Jellyfin on TrueNAS Electric Eel (v25) in 2026: Docker Setup, GPU Passthrough & ZFS Snapshots

Jellyfin on TrueNAS Electric Eel (v25): Complete Setup Guide (2026)

TrueNAS Electric Eel (v25.04) changed everything about how apps work. The old Kubernetes-based system (TrueCharts, Helm charts) is gone. In its place: native Docker Compose - simpler, faster, and more familiar to anyone who has run containers before.

If you are upgrading from Dragonfish (24.04) or starting fresh, this guide covers the complete Jellyfin setup on the new architecture.

What Changed in Electric Eel

The migration from Kubernetes to Docker is automatic on upgrade, but Jellyfin users who relied on TrueCharts need to reconfigure. This guide starts from scratch.

Prerequisites

• TrueNAS SCALE 25.04 (Electric Eel) or newer
• A pool with at least one dataset for apps
• An Intel CPU with iGPU for hardware transcoding (recommended)
• Your media files accessible on the NAS

Step 1: Create ZFS Datasets

Proper dataset structure is critical for ZFS snapshots and permissions.

From the TrueNAS UI

1. Storage → Datasets → Create Dataset
2. Create these datasets on your pool:

Why separate datasets?

• Config dataset: snapshot this for backups - small, changes frequently
• Cache dataset: never snapshot - temporary transcoding files
• Media dataset: separate backup strategy - large, changes rarely

Set permissions

Datasets → pool/apps/jellyfin/config → Permissions
User: apps (UID 568) or your custom user
Group: apps (GID 568)
Apply recursively: Yes

Step 2: Install Jellyfin from the App Catalog

Method A: Official App Catalog (Easiest)

1. Apps → Discover Apps → Search "Jellyfin"
2. Click Install
3. Configure:
   • Application Name: jellyfin
   • Storage → Config: select your pool/apps/jellyfin/config dataset
   • Storage → Cache: select your pool/apps/jellyfin/cache dataset
   • Storage → Additional Storage: add your media dataset as read-only mount
   • Networking → Port: 8096 (default)
   • Resources → GPU: select your Intel GPU (see Step 3)
4. Click Install

Method B: Custom Docker Compose (Full Control)

If you prefer writing your own compose file:

1. Apps → Discover Apps → Custom App
2. Paste this docker-compose.yml:

services:
  jellyfin:
    image: jellyfin/jellyfin:latest
    container_name: jellyfin
    user: "568:568"
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - /mnt/pool/apps/jellyfin/config:/config
      - /mnt/pool/apps/jellyfin/cache:/cache
      - /mnt/pool/media:/media:ro
    devices:
      - /dev/dri:/dev/dri
    environment:
      - TZ=Europe/Paris
    restart: unless-stopped

3. Click Save and Deploy

Step 3: GPU Passthrough for Hardware Transcoding

Intel iGPU (QSV)

Electric Eel makes GPU passthrough trivial compared to the old Kubernetes system.

Verify the GPU is available

SSH into your TrueNAS or use the Shell:

ls -la /dev/dri/
# Expected: card0  renderD128

In the App configuration

If using the official catalog app:

1. Edit the Jellyfin app
2. Resources → GPU Configuration → Intel GPU: check the box
3. Save

If using custom Docker Compose, the devices: - /dev/dri:/dev/dri line handles it.

Enable QSV in Jellyfin

1. Open Jellyfin at http://YOUR_NAS_IP:8096
2. Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding
3. Hardware acceleration: Intel QuickSync (QSV)
4. Enable: H.264, HEVC, VP9 decode
5. Enable: Hardware Tone Mapping
6. Save

Verify it works

Play a file that forces transcoding (set client quality to 720p). In the Jellyfin dashboard, the session should show HW badge.

NVIDIA GPU

If you have a discrete NVIDIA GPU:

1. System → Advanced → Isolated GPU Devices: do NOT isolate it
2. In the app config, select the NVIDIA GPU under Resources
3. In Jellyfin, select NVIDIA NVENC as hardware acceleration

Step 4: ZFS Snapshots for Bulletproof Backups

This is TrueNAS superpower over Docker on bare metal. ZFS snapshots are instant, atomic, and zero-cost.

