Blank Box Community 1.0.1 - Better Sorting, Preorders, and More!

Blank Box Community 1.0.1

We've added preorder tracking and expanded Intend to Buy into a Wishlist for this update. This update also cleans up the playback section and improves how Plex and Jellyfin copies fit together in your library.

Preorders and Wishlist

Preorders keeps the details of titles you've paid for but haven't received: edition, label, retailer, quantity, price, dates, tracking number and notes. When an order arrives, add it as a new copy or match it to something already in your library. Physical and digital purchases have their own fields.

Partial deliveries are supported. If one of three copies arrives, you can add that copy and leave the other two outstanding. Received orders stay in your history. You can select several orders and work through their deliveries one at a time.

Wishlist is for titles you plan to buy. Your saved list appears before suggestions, and you can turn an entry into a preorder or add it to your library once you've bought it. Both pages are available from My Library and Physical Media, with optional sidebar shortcuts.

Playback, sources and editions

Watch and Listen now show one row for Plex, Jellyfin and local files. Change source lets you choose a version or quality. The main playback button and the season, episode, disc and track lists follow that choice.

Library cards now show source and edition counts below the title. A physical edition and a digital edition count separately. The same standard cut on Plex and Jellyfin counts as one edition; different named cuts stay separate. Songs, episodes and playback qualities don't add to your title count.

Clear Plex/Jellyfin duplicates can merge in existing libraries and after a sync. Your sources, copies and saved details stay with the title. Conflicting details, uncertain matches and titles you've chosen to keep separate won't merge automatically. The matching guide explains the rules.

Other fixes

• Keeping current details retains the selected metadata provider and your corrections.
• Match confirmation runs in the background, and unfinished reviews remain available.
• Library refresh keeps the loaded cards visible and handles failed requests without requiring a page reload.
• Adding another connected service no longer interferes with saving Settings.
• Duplicate service-link and OIDC sections are removed.
• Clicking My Library again clears its search.
• Docker reference indexing no longer runs out of space in its temporary folder.

The full changelog includes the details of these changes.

Downloads and updates

Linux installation ZIP · Source ZIP

The Linux ZIP includes the built interface, optional offline databases, installers and guides. You don't need Node.js or npm to install it. The source ZIP is for developers. Follow the included download-verification and update instructions.

Docker setup ZIP · Docker guide · Portainer guide

The Docker image runs on Linux Intel/AMD computers. The setup ZIP includes verification and update tools; no local application build is needed.

For safe practice: Back up your library before updating. Version 1.0.1 upgrades the catalog to schema 23. If you need to return to 1.0.0, you'll need its matching pre-update catalog and assets as well as the older software. Keep any later work before restoring that backup. Update and recovery guide

Note: Windows still uses the older experimental package and cannot open a schema 23 catalog. (We will be releasing a stable Windows release in the coming weeks).

Thanks for trying Blank Box and sharing your feedback. Join us and other collectors on Discord. The invitation is also beside the version number in Settings.

Blank Box Community 1.0.0 - Out of Beta!

Blank Box Community 1.0.0

Our first stable Linux and Docker release brings larger collection imports and physical box sets to Blank Box. Thank you for testing and helping shape these changes.

What's new

• Import CSV, TSV and text collections up to 100 MB and 100,000 rows, including blu-ray.com exports.
• Check the columns, prepare rows in the background and review the results before adding anything.
• Loose title matches are optional, and different TV seasons stay separate.
• Fill missing details from installed offline databases after reviewing your matches.
• Keep a movie or TV box set as one physical package with searchable titles inside it. Separately owned copies stay separate.

The item popup, edition artwork, square music covers, physical entry defaults, digital-platform records and editable service links remain available.

Download

Installation	Download	Guide
Docker on Linux Intel/AMD	Small Docker setup ZIP	Docker
Native Linux service	Linux installation ZIP	Linux

Docker pulls our prebuilt image from GitHub Container Registry. No local application build is needed. Verify your download before running its scripts.

Update an existing library

Create a complete recovery point and keep your current library, user, mounts and access settings.

• Native Linux: verify the new installation folder with your installed trusted verifier, then run sudo ./install-linux.sh from that folder.
• Docker Compose: verify the new small setup folder, copy your existing .env and supported Compose override into it, and run ./upgrade-docker.sh. Use sudo if Docker requires it. Leave your existing container running before starting the updater.
• Portainer: use the stack update guide to keep the saved definition and recovery point together.

Open your usual address and refresh the browser. Keep the previous application/image and paired snapshot. Full update guide

Compatibility

Version 1.0.0 keeps API 1 and catalog schema 22. Current Linux/Docker libraries update without a schema migration. Older schema 20 libraries migrate to 22. Docker updates retain the existing numeric user and storage; new installations default to 1000:1000.

