Not worth the time or trouble.

[Murilo]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for this thread.

I have 10 câmeras in my store (runing at 720p @ 10 fps), using motion detection to record all of then.

I have tried Zoneminder for 3 months in a Ubuntu VM, after several troubles (change record files folder, 100gb/day with tons of files, socks limits on browser), a LOT of CPU processing (more than 50% when viewing all cameras), several crashs (that made me set to mocord just 4 of 10 cameras) and a lot of headache, I finally decided to check for alternatives.

I have tried Shinobi too, maybe its better than Zoneminder, but still a lot of trouble for just a few cameras. When I was thinking to stick with Shinobi, moeiscool decided to change the project to have a "pro" version, maybe with a more mature software it will be a good option.

And then I found BI, now it's running in a Virtualbox VM for 4 days.

Files: 30gb up to now
CPU Load - i7 920: 15% (idle) and 20~25% with 5~6 cameras detecting movements and recording.
Viewing all cameras through GUI at 8 fps over a RDP connection (cameras in Brazil while I'm in USA/Germany).

My tests will continue for more a couple of days and I will probably order the full version of Blue Iris.

 

[jasauders]

Glad to hear Blue Iris is working for you. If it works for you, by all means, great. I've been keeping my eye on ZoneMinder for years, though like you I ran into snags that shifted my focus elsewhere.

If you're trying to hone in on a Linux-specific option, Bluecherry is another to consider. I have been running Bluecherry for about 2 years. It's been rock solid. I haven't had any major issues with it, literally, at all. It's running on a low end i3 system, and even still the processor is next to asleep. I have 8 cameras, all 3 megapixel, all 10 FPS, recording to a 2TB drive. There's no dedicated mobile app for Bluecherry, but TinyCam does have a pre-defined Bluecherry entry for live viewing remotely, which works great. Pretty easy to set up.

The thing I like about Bluecherry is it has an actual client, and likewise, it's cross platform. So while the server is specifically designed for Linux (which, just personal opinion here, I consider a benefit), the client is available on Mac, Linux, and Windows. Takes the edge off quite a bit as some friends and family have requested CCTV installs and I don't have to give their OS of choice a second thought as I know they can interface with it (so far, two are Ubuntu users, one is a Mac user, two are Windows users, so you can see how the cross platform client helped in this case).

Other oddball uses I've grown to appreciate: My HTPC system (computer in my living room which controls Netflix, Kodi, Amazon Prime Streaming, DVD playing, etc) is running a full OS (Ubuntu Gnome), but just scaled up to nicely fit for longer distance (living room) viewing. Having the client there is nice on the weekends when the kiddos are napping and I'm on the laptop catching up on work. Fire up the client on the HTPC, full screen it, let it rip while I work. Helps to see what the kiddos are up to. Likewise, I have an old laptop on my nightstand. It streams the video feeds throughout the night. It's nice if I'm woken up during the night to just glance over and know what's going on. I know others can accommodate these things in different ways, but I figured I'd share while my thoughts were rolling.

If nothing else, possibly something to consider. But if Blue Iris does what you're after, then carry on.

 

[fenderman]

Glad to hear Blue Iris is working for you. If it works for you, by all means, great. I've been keeping my eye on ZoneMinder for years, though like you I ran into snags that shifted my focus elsewhere.

If you're trying to hone in on a Linux-specific option, Bluecherry is another to consider. I have been running Bluecherry for about 2 years. It's been rock solid. I haven't had any major issues with it, literally, at all. It's running on a low end i3 system, and even still the processor is next to asleep. I have 8 cameras, all 3 megapixel, all 10 FPS, recording to a 2TB drive. There's no dedicated mobile app for Bluecherry, but TinyCam does have a pre-defined Bluecherry entry for live viewing remotely, which works great. Pretty easy to set up.

The thing I like about Bluecherry is it has an actual client, and likewise, it's cross platform. So while the server is specifically designed for Linux (which, just personal opinion here, I consider a benefit), the client is available on Mac, Linux, and Windows. Takes the edge off quite a bit as some friends and family have requested CCTV installs and I don't have to give their OS of choice a second thought as I know they can interface with it (so far, two are Ubuntu users, one is a Mac user, two are Windows users, so you can see how the cross platform client helped in this case).

