2. Prerequisites

BYOM (Bring Your Own Media)

Cardinal is made for self-hosters. You'll need to have your own photos, music, and/or video files on a local hard drive. You can find information on supported file types in the Indexing Guide. Using a cloud file system like Google Drive or OneDrive is not supported.

Docker

Docker is required to run Cardinal Home Server.

Why Docker?

Docker provides the greatest range of device support, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Synology DSM, and Raspberry Pi OS. It makes it easy to perform updates and rollbacks, and has a proven track record for reliability in high-demand environments. It also makes using powerful databases like PostgreSQL an option for even the most inexperienced users.