous configuration settings restored.
  10. If files appear to be missing when viewing your library in MinimServer, this is likely to be a file permissions problem. On previous versions of DSM, MinimServer was able to run with root privilege and access all files. DSM 7 does not allow MinimServer to run with root privilege, so you need to give the Administrators group read permission for your library.
  11. If anything unexpected happens, post to the MinimServer forum describing the problem.

Installing Java on DSM 5.2 (Intel models)

If your Synology NAS has an Intel processor (see the list of models and processor types), and you are running DSM 5.2, install Java using these steps:

  1. From the Synology DSM home page in a web browser, open Package Center and install the Java Manager package from the Developer Tools section.
  2. From the DSM home page, open the main menu by clicking the button in the top left corner, then click the Java Manager icon.
  3. You will see a dialog saying "Installation status: Not installed". Click the Install Java button.
  4. This displays a dialog titled "Install Java" with four steps for installing Java. Don't follow the first three steps. Instead, continue as described below.
  5. Open this page in a web browser and click on the link to download the file jdk-8u241-linux-i586.tar.gz. The description for this file is "Java SE Development Kit 8u241 - Linux x86 Compressed Archive". Note: The current version number might be higher than 8u241.

    Note 1: It's important to make sure this file is downloaded as a packed .tar.gz file. The next steps won't work if the file isn't in this format. If your browser asks you whether or not to unpack the file, choose the option to save it in its original packed .tar.gz form.

    Note 2: If you're using Safari to download this file, you need to first configure Safari so it won't unpack the downloaded .tar.gz file into a .tar file. To do this, in your Safari preferences (General page), you need to uncheck the box at the bottom of the page (Open "safe" files after downloading). When the file has been downloaded, check to make sure it has a .tar.gz extension. If the downloaded file doesn't have this extension, delete the file before trying the download again.

  6. Rename the downloaded file from its original name (jdk-8u241-linux-i586.tar.gz) to jdk-7u51-linux-i586.tar.gz. This is required to enable Java Manager to load the file.
  7. In step 4 of the Java Manager "Install Java" dialog, browse to the renamed file and select it, then click the OK button.
  8. The dialog will show a "Loading..." message, followed by a message box saying that you have installed Java successfully. Click OK to dismiss the message box.
  9. The Java Manager dialog should now say "Installation status: Installed" and should show the Java version number as 1.8.0_241 (or higher). Close this dialog.

Installing Java on PowerPC models

If your Synology NAS has a PowerPC processor (see the list of models and processor types), use the following steps to install Java on your Synology NAS.

  1. Open this page in a web browser and click on the link to download the file ejdk-8u6-fcs-b23-linux-ppc-e500v2-12_jun_2014.tar.gz. The description for this file is "Power Architecture Linux - Headless - e500v2 with double-precision SPE Floating Point Unit".
  2. Review and accept the Oracle license agreement. You will be prompted to create or login to your Oracle account to allow you to download the file.

    Note 1: It's important to make sure this file is downloaded as a packed .tar.gz file. The next steps won't work if the file isn't in this format. If your browser asks you whether or not to unpack the file, choose the option to save it in its original packed .tar.gz form.

    Note 2: If you're using Safari to download this file, you need to first configure Safari so it won't unpack the downloaded .tar.gz file into a .tar file. To do this, in your Safari preferences (General page), you need to uncheck the box at the bottom of the page (Open "safe" files after downloading). When the file has been downloaded, check to make sure it has a .tar.gz extension. If the downloaded file doesn't have this extension, delete the file before trying the download again.

  3. Create a shared folder on your NAS named 'public' (this name must all be in lower case).
  4. Use Synology File Station to upload the .tar.gz file to the 'public' shared folder.
  5. Check that the file in the 'public' shared folder has the correct name ejdk-8u6-fcs-b23-linux-ppc-e500v2-12_jun_2014.tar.gz and the correct size 101.6 MB. If the name or size don't match, delete the file and try the previous steps again.
  6. To install this version of Java so that MinimServer 2 can use it, you need to install a package that isn't available from the official Synology package repository. This package is described in this blog post. To install this package, you need to add an additional package repository to Package Manager.
  7. From the DSM main menu, open Package Center and click on Settings to open the settings dialog (see this image).
  8. In the settings dialog, go to the Package Sources tab and click the Add button. In the Add dialog, copy and paste the repository URL http://packages.pcloadletter.co.uk into the Location text field and click OK to apply the repository URL (see this image).
  9. To check whether adding the repository URL has been successful, go to the Community tab of the Package Center and look for the package 'Java SE for Embedded 8' (see this image). Install this package.
  10. To check that the Java installation has been successful, open the log of the 'Java SE for Embedded 8' package in the Package Center. If you see a log message similar to the one in this image, Java has been successfully installed. Note: In DSM 6.2, the option to view this log was removed.

Uninstalling MinimServer 2

To uninstall MinimServer 2 from your Synology NAS, do the following:

  1. If you have activated a MinimServer 2 full license on your Synology NAS, you must deactivate this license before uninstalling MinimServer 2. This frees up the license activation for use on any other devices you have.
  2. To deactivate the license, open the MinimServer 2 configuration page by clicking on the MinimServer icon in the DSM main menu. Select the License tab followed by Deactivate full license and follow the prompts. You need an active internet connection to deactivate the license.
  3. To uninstall MinimServer 2 from your Synology NAS, select the Uninstall action from the Synology DSM Package Center. You will be asked whether you want to backup the configuration file or uninstall MinimServer completely. If you choose to backup the configuration files, any future installation of MinimServer will automatically use your current configuration settings.
  4. If you have not deactivated your full license before uninstalling MinimServer, you will see a message saying this and MinimServer 2 will not be uninstalled. If you get this message, deactivate the license as described in step 2 above and repeat the uninstallation.
  5. [NEW] If you are unable to deactivate your full license for some reason (for example, a problem with MinimServer), you can do a forced uninstallation by following these steps:
    1. If MinimServer is running, stop MinimServer from the Synology Package Center
    2. Use File Station to open the MinimServer/appData folder and delete the minimserver.config file. Do not delete or change any other files.
    3. Uninstall MinimServer as described in step 3 above and select the option to backup the configuration files
    4. When you reinstall MinimServer on this NAS, your configuration settings and full license activation will be restored

Copyright (c) 2012-2024 Simon Nash. All rights reserved.