Getting Started with Owncast

Congratulations on launching your own live-streaming server! Your Owncast VPS has been automatically provisioned, so there is no complex installation required. This guide will help you verify your installation, access your dashboard, and manage your stream.

1. Verify Your Installation

Before logging in, ensure your services are running correctly. Run these commands via SSH to verify the health of your installation:

Note: If docker ps shows no output, run docker compose up -d in your Owncast directory to start the container.

2. Accessing Your Admin Dashboard

Your server comes with a secure, built-in Admin Dashboard. Follow these steps to log in:

1. Access URL: Open your browser and navigate to:

   http://<YOUR-SERVER-IP>:8080/admin/

   (Replace <YOUR-SERVER-IP> with the IP address from your welcome email.)

1. Retrieve Credentials: You will be prompted for a username and password.

   • Username: admin

   • Password: Retrieve your secure password by running this command via SSH:

      

     cat /root/credential.txt
     

3. Setting Up Your Broadcast (OBS Studio)

To go live, point your broadcasting software (like OBS Studio) to your server:

Get Your Stream Key

1. Log into your Admin Dashboard.

2. Navigate to Stream Setup.

3. Click View next to Streaming Keys to copy your key. Keep this key private.

Configure OBS Studio

1. Open OBS Studio and go to Settings > Stream.

2. Service: Select Custom...

3. Server: rtmp://<YOUR-SERVER-IP>:1935/live

4. Stream Key: Paste the key from your dashboard.

5. Click Start Streaming. Your feed will appear on your public page momentarily.

4. Maintenance & Health Checks

You can run these commands via SSH to monitor your server resources:

• Resource Usage: Check CPU/RAM usage to ensure your stream is stable:

   

  docker stats owncast --no-stream
  

• Verify Data Integrity: Ensure your config and database files are correctly saved to the host machine:

   

  ls -lh /opt/owncast/data
  

  (You should see files like config.yaml and db.sqlite.)

5. Troubleshooting & FAQ

Q: My stream isn't appearing on the page.

• A: Ensure the OBS status shows "Streaming" (Green). Verify the Server URL in OBS is rtmp://<YOUR-IP>:1935/live.

Q: I forgot my Admin Password.

• A: Log into your server via SSH and run cat /root/credential.txt again to retrieve it.

Q: Need further technical assistance?

• A: If you see any "CRITICAL" or "ERROR" messages in docker logs --tail 50 owncast, please open a support ticket with the HostGraber Team and include your server IP.