Other oddball uses I've grown to appreciate: My HTPC system (computer in my living room which controls Netflix, Kodi, Amazon Prime Streaming, DVD playing, etc) is running a full OS (Ubuntu Gnome), but just scaled up to nicely fit for longer distance (living room) viewing. Having the client there is nice on the weekends when the kiddos are napping and I'm on the laptop catching up on work. Fire up the client on the HTPC, full screen it, let it rip while I work. Helps to see what the kiddos are up to. Likewise, I have an old laptop on my nightstand. It streams the video feeds throughout the night. It's nice if I'm woken up during the night to just glance over and know what's going on. I know others can accommodate these things in different ways, but I figured I'd share while my thoughts were rolling.

If nothing else, possibly something to consider. But if Blue Iris does what you're after, then carry on.

bluecherry needs a mobile app..otherwise simply unusable for 99 percent of folks who want to be able to view a recorded event..even if 30 seconds earlier...

 

[jasauders]

A native mobile app would help, surely. All things considered, I'd take a cross platform client + live view on mobile over no client whatsoever and a mobile app capable of pulling down past feeds. Remotely pulling feeds isn't the quickest thing in the world unless you have the upload bandwidth to support it. That said, there are some misc oddball things that help, such as automatic email notifications with screenshots of motion detection, etc. There's no denying that a mobile app would be a nice supplement to what's already provided, though. That said, just speaking entirely from my own experience, the majority of folks I've worked with are typically after a live view when on mobile, seemingly just to spot check the driveway and see if the kids are home, or see if that Amazon package is at the front door, etc. I have yet to come across a deal breaker in any capacity regarding someone requiring digging up past feeds when out and about on mobile. I'm not denying that there's not folks out there who require this -- just speaking from my own experience that that particular item has yet to be an issue.

One thing I've flirted with in my mind regarding Bluecherry and their lack of mobile app is whether something like that could be integrated into TinyCam when interfacing with a Bluecherry server. I have a very high opinion of TinyCam. It's a solid app. The mobile apps I've used with multiple other CCTV systems are often very lacking, prone to crashing, etc. If TinyCam could somehow be extended to carve past feeds from Bluecherry, that'd be a pretty stacked offering.

 

[fenderman]

A native mobile app would help, surely. All things considered, I'd take a cross platform client + live view on mobile over no client whatsoever and a mobile app capable of pulling down past feeds. Remotely pulling feeds isn't the quickest thing in the world unless you have the upload bandwidth to support it. That said, there are some misc oddball things that help, such as automatic email notifications with screenshots of motion detection, etc. There's no denying that a mobile app would be a nice supplement to what's already provided, though. That said, just speaking entirely from my own experience, the majority of folks I've worked with are typically after a live view when on mobile, seemingly just to spot check the driveway and see if the kids are home, or see if that Amazon package is at the front door, etc. I have yet to come across a deal breaker in any capacity regarding someone requiring digging up past feeds when out and about on mobile. I'm not denying that there's not folks out there who require this -- just speaking from my own experience that that particular item has yet to be an issue.

One thing I've flirted with in my mind regarding Bluecherry and their lack of mobile app is whether something like that could be integrated into TinyCam when interfacing with a Bluecherry server. I have a very high opinion of TinyCam. It's a solid app. The mobile apps I've used with multiple other CCTV systems are often very lacking, prone to crashing, etc. If TinyCam could somehow be extended to carve past feeds from Bluecherry, that'd be a pretty stacked offering.

remote client, while nice, is not needed for most applications...if you do, there are much better options like milestone, exacq, or digital watchdog etc...I have not met anyone, literally anyone who would find it acceptable that they cannot check on a motion event or other event remotely..live view is mostly useless unless as you say to see a package was delivered...the fact that they dont have a mobile client tells me there is a serious issue with the development...
There are other benefits to remote clients such as push notifications, and in blue iris things like profile/alert changes, (easy to disable alerts when you get home)...enable/disable cameras, etc..

