Updated: 29 September 2026 · Applies to: Flussonic Catena, Watcher and Mcaster (26.9) and Flussonic Media Server (26.09) on Ubuntu 24.04
This article used to install Flussonic Media Server on CentOS 7. Both have changed. Flussonic now builds its streaming technology into products for specific jobs, and its documentation no longer describes installing Flussonic Media Server on its own: for a new installation you choose the product that fits your task. Flussonic Media Server (FMS) remains the core technology underneath, and existing FMS servers keep receiving updates. We checked Flussonic's documentation and package repositories on 29 September 2026.
Which Flussonic product do you need?
- Catena: a complete IPTV/OTT platform for TV operators: middleware, subscriber apps and streaming in one installation.
- Watcher: video surveillance (a video management system), from 50 to 500,000 cameras, on one server or a cluster.
- Mcaster: broadcasting: preparing and distributing TV signals for satellite, terrestrial and headend use.
- Agora: enterprise TV and private broadcasts inside a company network.
- Flussonic Media Server: the general-purpose media server that custom projects are built on. Flussonic recommends the products above for most uses and offers a limited developer licence for other cases.
Flussonic has also introduced Sapsan, a new streaming core written in Rust; Catena and Mcaster are installed from its package repository. All products need a licence key from Flussonic (from my.flussonic.com), and a trial is available.
Operating system
Flussonic's current products are packaged for Ubuntu; the Catena quick start uses Ubuntu 24.04, and Flussonic's system requirements list Ubuntu Linux. Use Ubuntu for a new Flussonic server rather than AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux. The server needs outbound internet access, because the licence is activated online.
Install Catena or Mcaster
Both come from Flussonic's Sapsan repository. As root on Ubuntu 24.04:
curl -L http://apt.flussonic.com/repo/master/dev.key > /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/dev.gpg echo "deb http://apt.flussonic.com/branch/sapsan/master repo/" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/flussonic.list apt update apt install --install-recommends catena # or: mcaster
The installer asks for your licence key and stores it in /etc/catena/license.txt (or /etc/mcaster/license.txt). It also installs PostgreSQL, creates the database and generates an administrator password, which you read with grep EDIT_AUTH_PASSWORD /etc/catena/secrets.env. Then open http://SERVER-IP/ and log in as admin. Catena and Mcaster cannot share one machine.
Install Watcher
wget -q -O /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/flussonic.gpg http://apt.flussonic.com/binary/gpg.key echo "deb http://apt.flussonic.com binary/" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/flussonic.list apt update apt install flussonic-watcher
The installation wizard asks for the administrator login and password, the licence key and the folder for recorded video (DVR). Open http://SERVER-IP/ when it has finished. For a cluster, and for the lighter watcher-standalone variant, follow Flussonic's Watcher installation guide.
Existing Flussonic Media Server installations
Keep them updated, at least every three months as Flussonic recommends: click Upgrade in the admin interface, or on Ubuntu run:
apt-get update apt-get install flussonic service flussonic restart
The licence key is in /etc/flussonic/license.txt (or Config > License in the web interface), and the server must be able to reach Flussonic over HTTP and HTTPS to validate it. When you plan a new project on the same server, check with Flussonic which product your licence should move to.
Firewall
Open 80 and 443 for the web interface and HTTP streaming (HLS and DASH), and only the other ports your streams use, for example 1935 for RTMP and the ports you configure for SRT.
Flussonic servers from Ucartz
Our Flussonic dedicated servers come with a 10-day Flussonic trial licence, and we handle the setup. If you want help choosing between Catena, Watcher and Mcaster, or moving an older Flussonic Media Server installation, you can hire an expert.
Official documentation: Flussonic products overview, Catena quick start, installing Watcher and updating Flussonic Media Server.
