Set Up the Arr Stack — Prowlarr, Sonarr, Radarr & Lidarr

Step 1 — Pick your platform

sudo apt install -y curl mediainfo sqlite3
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Servarr/Wiki/master/scripts/install.sh -o install.sh
sudo bash install.shcopy

sudo systemctl status prowlarr
sudo systemctl status sonarr
sudo systemctl status radarr
sudo systemctl status lidarrcopy

sudo ufw allow 9696/tcp   # Prowlarr
sudo ufw allow 8989/tcp   # Sonarr
sudo ufw allow 7878/tcp   # Radarr
sudo ufw allow 8686/tcp   # Lidarrcopy

Step 2 — Prowlarr

Prowlarr is the indexer manager. Every indexer you add here gets pushed to the other three apps automatically, so it's much less work than configuring each app separately.

services:
  prowlarr:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/prowlarr:latest
    container_name: prowlarr
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - ./prowlarr/config:/config
    ports:
      - "9696:9696"
    restart: unless-stoppedcopy

sudo bash install.sh   # choose: prowlarr
sudo systemctl status prowlarrcopy

Open http://SERVER_IP:9696. On first launch Prowlarr asks you to set an authentication method and create a username and password — do it, don't skip it.

Then:

1. Settings → Indexers → Add Indexer — add whichever indexers you use. This guide doesn't name or recommend any; that part's on you.
2. Settings → General — copy the API Key. You'll need it, and you'll need each other app's key too.
3. Leave Settings → Apps alone for now — you'll come back to it in Step 6 once Sonarr, Radarr and Lidarr exist.

source: wiki.servarr.com — Prowlarr

Step 3 — Sonarr (TV)

services:
  sonarr:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/sonarr:latest
    container_name: sonarr
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - ./sonarr/config:/config
      - /path/to/tv:/tv
      - /path/to/downloads:/downloads
    ports:
      - "8989:8989"
    restart: unless-stoppedcopy

sudo bash install.sh   # choose: sonarr
sudo systemctl status sonarrcopy

Open http://SERVER_IP:8989, set up authentication, then:

• Settings → Media Management → Root Folders — add your TV folder (/tv on Docker, the real path elsewhere). Turn on Rename Episodes so files land in the naming scheme Jellyfin expects.
• Settings → Download Clients — add qBittorrent / SABnzbd / NZBGet with its host, port and credentials. Test before saving.
• Settings → Profiles — set a quality profile so it isn't grabbing 40 GB remuxes of a sitcom.
• Settings → General — copy the API key for Step 6.

source: wiki.servarr.com — Sonarr

Step 4 — Radarr (movies)

services:
  radarr:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/radarr:latest
    container_name: radarr
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - ./radarr/config:/config
      - /path/to/movies:/movies
      - /path/to/downloads:/downloads
    ports:
      - "7878:7878"
    restart: unless-stoppedcopy

sudo bash install.sh   # choose: radarr
sudo systemctl status radarrcopy

Open http://SERVER_IP:7878. The setup is identical to Sonarr — root folder (/movies), download client, quality profile, and grab the API key from Settings → General.

source: wiki.servarr.com — Radarr

Step 5 — Lidarr (music)

services:
  lidarr:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/lidarr:latest
    container_name: lidarr
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=America/New_York
    volumes:
      - ./lidarr/config:/config
      - /path/to/music:/music
      - /path/to/downloads:/downloads
    ports:
      - "8686:8686"
    restart: unless-stoppedcopy

sudo bash install.sh   # choose: lidarr
sudo systemctl status lidarrcopy

Open http://SERVER_IP:8686. Same pattern again — root folder (/music), download client, quality profile, API key.

source: wiki.servarr.com — Lidarr

Step 6 — Wire them together

Four apps running is not a stack. This is the part that makes it one.

Prowlarr → the other three

In Prowlarr: Settings → Apps → +, add Sonarr, Radarr and Lidarr one at a time. For each, enter:

• Prowlarr Server — the URL the other app uses to reach Prowlarr
• Server — that app's URL, e.g. http://sonarr:8989 on Docker, http://192.168.1.50:8989 otherwise
• API Key — from that app's Settings → General

Hit Test, then Save. Your indexers sync across immediately, and any indexer you add to Prowlarr later shows up in all three on its own.

Sonarr / Radarr / Lidarr → download client

Settings → Download Clients in each app — point at qBittorrent, SABnzbd or NZBGet with host, port and API key or credentials. Test each one; a green test here is what stops the "downloads finish but nothing imports" problem later.

Sonarr / Radarr / Lidarr → Jellyfin

Settings → Connect → + → Jellyfin in each app. Enter your Jellyfin host, port 8096, and a Jellyfin API key (Jellyfin: Dashboard → API Keys). Enable On Import and On Upgrade so the library refreshes the moment a file lands, instead of on the next scheduled scan.

No Jellyfin yet? → Set up Jellyfin first.

source: wiki.servarr.com — Prowlarr applications

Ports reference

Config paths by OS

These are the folders to back up — lose them and you rebuild every profile, indexer and library from scratch.

When something doesn't work

• Downloads complete but never import — almost always paths. The path the download client reports must be reachable at the same path inside the Arr app. Same mounts, same spelling, same case.
• "Test" fails between apps on Docker — you used localhost. Use the container name.
• Permission denied on import — PUID/PGID don't match the owner of the media folder. Check with ls -ln on the host.
• Indexers don't appear in Sonarr — the app wasn't added under Prowlarr → Settings → Apps, or the API key is wrong. Sync is one-way: Prowlarr pushes, the others don't pull.
• Jellyfin doesn't show new files — the Connect entry is missing or On Import is off. A manual Scan All Libraries proves whether it's a connection problem or a naming one.

Quick reference

# Docker — bring the whole stack up
docker compose up -d
docker compose logs -f prowlarr
 
# Linux — run once per app: prowlarr, sonarr, radarr, lidarr
sudo apt install -y curl mediainfo sqlite3
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Servarr/Wiki/master/scripts/install.sh -o install.sh
sudo bash install.sh
 
# Web UIs
# Prowlarr  http://SERVER_IP:9696   (install + configure FIRST)
# Sonarr    http://SERVER_IP:8989
# Radarr    http://SERVER_IP:7878
# Lidarr    http://SERVER_IP:8686
 
# Wiring order
# 1. Prowlarr -> Settings -> Apps        (add Sonarr/Radarr/Lidarr + API keys)
# 2. Each app -> Settings -> Download Clients
# 3. Each app -> Settings -> Connect     (add Jellyfin, enable On Import)copy