 

[jasauders]

The lack of a mobile client isn't an unknown thing about Bluecherry. It's something they are working towards. Some folks out there have different preferences than yours. Some folks find the benefits they get from Bluecherry outweigh being able to draw up past feeds from their phone and are fine with mobile live view. It's not a sign of "bad development". I've seen the code, helped troubleshoot that code and have experienced this product over a solid period of time. It's rock solid stable and easy to use. That's not a sign of bad development, it's a sign that they deliver when fully tested and ready. I'm not saying I don't want a mobile client, but I'm saying what they offer gives me, and others, something that other outlets do not. When it comes to remote clients, Milestone is still lacking as they only have a Windows client. The cross platform client of Bluecherry acts as a benefit here. 100% of your folks may fit that paradigm, but most of mine do not. Likewise, I feel as though the UI is cleaner. It may not matter to you, but it matters to others, thus the blanket statement of "this is bad, but these over here, much better" goes against what some folks out there might experience. I'm not arguing that you're wrong, I'm simply saying that different folks have different preferences. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. People have options, choice, and a different subset of preferences and differences to hash out. And that's okay. Honest. It's okay to explore different options. As long as what you're using/what you're after does what you need it to, who is to argue?

 

[aristobrat]

I like that Bluecherry has both their client and server roadmap published!

bluecherrydvr/bluecherry-client | Waffle.io
bluecherrydvr/bluecherry-apps-issues | Waffle.io

I’ll definitely keep my eye on this, although it looks like they have many years to go to match the full functionality of Blue Iris.

 

[jasauders]

I like that Bluecherry has both their client and server roadmap published!

bluecherrydvr/bluecherry-client | Waffle.io
bluecherrydvr/bluecherry-apps-issues | Waffle.io

I’ll definitely keep my eye on this, although it looks like they have many years to go to match the full functionality of Blue Iris.

All depends on your perspective.

But yes, the roadmap is nice, the transparency is nice as well. Several features I requested were added and a few more are already in progress. Small but good group of devs from everything I've experienced.

 

[Dragon]

I write software for a living and usually choose open source solutions because I can modify them to do exactly what I want them to do. Unfortunately, when it came to ZoneMinder, it had too many critical problems that had no obvious solution. Running on a dedicated NUC with 1.9Ghz i5 processor and 8gb ram, it would consistently capture about 4 seconds of video followed by dropping 3 seconds, then resuming. Multiple alarms don't combine into a single capture, so a PIR sensor trips an alarm that captures a cat moving for a few seconds, then a motion alarm triggers a separate video that captures the cat going through some of the same motions and then moving farther. Watching just 3 cameras (2mp and 3mp) plus motion capture on them hit 60% CPU. GUI camera view and replay is quite primitive.

Blue Iris ate even more CPU than ZoneMinder and I did not like having to remote control the machine to view video. I don't want to have to run a powerful server capable of multi-stream video playback that only gets used to view the video occasionally. Blue Iris (at least then) had no way to view a subset of alarms. Ie I have cameras that trigger on every motion that get a lot of false positives, but they have alternate motion regions or PIR sensors that rarely trigger false alarms. I want to only look at the rarely false alarms most of the time.

So I went with Milestone XProtect which has all the features I want and is light on CPU use. I paid for it but it's now free up to 8 cameras with no limit on saving recordings. XProtect's motion alarms are a little primitive (and low CPU) but most cameras can now handle the motion alarm processing and send XProtect an alarm.

Bluecherry sounds like it could be cool too.

 

[fenderman]

I write software for a living and usually choose open source solutions because I can modify them to do exactly what I want them to do. Unfortunately, when it came to ZoneMinder, it had too many critical problems that had no obvious solution. Running on a dedicated NUC with 1.9Ghz i5 processor and 8gb ram, it would consistently capture about 4 seconds of video followed by dropping 3 seconds, then resuming. Multiple alarms don't combine into a single capture, so a PIR sensor trips an alarm that captures a cat moving for a few seconds, then a motion alarm triggers a separate video that captures the cat going through some of the same motions and then moving farther. Watching just 3 cameras (2mp and 3mp) plus motion capture on them hit 60% CPU. GUI camera view and replay is quite primitive.

