How to Setup Red5 Server on CentOS & RHEL

Red5 is an open-source media server for live streaming solutions that are written in Java. It provides a powerful platform that supports streaming Video (FLV, F4V, MP4, 3GP), Audio (MP3, F4A, M4A, AAC), and RTMP/RTMPT protocols for maximum flexibility. This article will guide you on how to install Red5 Server on CentOS/RHEL 9/8.

Prerequisites

• A CentOS/RHEL 8 or 9 instance with root privileges.
• Sufficient storage space for the server software and media files.
• An installed Java Development Kit (JDK), as Red5 is a Java-based application.

Step 1: Update the System

First, you should start by updating your system to the latest packages. Open the terminal and execute the following command:

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sudo yum update -y 

Step 2: Install the Java Development Kit (JDK)

Since Red5 is a Java application, you need to install the Java Development Kit. If you don’t have JDK installed in your system, use the following command:

sudo yum install java-1.8.0-openjdk-devel -y 

To verify the Java installation, run:

java -version 

This will output the version of Java that is currently active on your system.

Step 3: Install Ant

Apache Ant is a Java library and command-line tool that helps in driving processes described in build files as targets and extension points dependent upon each other. Use the following command to install Ant:

sudo yum install ant -y 

Verify the installation with the command:

ant -version 

Step 4: Download and Install Red5 Server

Now we can move on to downloading and installing the Red5 server. Navigate to the /usr/local directory:

cd /usr/local/ 

Download the latest version of the Red5 server using wget:

sudo wget https://github.com/Red5/red5-server/releases/download/v1.3.19/red5-server-1.3.19-server.tar.gz 

Extract the downloaded tar file:

sudo tar xvfz red5-server-1.3.19-server.tar.gz 

Rename the extracted directory to red5:

sudo mv red5-server red5 

Step 5: Configure Red5 Server

Navigate to the red5 directory:

cd red5 

Make the Red5.sh file executable:

sudo chmod +x red5.sh 

Step 6: Run Red5 Server

Now you can start the Red5 server with the following command:

./red5.sh 

This will start the Red5 server, and it should be accessible on the default port 5080.

Step 7: Enable Red5 Server at Boot

In order to ensure that Red5 server starts automatically at boot time, you need to create a systemd service file. Open a new service file in /etc/systemd/system/:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/red5.service 

Add the following content:

Save and close the file. Now reload the systemd manager configuration:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload 

Enable the Red5 service to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable red5 

You can start, stop, and check the status of the Red5 server with the following commands respectively:

sudo systemctl start red5 
sudo systemctl stop red5 
sudo systemctl status red5 

Conclusion

Now, you have successfully installed the Red5 server on your CentOS/RHEL 8 or 9. You can start creating applications for streaming audio and video over the internet. Make sure to secure your server and customize the Red5 server settings as per your specific needs.