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