Blue Iris ate even more CPU than ZoneMinder and I did not like having to remote control the machine to view video. I don't want to have to run a powerful server capable of multi-stream video playback that only gets used to view the video occasionally. Blue Iris (at least then) had no way to view a subset of alarms. Ie I have cameras that trigger on every motion that get a lot of false positives, but they have alternate motion regions or PIR sensors that rarely trigger false alarms. I want to only look at the rarely false alarms most of the time.

So I went with Milestone XProtect which has all the features I want and is light on CPU use. I paid for it but it's now free up to 8 cameras with no limit on saving recordings. XProtect's motion alarms are a little primitive (and low CPU) but most cameras can now handle the motion alarm processing and send XProtect an alarm.

Bluecherry sounds like it could be cool too.

Blue iris uses way less cpu than zoneminder...blue iris you simply need to set it up properly selecting direct to disk recording, blue iris also now offers hardware acceleration which further reduces cpu consumption significantly...if you properly setup blue iris, using zone crossing and correct motion settings you wont have all those false alerts...the in camera motion detection you rely on with milestone is practically useless...

blue cherry offers no remote mobile app...

 

[jasauders]

I'm a bit surprised by your Blue Iris vs ZoneMinder system resource comparison. Blue Iris is far from the lightest VMS I've used, but ZoneMinder reigns king by several fold with all I've experienced when it comes to using high CPU resources. The issue with ZoneMinder is it's slicing up the video into singular JPGs and thus storing them accordingly, and in the event of motion detect, analyzing each individual frame to the next to the next to the next. Rig up six cams @ 10 FPS and you have 60 FPS slamming the box looking for a place to be stored and analyzed. Just two 3 megapixel cameras was enough to tax an i3 processor to the point that I didn't think adding a third 3 megapixel camera would even be possible... Blue Iris should use less than that by quite a margin, particularly with some of the knobs within the application that you can turn to tune things down.

All that said, ZM *is* getting better. It's just... a glacier-like process. The development version of ZoneMinder is moving to mp4 based storage (finally) which cuts down a mammoth amount of the resources it currently utilizes. It's not in mainline yet, and should have been months ago, but you know... things take time I suppose.

Bluecherry sounds like it could be cool too.

This is where I ended up after my rendezvous with ZoneMinder (and a number of others). I'm definitely a fan of it. Good dev speed, good chunk of niceties. Certain folks like to bring up at every opportunity there's no mobile app but the web UI is designed to scale with mobile very well, and likewise TinyCam has a Bluecherry entry for live view, so that's neato (which I'm very thankful for as TinyCam is easily the nicest mobile app I've used). The server/client relationship is gold. Slinging live video feed a remote desktop connection is a bit janky to me, but a client tapping direct into the ffmpeg streams from the server is something I, quite greatly, appreciated.

But hey, like anything else, mileage and preferences vary. May your experience with Milestone work out well for you. If not, there's still some options out there. And besides, that's part of the fun, right?

 

[fenderman]

Certain folks like to bring up at every opportunity there's no mobile app but the web UI is designed to scale with mobile very well, and likewise TinyCam has a Bluecherry entry for live view, so that's neato (which I'm very thankful for as TinyCam is easily the nicest mobile app I've used). The server/client relationship is gold. Slinging live video feed a remote desktop connection is a bit janky to me, but a client tapping direct into the ffmpeg streams from the server is something I, quite greatly, appreciated.

B

A proper mobile app is very important for most...I know I could not implement any system without a mobile app, that is something that is often assumed to be available....therefore it is important to point out.

 

[bp2008]

The development version of ZoneMinder is moving to mp4 based storage (finally) which cuts down a mammoth amount of the resources it currently utilizes. It's not in mainline yet, and should have been months ago, but you know... things take time I suppose.