Windows remains an older experimental download. This release does not add multi-user accounts or automatic online artwork lookup. Offline details depend on the packs you have installed. A catalog backup cannot recreate missing files on your source drives.

Blank Box Community - The Collection and Library Update

We've made it easier to add physical media, browse editions and artwork, and choose how to enjoy a title.

What's new

• A cleaner item popup: artwork, editions and playback choices together, with focused editors that stay within the screen. Closing the popup returns to your library where you left off.
• More artwork: save front, back, spine and other images for titles and physical editions. Choose a main cover. Music covers stay square without cropping.
• Collector details: add packaging such as Steelbook or Mediabook and release labels such as Manta Lab or WeET. Both accept custom values.
• Digital purchases and codes: record purchased, redeemed or code-included platforms alongside your physical copies, separately from playable sources.
• Editable service links: rename services, change their links, add custom services or use the Movies Anywhere shortcut.
• Simpler physical entry: enter details, search for a match and confirm on one screen. Save default formats by media type and your preferred title-search source.
• Optional OIDC sign-in: link an identity provider to your existing local account. Password sign-in and recovery remain available. Blank Box still uses one shared household account.
• Docker improvements: new installations default to UID/GID 1000:1000. Updates retain your existing IDs, including 10001:10001, and your volume or bind folder.
• Updated guides: clearer installation, update and recovery steps, plus a working in-app license download.

Download

Choose the blankbox-community-0.1.0-beta.10.zip attachment below for Linux or Docker on Linux. It includes the prebuilt interface, setup tools, guides and four optional signed starter metapacks. No Node.js or npm is needed to install it.

The blankbox-source-0.1.0-beta.10.zip attachment is for reviewing or building the source.

Our Windows download remains the separate experimental beta.8 package. It does not include this Linux/Docker update.

Follow the download verification guide before installation. For updates, use your installed trusted verifier. For a first download, confirm the signing-key fingerprint through a separately trusted Blank Box channel.

Update an existing installation

Create a complete recovery point first, then extract the new installation ZIP into a separate folder.

Native Linux

Open a terminal in the new extracted folder and run:

python3 /opt/blankbox/current/release_files.py . --trusted-key /opt/blankbox/current/release-trust.json
sudo ./install-linux.sh

These commands use the standard installation paths. Your account, library, port, access mode, sources and backup settings are retained.

Docker

Copy your existing .env and local Compose overrides into the new extracted folder. Keep the same project name, image setting, UID/GID and volume or bind folder. Relative bind paths must still point to the same existing folders. Keep the current container available, then run:

./upgrade-docker.sh

The updater retains your numeric user. Changing IDs or moving storage is a separate step after the update works.

Open your usual address, sign in and refresh the browser. Keep the previous application/image and paired recovery snapshot. See the full update guide.

New installation

Verify and extract the installation ZIP, then open a terminal in its application folder.

Native Linux: run sudo ./setup-linux.sh and follow the prompts. Requires Python 3.10+ and systemd. Read the recovery key privately with sudo cat /var/lib/blankbox/access-key.txt, then open the address printed by setup and create your local account.

Docker on Linux: with Docker Engine and the Compose plugin installed, run:

cp -n blankbox.env.example .env
docker compose up --detach --build --wait --wait-timeout 240

Read your recovery key privately:

docker compose exec -T blankbox python3 -c 'print(open("/data/access-key.txt").read().strip())'

Open http://127.0.0.1:25265 on the Docker host and use the key to create your local account. We build the image locally; a published registry image is not available yet.

Linux setup guide | Docker setup guide

Compatibility and recovery

Updating from Linux/Docker beta.8 or beta.9 upgrades catalog schema 20 to 22, preserving existing accounts, covers and collection records.

Returning to older code requires its paired pre-update catalog and assets snapshot. Preserve later edits before restoring that earlier state. The older Windows package cannot open a schema 22 catalog.

The metapack reader and included starter packs are unchanged. Core and metapack updates remain separate and optional. Library recovery cannot recreate missing linked original files.

For help or feedback, open an issue. Keep recovery keys, credentials and private library data out of public reports

Blank Box Community - Hotfix - Docker user and storage settings

We’ve fixed the Docker permissions so you can run Blank Box with your own Linux UID/GID, including 1000:1000. Our default remains 10001:10001.

You can also store your library in a dedicated host folder using a bind mount. Our Docker guide now includes a complete example for both settings.

Downloads

• Linux / Docker installation ZIP — includes the prebuilt application, setup tools, guides and four optional signed starter metapacks. No Node.js or npm is needed to install it.
• Source ZIP — for reviewing or building the source.
• Windows x64 ZIP — our existing Windows download remains available and experimental.

New Docker installation

You’ll need a Linux host with Docker Engine and the Compose plugin.