Automatic snapshot schedule

1. Data Protection → Periodic Snapshot Tasks → Add
2. Configure:
   • Dataset: pool/apps/jellyfin/config
   • Recursive: No
   • Schedule: Daily at 3 AM
   • Lifetime: 14 days
3. Save

Manual snapshot before upgrades

zfs snapshot pool/apps/jellyfin/config@pre-upgrade-$(date +%Y%m%d)

Restore from snapshot

# List snapshots
zfs list -t snapshot | grep jellyfin

# Rollback (destroys changes after snapshot)
zfs rollback pool/apps/jellyfin/config@pre-upgrade-20260510

No need to stop Jellyfin for snapshots - ZFS handles consistency at the filesystem level.

Step 5: Migrating from Dragonfish (24.04)

If you are upgrading from TrueNAS 24.04 with the old Kubernetes-based Jellyfin:

Automatic migration

Electric Eel attempts automatic migration on upgrade:

# Check migration status
midclt call -job k8s_to_docker

If migration fails

Common issue: TrueCharts apps do not migrate cleanly.

1. Note your current Jellyfin config path (usually /mnt/pool/ix-applications/...)
2. Copy the config to your new dataset:

   cp -a /mnt/pool/ix-applications/releases/jellyfin/volumes/ix_volumes/*/config/* /mnt/pool/apps/jellyfin/config/
   

3. Install Jellyfin fresh using Step 2
4. Point it to the copied config
5. Verify users, watch history, and plugins are intact

Preserving watch history

Your watch history lives in /config/data/jellyfin.db. As long as you copy this file to the new config dataset, all history is preserved.

Step 6: Network Configuration

Host networking (recommended)

Using network_mode: host gives Jellyfin direct access to your LAN - best for DLNA discovery and client auto-detection.

Bridge networking (isolated)

If you prefer isolation:

ports:
  - "8096:8096"
  - "8920:8920"
  - "1900:1900/udp"  # DLNA
  - "7359:7359/udp"  # Discovery

Step 7: Performance Tuning for TrueNAS

RAM considerations

TrueNAS uses RAM for ZFS ARC cache. Jellyfin 10.11+ also uses more RAM due to EF Core caching.

Recommendation:

• 16 GB total: set ARC max to 8 GB, leave 8 GB for apps
• 32 GB total: set ARC max to 16 GB, leave 16 GB for apps
• 64 GB total: no tuning needed

Set ARC limit: System → Advanced → Sysctl → Add

• Variable: vfs.zfs.arc_max
• Value: 8589934592 (8 GB in bytes)

SSD for config

If your pool is HDD-based, consider a special vdev (SSD) for the config dataset. Metadata access is random I/O - SSDs make a massive difference.

Disable unnecessary TrueNAS services

If you only use TrueNAS for Jellyfin + NAS:

• Disable SMB if not needed
• Disable NFS if not needed
• Disable iSCSI
• This frees RAM for ARC and Jellyfin

Troubleshooting

TrueNAS Electric Eel vs Other NAS Platforms for Jellyfin

TrueNAS wins on ZFS snapshots and free cost. Synology wins on ease of use. Unraid wins on flexibility.

FAQ

Is TrueCharts still supported on Electric Eel? No. TrueCharts relied on Kubernetes which was removed. Use the official app catalog or custom Docker Compose instead.

Can I run Jellyfin and Plex simultaneously? Yes. They use different ports and can share the same media dataset (read-only).

How much RAM does Jellyfin need on TrueNAS? Jellyfin itself needs 1-4 GB. But TrueNAS needs RAM for ZFS ARC. Minimum 16 GB total, 32 GB recommended.

Does ZFS snapshot include my media files? Only if you snapshot the media dataset. For Jellyfin config backups, snapshot only the config dataset - it is small and fast.

Can I use NVIDIA GPU on TrueNAS? Yes. Electric Eel supports NVIDIA GPU passthrough to Docker containers natively.

Running Jellyfin on TrueNAS? Monitor it from your phone. Download JellyWatch on Google Play - real-time session monitoring, CPU alerts, and server health for your TrueNAS Jellyfin server.

On Emby? Download EmbyWatch on Google Play - the same monitoring experience for Emby servers.