I think MP4 is a terrible file format for surveillance software because the file isn't valid/readable until it is completely written. Why they would choose MP4, knowing this, is beyond me. Should have chosen another format like MKV or even cooked up something proprietary like Blue Iris did, so as to not have that limitation.

 

[Edwin Drood]

Wow -- it has been three years since anyone posted to this thread. I doubt any one will read this post, but I have just installed ZoneMinder and I love it. Here is what ZM does best: Older cameras and capture cards, Wide variety of cameras.
Here is what ZM does not do well: Newer Cameras that only provide h.264 streams.
I have installed camera systems professionally for years. The software system that I used (and like) is ExaqVision. (The low-end license is not much more than BlueCherry.) I am not plugging any software -- rather just want to point out that you can still get HD analog cameras for $12 and you can buy (from ebay) capture cards that do full D1 resolution with 8 inputs for about $20. You get 4 to 6 frames per second using all 8 inputs.
For on the cheap, it is hard to beat this system with free zoneminder running on an older computer.

(Side Note: If you have a computer in the office with a camera built-in, you can run YawCam on it (as a service) and ZoneMinder can connect to that. Pretty Cool.)

Now, if you were to ask me what I would buy wanting to get something better ... it is hard to justify the price of software when you can get a Dahua Penta-brid system with 8 inputs (both digital and analog over coax) for $140 on Amazon.

This dahua system also supports 4 IP cameras (ONVIF). The Coax Digital cameras (either the CVI or TVI standard) with 1080P resolution are around $40 to $100 each.

 

[river100]

I've been following this thread for a cpl of years. I started using Zoneminder in 2005.
I still use it for small systems for one reason. The time line view. VERY hard to beat
Zoneminder's version of it. The fact that it uses a standard browser with out plugins
is nice too.
Another thing I happen to like is that it runs on linux LAMP
server that can be monitored with XYMON. I can review various stats of all of the
NVRs on one XYMON page with graphs >
Network bandwith, in and out
HD usage
Memory usage and others
This has saved me a few times and helps "tune" the server

It's very easy to install now compared to just a few years ago.
I usually only go up to 5 to 7 HD cams but have a couple that run 10
Most run 10fps each

I have over 10 Zoneminder systems using H264 and H265 so I don't understand what
problems you are having with it..

Cons of Zoneminder are hard drive use, it stores in JPG frames so uses a ton of HD.
There are others but for me it's great and flexible.

I've used Dahua NVRs and the Penta-brids. I recommend them over Zoneminder
for anyone that does not require the Time line view.
The NVR-5416 is really nice for lots of storage.
BTW, I almost always use Dahua cameras, no matter what NVR.

 

[k3nnyg]

I, as many who have replied here have expressed, felt compelled to reply to this thread. The steaming pile comment regarding Zoneminder imho is not only false but honestly would be just as inappropriate if it didnt function as well as it does. But it does. The developers who are currently working on this project and people that have contributed over the past couple years that I have been using it at least, are stellar, committed individuals that are providing in my opinion an amazing product and they do it for absolutely free. Im sorry...I may have missed where the op disclosed his great contributions that justify and permit him to speak thusly about someone's work that they have graciously donated to us and that he himself has at least used for some time and millions use now currently. Like myself. Honestly it calls in to question integrity and if you are looking for support or opinions to help in your decision I personally would take that in to consideration.

I'm 49 years old and started programming when I was 12 on an os called CPM. So yeah. I have a bit of experience with computing technologies however I had ZERO experience with CCTV until about 2 years ago when I installed Zoneminder and bought a cpl cams. I may just fall in to a category of "its not for everyone" that is not everyone but I think the criteria for inclusion in this category is really just tenacity and a willingness to work through things along with an understanding that the aforementioned is to be expected with a "free" piece of software. Free is quoted because these things are the price of free software. Of course there is a reasonable expectation and this being subjective if the loe to use this product is outside your expectations or tolerance than hey...it is what it is. But its NOT a steaming pile just because of this either. I have an Aston Martin and my gf refuses to drive it outside comfort mode and shift (paddle shift btw lol) manually. Still....just because its more effort than she wants to put in to it she does not call it a steaming pile.)