Verify and extract the installation ZIP, then open a terminal in the folder containing compose.yaml. For the default setup, run:

cp -n blankbox.env.example .env
docker compose up --detach --build --wait --wait-timeout 240

Read your recovery key privately:

docker compose exec -T blankbox python3 -c 'print(open("/data/access-key.txt").read().strip())'

Open http://127.0.0.1:25265 on the Docker host and use the key to create your local account.

To use your own UID/GID and a host data folder, follow the optional setup example before starting the container for the first time. Keep those settings in compose.override.yaml, beside compose.yaml.

Update an existing Docker installation

1. Verify the new installation ZIP and extract it into a new folder.
2. Copy your existing .env and any Compose override files into that folder.
3. Keep your current user, project name and data mount, then run:

./upgrade-docker.sh

Sign in and check your library afterward. Keep the previous image and recovery snapshot retained by the update tool.

Changing user or storage is a separate step. Update with your current settings first. Before switching from a Docker volume to a bind folder, stop Blank Box and copy the complete /data contents. The new folder and its contents must belong to your selected user.

Keep the original volume until the new setup is checked. Changing a mount does not move data.

Native Linux installation

Use the same installation ZIP and run:

sudo ./setup-linux.sh

You’ll need Python 3.10+ and systemd. See our Linux guide.

Verification and compatibility

Follow our verification instructions before installation. For updates, use your existing trusted verifier. For a first download, confirm the signing-key fingerprint through a separately trusted Blank Box channel. Python 3.10+ is needed for verification.

Catalog schema 20, metapack reader 5 and the four included starter metapacks are unchanged. Library recovery cannot recreate missing linked original files.

For setup help or feedback, open an issue. Please keep recovery keys, provider tokens and private library data out of public reports.

Blank Box Community Beta

Blank Box Community Beta

We are opening Blank Box Community for everyone! We built it to bring physical collections, files on your own drives, optional Plex/Jellyfin catalogs and saved household records into one private library. The catalog runs on your device and works offline. Thank you for testing and telling us where the experience is unclear or unreliable.

Choose your download

System	Download	Start with
Linux with systemd	blankbox-community-0.1.0-beta.8.zip	START-HERE.md, then guides/LINUX.md
Docker on Linux	The same Linux/Docker ZIP	guides/DOCKER.md
Windows 10/11 x64	blankbox-community-0.1.0-beta.8-windows-x64.zip	guides/WINDOWS.md
Source build	blankbox-source-0.1.0-beta.8.zip	README.md

We have bundled a current signed copy each of our offline metadata packs - Movies v4, Books v7, Music v5 and TV Shows v4. We do not include a sample household library or original media files. Windows includes an isolated Python runtime; Linux/Docker uses its own platform tools. Windows is experimental while we complete a real Windows/NTFS install, update and restore trial. Check PLATFORMS.md for the evidence boundary.

Protect your library

Indexing and linking leave your originals on their drives. A library recovery point covers saved records, managed copies and paired installed metapacks. It does not recreate linked source-drive movies, music, books or whole drives. Copying eligible photos, home videos and personal files to a separate backup drive is a different, manually confirmed Import action. Read RECOVERY.md before relying on a new library or installing an update.

After restoring on another computer, reconnect Plex/Jellyfin with a reachable address and key. We exclude provider credentials from portable recovery. In Settings → System & About, Restore saved provider covers can fill missing covers from saved provider references after reconnection while retaining uploaded artwork.

Verify and update

We publish SHA256SUMS, its detached signature, and SIGNING-KEY.json alongside these ZIPs and the four standalone .bbpack files. Check the signing-key fingerprint through our separately controlled Blank Box announcement before trusting a first download: b2235cbf8af3f06fb4cc2f92f1dbc908739e8f351530538a01fef515b09fcb9d. Use the trusted package verifier described in UPDATES.md before running an installer. Core and metapacks update separately and optionally; neither needs an online update service.

To check the complete SHA256SUMS file after downloading every asset, put the nine downloaded metapack files and companion documents in a local metapacks/ folder beside the three ZIPs and SIGNING-KEY.json. GitHub presents release assets as individual files; the signed checksum list preserves their metapacks/ paths. You can also check the digest of an individual ZIP without downloading all packs.

Our original code is source available for personal, noncommercial installation and modification under LICENSE. Included third-party components retain their own licenses; see THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md and each package's exact inventory. We connect to separately installed Jellyfin or Plex servers but do not bundle them or their media.

This beta keeps catalog schema 20 and metapack reader 5. See RELEASE-NOTES.md for the beta.8 guide and notice changes and the beta.7 library improvements. We welcome reports with the exact beta version, operating system, device, action taken, expected result and actual result. Please keep recovery keys, provider tokens, private paths, household titles and raw catalogs out of public issues.