This project documents the process of installing and managing the Jellyfin Media Server within WSL (Ubuntu) on a Windows machine. It includes instructions for setting up a dedicated movies folder, configuring Windows port forwarding using netsh, testing mobile connectivity.

Overview

This project allows you to run Jellyfin inside WSL Ubuntu while exposing it to your local network via Windows port proxy. It lets you stream your movies using a mobile app or browser and also provides clear instructions to disable or remove the setup when needed.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 with WSL enabled
• Ubuntu installed via WSL
• Administrator privileges on Windows (to set up port forwarding)
• Basic familiarity with Linux command-line

Installation & Configuration

1. Install Jellyfin in WSL Ubuntu

Open your WSL Ubuntu terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg -y

# Add Jellyfin GPG key and repository
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://repo.jellyfin.org/jellyfin_team.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture)] https://repo.jellyfin.org/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jellyfin.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install jellyfin -y

# Enable and start Jellyfin service
sudo systemctl enable --now jellyfin

2. Create and Configure the Movies Folder

Decide on a dedicated location for your media files. For example, to create a movies folder:

sudo mkdir -p /media/movies

If you use ACLs for permissions (make sure the acl package is installed):

sudo apt install acl -y
sudo setfacl -m u:jellyfin:rx /media/movies

Place or copy your movie files into the /media/movies folder.

3. Configure Windows Port Proxy (important: full example & how to find WSL IP)

Because WSL runs on a virtual network, you must forward the Jellyfin port from your Windows host to WSL so other devices on your LAN can connect.

1. Find your Windows LAN IP
   Run ipconfig in a Command Prompt (look for your Wi‑Fi adapter IPv4, e.g., 192.168.1.9).

2. Find your WSL (Ubuntu) IP Open your WSL Ubuntu terminal and run either:

# Recommended (works in all modern distros)
ip addr show eth0

# or, if ifconfig is installed:
ifconfig eth0

Look for the inet address on eth0 — that is your WSL IP (e.g. 192.168.36.122). We'll call this WSL_IP.

3. Add the port proxy rule (run Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator) First, remove any old rule (optional but safe):

netsh interface portproxy delete v4tov4 listenport=8096 listenaddress=0.0.0.0

Now add the rule — replace the example IPs with yours:

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=8096 listenaddress=192.168.1.9 connectport=8096 connectaddress=192.168.36.122

• listenaddress = your Windows LAN IP (WINDOWS_LAN_IP)

• connectaddress = your WSL IP (WSL_IP)

• Both ports set to 8096 (default Jellyfin HTTP). Change if you use a different port.

4. Make sure Windows Firewall allows the port Create an inbound firewall rule (run as Administrator):

netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Jellyfin 8096" dir=in action=allow protocol=TCP localport=8096

Or manually add an inbound rule in Windows Defender Firewall for TCP port 8096.

Usage

Accessing Jellyfin on Mobile

On your mobile device (connected to the same network), open the Jellyfin mobile app or a web browser and use the following URL:

http://192.168.1.9:8096

This URL uses your Windows LAN IP (as configured above) and forwards traffic to the Jellyfin server running in WSL.

Troubleshooting

• WSL IP Changes:
  If the WSL IP (192.168.36.122 in our example) changes after a restart, update the port proxy rule accordingly.

• Firewall Issues:
  Confirm Windows Firewall isn’t blocking port 8096. Temporarily disable it to test connectivity if needed.

• Service Status:
  Check Jellyfin’s status in WSL with:

sudo systemctl status jellyfin

• Network Connectivity:
  Make sure your mobile device is on the same network as your Windows machine.