Installation

Meridian VMS includes a web-based installer that guides you through the entire setup process. No command-line experience required.

Prerequisites

• A fresh Ubuntu 24.04 LTS or 22.04 LTS server (physical or virtual)
• Root or sudo access
• Internet connection (for downloading dependencies)
• The installer will register a free license automatically during setup

See System Requirements for hardware specifications.

Step 1: Download and Run the Installer

SSH into your server and run:

curl -fsSL https://install.meridianvms.com | sudo bash

This downloads and starts the web-based installer on port 9090.

Step 2: Open the Installer

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:9090

The installer wizard will guide you through:

1. License Registration — enter your name, email, and company to register a free license, or enter an existing license key
2. System Check — verifies your hardware meets the minimum requirements (CPU, RAM, disk, GPU)
3. Component Selection — choose which components to install:
   • Management Server (required for first install)
   • Recording Server (can be on the same or separate machine)
4. Storage Configuration — select the disk/partition for video recordings
5. Network Configuration — set the management server URL and ports
6. Installation — automated installation with real-time progress

Step 3: Complete Setup

Once the installer finishes:

1. The web interface is available at http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:8000
2. Log in with the admin credentials shown at the end of installation
3. Follow the Quick Start guide to add your first cameras

What the Installer Does

The installer automates:

• System package installation and configuration
• Application setup and dependency installation
• Database creation and migration
• Service configuration and startup
• GPU detection and CUDA setup (if NVIDIA GPU present)
• WebRTC sidecar deployment (for P2P remote access)
• Cloud server auto-selection (connects to nearest regional server)

Adding Recording Servers

To add additional recording servers to your system:

1. Run the installer on the new server
2. Select Recording Server in the component selection
3. Enter the management server URL when prompted
4. The server registers automatically and appears in Settings > Servers

Unattended Installation

For automated deployments, the installer supports a configuration file:

curl -fsSL https://install.meridianvms.com | sudo bash -s -- --config /path/to/install.conf

See the deployment documentation for details on multi-server setups.

Manual Installation

If you prefer manual installation or need to customise the setup, see the install.sh script for the complete list of steps.

Troubleshooting

Installer won’t start

Check if port 9090 is in use:

sudo ss -tlnp | grep 9090

GPU not detected

Ensure NVIDIA drivers are installed:

nvidia-smi

If not installed, the installer will offer to install them automatically.

Cannot reach management server from recording server

Verify network connectivity:

curl http://MANAGEMENT_IP:8000/api/health

Check firewall rules — port 8000 must be accessible from the recording server.

Next Steps

• Quick Start — add cameras and start recording
• First Login — configure your system
• Cloud Portal — set up remote access