Configuration - Kernel Media Server

Environment variables

Variable	Purpose
`KERNEL_PORT`	Port to listen on. Precedence: this env var, then the saved Settings value, then the default `9014`.
`KERNEL_MANAGED`	Set to `apt` or `yum` by Linux packages. Disables the in-app self-updater so the package manager stays authoritative.
`KERNEL_FFMPEG`, `KERNEL_FFPROBE`, `KERNEL_FPCALC`	Override the bundled binary paths.
`KERNEL_MAX_NVENC_SESSIONS`	Cap concurrent NVENC transcode sessions on this host.
`KERNEL_UPDATES_API`	Update-check API base URL. Defaults to `https://api.kernelmedia.tv`.

KERNEL_HOST is set by the Docker image and the packaged .env file, but the server doesn’t currently read it. It always binds all interfaces on the configured port. Don’t rely on it to restrict access; use your container/firewall network settings instead.

CLI flags

./kernel-server -v   # verbose logging

Directories

Paths are relative to the server’s working directory (or fixed under /opt/kernelmediaserver for Linux packages; see Linux Packages):

Path	Contents
`data/db.json`	Database connection config
`data/kernel.db`	Default SQLite database
`log/`	Server logs
`binaries/`	Bundled ffmpeg, downloaded automatically on first boot if missing

Database

SQLite is the default and needs no configuration. Kernel also supports:

PostgreSQL
MySQL
MSSQL

Switch databases from the setup wizard’s Database step, or by editing data/db.json directly and restarting the server.

ffmpeg resolution

Kernel looks for ffmpeg in this order: ./binaries, then ./bin, then ./ffmpeg, then the KERNEL_FFMPEG env var, then your system PATH. If none are found, it downloads the bundled jellyfin-ffmpeg tree automatically on boot. No manual install is needed on any platform.

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