How to Install FileFlows on Ubuntu 24.04

FileFlows is a self-hosted automation platform designed for processing and organizing media files with powerful flow-based logic. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to install and configure FileFlows Server on Ubuntu 24.04 manually and get it running as a systemd service.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Before starting, make sure your system packages are up to date:

sudo apt update -y

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Install all necessary libraries and tools FileFlows needs to function:

sudo apt install -y wget unzip curl libicu-dev libssl-dev libgdiplus software-properties-common ffmpeg

These packages include FFmpeg (used for media processing) and essential libraries required by the .NET runtime.

Step 3: Add Microsoft Package Repository

FileFlows runs on the .NET platform, so we need Microsoft’s repository to install the latest SDK:

wget https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/24.04/packages-microsoft-prod.deb -O /tmp/packages-microsoft-prod.deb
sudo apt install -y /tmp/packages-microsoft-prod.deb

Step 4: Install .NET SDK 8.0

Next, install the .NET SDK version 8.0, which FileFlows depends on:

sudo apt install -y dotnet-sdk-8.0

Once complete, verify the installation:

dotnet --version

Step 5: Create FileFlows Directory

Choose where FileFlows will be installed. In this guide, we’ll use /opt/FileFlows:

sudo mkdir -p /opt/FileFlows
sudo chmod 755 /opt/FileFlows

Step 6: Download and Extract FileFlows

Now, download the FileFlows package and extract it into the installation directory:

wget https://fileflows.com/downloads/zip -O /tmp/FileFlows.zip
sudo unzip /tmp/FileFlows.zip -d /opt/FileFlows

After extraction, make sure the main run script is executable:

sudo chmod +x /opt/FileFlows/run-server.sh

Step 7: Create a Systemd Service for FileFlows

To make FileFlows start automatically on boot, create a systemd service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/fileflows.service

Paste the following configuration:

[Unit]
Description=FileFlows Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/opt/FileFlows/Server
ExecStart=/usr/bin/dotnet /opt/FileFlows/Server/FileFlows.Server.dll
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
User=root
Environment=DOTNET_ROOT=/usr/share/dotnet
Environment=ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production
Environment=LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/share/dotnet

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and close the file.

Step 8: Enable and Start FileFlows

Reload the systemd daemon and start FileFlows:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable fileflows
sudo systemctl start fileflows

To confirm that the service is running:

sudo systemctl status fileflows

Step 9: Access the FileFlows Web Interface

Once FileFlows starts successfully, open your browser and visit:

http://<your-server-ip>:19200

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully installed and configured FileFlows Server on Ubuntu 24.04.
Here’s what’s been set up:

• .NET SDK 8.0 installed and configured

• FFmpeg integrated for media processing

• FileFlows installed under /opt/FileFlows

• Systemd service created for automatic startup

• Accessible via port 19200 in your web browser

FileFlows is now ready to automate your media workflows efficiently.