Setting up a RTMP Server on a RPi

Setting up an RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) streaming server on a Raspberry Pi can be done using a software package like NGINX with the RTMP module. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Requirements:

• A Raspberry Pi (preferably a 3B, 3B+, or 4 for better performance)
• Raspbian or Raspberry Pi OS installed
• Internet connection

Step 1: Update Your System

Open a terminal and update your system packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install Dependencies

You need to install the required dependencies to build NGINX from source:

sudo apt install -y build-essential libpcre3 libpcre3-dev libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libpcre3 libpcre3-dev openssl libssl-dev

Step 3: Download NGINX and the RTMP Module

You will need to download both NGINX and the RTMP module:

cd ~
wget http://nginx.org/download/nginx-1.25.2.tar.gz
wget https://github.com/arut/nginx-rtmp-module/archive/refs/heads/master.zip

Unpack the files:

tar -zxvf nginx-1.25.2.tar.gz
unzip master.zip

Step 4: Build and Install NGINX with RTMP Module

Navigate to the NGINX source directory and configure the build:

cd nginx-1.25.2
./configure --with-http_ssl_module --add-module=../nginx-rtmp-module-master

Compile and install:

make
sudo make install

Step 5: Configure NGINX for RTMP

Edit the NGINX configuration file located at /usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf:

sudo nano /usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf

Add the following RTMP configuration to the nginx.conf file:

worker_processes  1;

events {
    worker_connections  1024;
}

http {
    include       mime.types;
    default_type  application/octet-stream;
    sendfile        on;
    keepalive_timeout  65;
    server {
        listen       80;
        server_name  localhost;

        location / {
            root   html;
            index  index.html index.htm;
        }
    }
}

rtmp {
    server {
        listen 1935;
        chunk_size 4096;

        application live {
            live on;
            record off;
        }
    }
}

Save the file and exit.

Step 6: Start NGINX

You can now start NGINX using the following command:

sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx

Step 7: Test Your RTMP Server

To test your RTMP server, you can use a streaming software like OBS Studio:

1. Open OBS Studio and go to Settings.
2. Under Stream, select Custom.
3. Enter the RTMP server URL: rtmp://<Your-Raspberry-Pi-IP>/live
4. Set the stream key to whatever you like.

Step 8: Verify Your Stream

To view your stream, you can use a media player like VLC:

1. Open VLC and go to Media > Open Network Stream.
2. Enter: rtmp://<Your-Raspberry-Pi-IP>/live/<stream-key>.

Optional: Enable NGINX on Boot

To have NGINX start automatically on boot, add it to your rc.local:

sudo nano /etc/rc.local

Add the following line before exit 0:

/usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx

Save and exit.

You’re Done!

Your Raspberry Pi is now set up as an RTMP streaming server. You can stream video content to it and serve it to multiple clients.