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Kino docs

Troubleshooting

Where to look when something’s wrong, in priority order.

Can’t reach http://localhost:8080

Section titled “Can’t reach http://localhost:8080”

  1. Is the service running?

    • Linux: sudo systemctl status kino
    • macOS: sudo launchctl print system/tv.kino.daemon
    • Windows: sc query kino
    • Docker: docker ps | grep kino

    If it’s stopped, start it. If it’s failing to start, check logs.

  2. Are the logs telling you anything?

    • Linux: sudo journalctl -u kino -f
    • macOS: tail -f /var/log/kino/stderr.log
    • Windows: Event Viewer → Windows Logs → Application
    • Docker: docker logs -f kino

  3. Is something else listening on port 8080?

    Terminal window
    # Linux / macOS
    sudo lsof -i :8080
    # Windows (admin PowerShell)
    Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 8080

    Either stop the other process or change kino’s port via KINO_PORT=8090 in the environment / service descriptor.

  4. Firewall blocking the port? See the firewall section in your platform’s install guide.

Setup wizard says “TMDB API error”

Section titled “Setup wizard says “TMDB API error””

kino needs a TMDB Read Access Token to fetch movie / show metadata. Get one free from themoviedb.org (Read Access Token, not v3 API key) and paste into Settings → Metadata.

Downloads stuck in “queued” forever

Section titled “Downloads stuck in “queued” forever”
  1. Is the indexer test passing? Settings → Indexers → click the indexer → “Test connection”. Most failures are bad URL / API key / Cloudflare blocks.
  2. Is the download client running? Settings → Downloads → Status should show the embedded session as healthy.
  3. Is your VPN required-but-failed? kino fails closed — if VPN is enabled in your config but didn’t connect, the download client refuses to start, to prevent IP leak. The dashboard surfaces this; toggle VPN off temporarily to test or fix the VPN config.

”kino can’t be opened” (macOS Gatekeeper)

Section titled “”kino can’t be opened” (macOS Gatekeeper)”

Right-click the binary → Open → click Open in the dialog. One-time. See macOS install for the longer explanation.

”Windows protected your PC” (Windows SmartScreen)

Section titled “”Windows protected your PC” (Windows SmartScreen)”

Click More info → Run anyway. One-time. See Windows install for the longer explanation.

GNOME tray icon doesn’t show

Section titled “GNOME tray icon doesn’t show”

GNOME 40+ removed system-tray support from the core shell. Install the AppIndicator and KStatusNotifierItem extension and the kino tray icon will appear after a session restart.

Library / metadata directory full

Section titled “Library / metadata directory full”

Settings → Storage shows current usage. The image cache, trickplay thumbnails, and backup archives can be cleared individually without losing your library:

  • data/cache/ — image thumbnails. Safe to delete; will regenerate
  • data/trickplay/ — scrubbing previews. Safe to delete
  • data/backups/ — restore archives. Move elsewhere if you want long-term retention

Where to ask for help

Section titled “Where to ask for help”

When reporting a bug, include:

  • kino version (Settings → About, or kino --version)
  • OS + version
  • Install method (winget / brew / .deb / docker / etc.)
  • The relevant log section (last ~100 lines around the failure)