Seedbox Stack

Docker Compose stack for a self-hosted seedbox behind a VPN, featuring automated media management (Radarr/Sonarr) and cross-drive library support.

Services

Service	Description	Web UI
Gluetun	VPN client (WireGuard) — the gateway for all torrent traffic	-
qBittorrent	Torrent client (runs inside Gluetun's network)	:8080
Prowlarr	Indexer manager (syncs C411, etc., to Radarr/Sonarr)	:9696
FlareSolverr	Cloudflare bypass proxy for Prowlarr	:8191
Radarr	Movie collection manager	:7878
Sonarr	TV Series collection manager	:8989
Bazarr	Subtitle manager for Radarr & Sonarr	:6767
Arr Cleaner	Python script to auto-remove stalled/warning downloads (Radarr + Sonarr)	-

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Setup

1. Configure environment

cp .env.example .env

Edit .env with these essential values:

Variable	How to find it
WIREGUARD_PRIVATE_KEY	grep "PrivateKey" wg0.conf (from your VPN provider)
PUID / PGID	Run id in your terminal (usually 1000)
APPS_DATA_PATH	Path for configs (e.g. /home/john/seedbox)
STORAGE_PATH	Your drive for active seeding (e.g. /mnt/stockage)
NAS_PATH	Path where your old NAS is mounted (e.g. /mnt/nas)
RADARR_API_KEY	Radarr > Settings > General
SONARR_API_KEY	Sonarr > Settings > General

2. Permissions & directories

# Ensure the stack can write to your storage
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /mnt/stockage
mkdir -p $APPS_DATA_PATH/{qbittorrent,prowlarr,radarr,sonarr,bazarr}/config

3. Start the stack

docker compose up -d

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Critical connections

• qBittorrent in Radarr/Sonarr: Use host 172.17.0.1 (Docker bridge) and port 8080.
• Indexer sync: In Prowlarr, add Radarr/Sonarr apps via their API keys to sync trackers automatically.
• VPN binding: In qBittorrent > Options > Advanced:
  • Network Interface: Set to tun0 (critical for kill switch).
  • Optional IP: Set to the 172.x.x.x address.

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Storage & hardlinks

Both qBittorrent and Radarr/Sonarr mount STORAGE_PATH at /data. This allows hardlinks (instant move, zero extra space).

Recommended directory structure:

/data/
  ├── Downloads_Temp/   # Active torrents (keep in qBittorrent)
  └── Videos/
      ├── Films/        # Radarr library
      └── Series/       # Sonarr library

Note: To manage your old NAS files, add NAS_PATH as a second Root Folder in Radarr/Sonarr settings. Hardlinks won't work between /data and /nas, but management will.

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Maintenance & security

Verify VPN leak

# Must return your VPN's IP, not your ISP's
docker exec qbittorrent curl https://ifconfig.me

Verify hardlink (same inode)

# If the first numbers match, it's a hardlink!
ls -i "/data/Downloads_Temp/Movie.mkv" "/data/Videos/Films/Movie (2025)/Movie.mkv"

Script logs (cleaner)

# Check why a torrent was removed
docker logs arr-cleaner

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Updating services

Pull the latest images and recreate only the containers that changed:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Your settings are preserved — all config is stored in volumes (APPS_DATA_PATH), so new container versions reconnect to existing data automatically.

Optionally, clean up old unused images to free disk space:

docker image prune -f

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Troubleshooting

NAS folder not writable by Radarr/Sonarr

Symptom: Adding a NAS path as a Root Folder in Radarr/Sonarr fails with Folder '/nas_films/' is not writable by user 'abc'.

Cause: The NFS share is mounted as read-only, or the NFS squash settings don't grant write access to the container's user (UID 1000).

Fix (Synology NAS):

1. On the Synology, go to Control Panel > Shared Folder
2. Select the shared folder (e.g. video) > Edit > NFS Permissions
3. Edit the rule for your network (e.g. 192.168.1.0/24) and set:
   • Privilege: Read/Write
   • Squash: Map all users to admin
4. Save, then remount and restart on your server:

sudo umount /mnt/synology/video
sudo mount -a
docker compose restart radarr

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Organize NAS library

If your NAS has loose movie files (not in individual folders), use the included script to organize them:

# Preview what will be moved (dry-run, no changes made)
python3 organize.py /mnt/synology/video/Films

# Apply for real
python3 organize.py /mnt/synology/video/Films --apply

The script parses movie filenames (dot-separated, space-separated, with or without year in parentheses) and creates clean Movie Name (Year) folders. Matching subtitle files (.srt, .sub, etc.) are moved alongside their video. This makes the library compatible with Radarr's expected folder-per-movie structure.

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Pro tips

• Original titles: In Radarr > Settings > Media Management, check Use Movie Origin Title to keep French titles.
• Import existing: Use Library Import in Radarr/Sonarr to scan your NAS without moving files. Set them to Unmonitored if you don't want the apps to upgrade them automatically.