TLDR: I love it. You should try it. Have patience. Learn it. You will love it too.

To help anyone who is trying to make a decision and has read beyond the ill mannered op's comments I can offer you my experience, the features I find handy, AND a willingness to help you achieve success if you so desire. My current setup (and this is not in ANY way optimal btw) follows....

14 various cams. When I say various it REALLY various but all are 720P and 2mp or greater running at no less than 8 fps.
1 Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E6550 @ 2.33GHz (Gives me 2 cores no HT so 2 threads)
7 gbs of RAM. 667MHz 1.5ns
Root fs (ext4) on a single 684G partition Single disk.
2x 500gb external RAID 0/1 partitions connected via 4gig fibre channel (I think all the drives are Seagate barracuda's...I think)
OS/Distro is Ubuntu 14.04 (trusty) with PREEMPT low latency kernel. (3.13.0-160-lowlatency)
Build is Zoneminder 1.32 (This gets updated currently about every two weeks it seems more or less. Don't quote me on that exactly as I don't really track exact freq). It was not a package. IT was compiled from source with the optimizations for my CPU and hardware as really anything you want performance out of should be. Also it STATES in the docs that this alone can increase performance by 50%. (Probably a tad exaggerated imho but it is none the less significant if not 50%)
I'm also using ZmNinja on my iPhone and run the ZmNinja alert server. The later I am JUST now starting out on.
My network is all 1 gig wired except for my internet connections and a a cpl vlans which are 100mb. Only because the run through an Cisco ASA5505. The rest's running through a 48 port Cisco 2948G-GE-TX (aggregate switch) and possibly a Cisco Cat 2960(floor switch) also. A Cisco AP1262n wireless mesh/bridge also but has nothing to do with cams or Zoneminder as that is all wired. Well my phone goes through that so in that I guess it does have some involvement.

My server utilization with the above config is generally between .8 and 1.15.

Features I like....
* I LOVE the single JPEGs. Has come in VERY handy for me in a cpl critical moments.
* I like the interface and learning curve. I find it very easy to understand and intuitive(not always but the info in those cases has always been easily located and available). Especially considering I knew nothing about cctv gong in to this.
* Its extremely easy on resources when end to end configuration is tuned appropriately for the task...
*Its free
*Best feature? If you want something added...do it. Its open. Want to change something? Do it. Is someone able to view my whole personal life without my knowledge? Check it. Its open. Not a closed binary that could for all you know be sending whatever to whomever. I'm a bit paranoid since this is in my house and I have 14 cams that cover every inch of it except the bathrooms. I'm not accusing any other devs of other software nor do I know of this ever occurring I don't trust Windows for the same reason so......
*I added a customization (a simple Perl script) that announces verbally when a cam alerts. It will say (Motion detected on camera front landing" for instance.) This is soon to include opencv based human object recognition which will be friggin amazing
*I motion detect off the low resolution feeds and capture off extremely high res stream. Big help on limited hardware such as mine. All of my hardware is just stuff that was being upgraded from various contracts as I refuse to spend money on computers. Seriously. Not a dime. Not ever. I know...i'm a bit silly. Forces me to push the limits tho and thats a lot of the reason for this.
*I also wrote a module that when alerting it sends to two chromecast devices in my house. These devices are plugged in to 65 inch TV's that automatically switch to that input when they fire up. I'm usually plopped down somewhere in view of one or the other...even if they are really serving no other purpose than background noise at the time. They are always on.

When all is said and done I picked this up quickly and I honestly wouldn't consider anything else I tried in the past. Blue Iris being one of those trials btw. Its amazing to me that with 14 cams it runs so well actually. I mean think about what its doing. It has to connect a stream. Slice it up. Not only then compare the slices, but it is also blending those in to the reference image slowly as it goes also. In addition to that in about 40% of the cases on my server it is also rendering video as they are not all using h264 pass through and NONE were last year. All the while watchdoging itself and the streams. Doing database maintenance. Storing images and vid and at times streaming it all out again for me to view. I'm sure I left out some things. Alerting, emailing, file directives, etc. All this on 2 threads and its its only running at 1.15. Wow! That's what I say about it personally. Kudos to the devs. I couldn't without some a serious learning curve write something better and that's just being honest. Maybe in assembly but no way as feature rich unless I spent the next decade full time writing it. I am truly impressed.

Advice to get it running smoothly? Sure. Think about everything that touches it as part of the system. End to end. (This is just basic engineering and applies to everything IT btw). Remove all bottle necks. Segment with vlans to reduce broadcast domains. Use high quality switches if you can as this is huge in itself. Is your disk able to wrote data fast enough? RAID 0/1 is ideal for throughput(iops). Is the RAID connection the best it can be? Even the difference in overhead of Windows SMB, NFS, iSCSI etc makes a difference. Jumbo packets maybe? Dont use wireless to ANY cam ever. I don't care what your AP is it will suck. Wired only. Is your server running lean? No xwindows subsystem. Command line only. No extraneous services running. Lean and mean. Is your RAM installed correctly to channelize. Shared memory. Is it sufficient? FFmpeg. Compile this yourself with all the opto's for your cpu. Same goes for Zoneminder and any other piece of software that is performance critical. Every little thing cumulatively adds up. A clock cycle is a clock cycle and you only have so many. Dont waste em.....

Sorry for any typos I kinda just spewed this out. I'm happy to try and help you out if I can to get things setup if you like. I'm also happy to be called a blabbering idiot who's opinion is totally worthless to you. Best wishes either way and I hope you find something that works out for your needs

 

[aristobrat]

I may have missed where the op disclosed his great contributions that justify and permit him to speak thusly about someone's work that they have graciously donated to us

IMO, the OP covered that four sentences into the first post.

Yeah it's free, it's open source, so you technically can't complain about it

 

[bp2008]

I refuse to spend money on computers. Seriously. Not a dime. Not ever.

One would assume that you pay the power bill, however. While it is truly impressive what you've apparently managed to run on an old Core 2 Duo, that doesn't make it any less of a space heater by today's standards.

 

[nrc]

Tap tap tap. Time to wake this thread up with another forum newcomer.

I use Zoneminder mainly because I don't use Windows if I can possibly avoid it, but secondly because I can hack it to do whatever I want. I don't recommend it to anyone who isn't reasonably fluent in Linux. Even though packaged versions are relatively easy to install and setup, I know that it's really a whole pile of things bodged together over a long time. A novice user isn't going to have the first idea where to look if things break. On top of the learning curve for new users, the Zoneminder community sometimes isn't particularly welcoming or helpful to novice Linux users.

So, no it's not ideal and I get where the critics are coming from. But once configured it works just fine and if you're technical you can hack it to work with just about anything that you're technical enough to take on. I have mine setup to change camera modes depending on the mode of my home security system.

It doesn't take a beefy machine by modern standards but I can see where giving it a slice of an active desktop as some people seem to have done could cause a problem. Mine is a VM allocated 4 CPU cores and 6GB of memory on an old desktop I use as a server. That handles six 2MP cameras with no problem. I'm currently moving it to a new docker image on an old server that will replace a pile of different stuff in my home lab.

So hello and good luck to everyone reading this five years from now. Hopefully my comments will still be true by then.

 

[PaJoe]

Thanks to all,

Interesting this thread came up near the top of one of my google searches. I am currently looking into switching from analog to digital. Zoneminder is near the top but am more interested in the now "open source" Bluecherry. I installed it on my kodi database server to look at it, Installation was extremely easy, I gave it the mysql passwords and it added another database. I like the idea it uses mkv and I also suspect it may not be too difficult to incorporate the videos into Kodi, which is the reason for my current searches. I know Kodi has a Zoneminder addon and there is even an addon for Foscams etc. I did not see anything on Bluecherry, but suspect it is because Bluecherry only became "open source" this year. If the videos can be incorporated into Kodi, it would mean there is a mobile app to view them. I know from reading various posts over the years this forum leans towards Blue Iris, and I am considering that as well, but like many posts in this thread, prefer a linux based solution.