DeMoD Camera Setup

Secure RTSP Streaming for SBCs with MediaMTX & FFMPEG

Developed by DeMoD LLC

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Transform your Single-Board Computer (SBC) into a professional-grade IP camera system. Stream USB webcam feeds over RTSP using FFMPEG and MediaMTX, with support for multi-camera setups, secure authentication, and broad SBC compatibility.

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Features

Feature	Description
Multi-Camera Support	Configure unlimited cameras via JSONC with per-camera auth
Secure Auth	RTSP basic auth with env: variable support (no plaintext passwords)
SBC-Optimized	ARM 32/64-bit, RISC-V, x86-64 — auto-detected binaries
Security-First	SHA256 verification, firewall config, non-root execution
Three Interfaces	CLI (start.sh), TUI (security_checker.py), Web UI (config.py)
Security Rating	0–100 score with automated + user checks
GPL v3 Licensed	Fully open source — all improvements stay free

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Supported Platforms

OS Family	Package Manager	Firewall
Debian-like	apt	ufw
Fedora-like	dnf	firewalld

Architecture	MediaMTX Binary
ARM 64-bit (aarch64)	arm64
ARM 32-bit (armv7l)	armv7
RISC-V 64-bit	riscv64
x86-64	amd64

Works on: Raspberry Pi, Orange Pi, VisionFive, Intel NUC, etc.

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Recommended Operating Systems & SBCs
Choose your stack based on architecture, power, latency, and processing needs.
All are fully validated with DeMoD Camera Setup.

OS	Architecture	SBC Example	Power	Real-Time Kernel	Best For	Link
ArchibaldOS	aarch64, x86_64	LattePanda Sigma (i5-1340P)	Low (~5W ARM) / High (~45–80W x86)	PREEMPT_RT (cross-arch patched)	Top Universal Choice ARM (edge) + x86 (max power)
Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)	aarch64	Raspberry Pi 5	Low (~6W)	PREEMPT	Easy Pi setup, GUI
Armbian	aarch64, armv7, riscv64	Orange Pi 5	Low (~4–8W)	PREEMPT or PREEMPT_RT	Broad SBC support
Fedora Minimal	x86_64	Intel NUC 13	High (~15–30W)	PREEMPT_RT (kernel-rt)	High-performance x86

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Maximum Power: LattePanda Sigma + ArchibaldOS

Spec	Value
CPU	Intel Core i5-1340P (12 cores, up to 4.6 GHz)
GPU	Intel Iris Xe (96 EU) — Quick Sync Video
RAM	Up to 64 GB LPDDR5
Encoding	8+ 4K@30fps streams via -c:v h264_qsv
Latency	<25ms with PREEMPT_RT
Power	~45–80W under full load

Pro Setup:

# 1. Flash ArchibaldOS x86_64 to LattePanda Sigma
# 2. Run:
./setup.sh  # Auto-detects x86_64 + Quick Sync

Use config.py → enable Quick Sync in FFMPEG:

"runOnInit": "ffmpeg -hwaccel qsv -i {device} -c:v h264_qsv -b:v 12M ..."

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Real-Time Kernel Nuances

Arch	PREEMPT_RT Status	Notes
aarch64	Custom patched	ArchibaldOS provides SBC-tuned semi or full RT kernel when possible
x86_64	Mainline + enhanced	ArchibaldOS adds I/O scheduling, beats Fedora on NUCs
riscv64	Experimental	Avoid for hard real-time

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Pro Tip: On LattePanda Sigma, pair with 240W USB-C PD for sustained max performance.

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Requirements

• Linux SBC with v4l2 webcam support
• USB webcam(s)
• Internet access (for MediaMTX download)
• Python 3.6+

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Installation

# 1. Clone or download the repository
git clone https://github.com/demod-llc/camera-setup.git
cd camera-setup

# 2. Make scripts executable
chmod +x setup.sh start.sh

# 3. Run setup (use sudo if prompted)
./setup.sh

Setup Flow:

1. Select OS type (Debian/Fedora)
2. Select architecture
3. Installs: v4l-utils, wget, tar, python3
4. Adds user to video group
5. Downloads MediaMTX v1.13.1 with SHA256 verification
6. Opens port 8554/TCP in firewall
7. Optional: Run security checker

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Usage

1. Quick Start (Single Camera)

./start.sh

• Detects webcams
• Prompts for auth (recommended)
• Starts stream at: rtsp://<ip>:8554/cam

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2. Web Configuration (Recommended)

python3 config.py

Open browser: http://:8000

• Paste multi-camera JSONC
• Or configure single camera via form
• Live security rating
• Start/stop server with one click

Secure by default: Web UI binds to 127.0.0.1. Use reverse proxy for remote access.

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3. TUI Security & Config

python3 security_checker.py

• Guided security audit
• Fix issues interactively
• Supports JSONC multi-cam
• Final security score

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Stream URLs

rtsp://<ip>:8554/cam0
rtsp://user:pass@<ip>:8554/cam1

Test locally:

ffplay rtsp://localhost:8554/cam0

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Multi-Camera Configuration (config.jsonc)

{
  // Multi-camera example
  "cams": [
    {
      "device": "/dev/video0",
      "framerate": 30,
      "bitrate": "800k",
      "auth": {
        "user": "admin",
        "pass": "env:RTSP_PASS_CAM0"  // Set via: export RTSP_PASS_CAM0=secret
      }
    },
    {
      "device": "/dev/video1",
      "framerate": 25,
      "bitrate": "600k"
      // No auth = public stream
    }
  ]
}

Never commit plaintext passwords. Always use env:VAR_NAME.

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Auto-Start on Boot

Option 1: Simple (Single Camera)

crontab -e

@reboot /home/user/camera-setup/start.sh

Option 2: Systemd Service (Multi-Camera / Web UI)

Create /etc/systemd/system/demod-camera.service:

[Unit]
Description=DeMoD Camera RTSP Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=youruser
WorkingDirectory=/home/youruser/camera-setup
ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 config.py
Restart=always
Environment=RTSP_PASS_CAM0=your-secret-here

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable:

sudo systemctl enable --now demod-camera.service

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Security Best Practices

Practice	Command
Use env vars	export RTSP_PASS_CAM0=strongpass
Run as non-root	Avoid sudo for start.sh
Restrict web UI	Keep 127.0.0.1:8000 or use VPN
Enable firewall	Only 8554/TCP open by default
Use TLS (optional)	Reverse proxy with Caddy/Nginx

Recommended: TLS + Auth (Caddy Example)

camera.demod.ltd {
    reverse_proxy localhost:8000
    basicauth {
        user JDJhJDEyJ...
    }
}

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
No webcam detected	ls /dev/video* or v4l2-ctl --list-devices
Checksum failed	Retry ./setup.sh — network issue
JSONC error	Validate syntax; use sample
Stream not playing	Test with ffplay locally
High CPU	Lower bitrate or framerate

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Project Structure

.
├── setup.sh              → Installs deps + MediaMTX
├── start.sh              → CLI single-cam setup
├── config.py             → Web UI (http://:8000)
├── security_checker.py   → TUI security audit
├── utils.py              → Shared logic
├── config.jsonc.example  → Multi-cam template
├── mediamtx              → Binary (after setup)
└── mediamtx.yml          → Generated config

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Contributing

We welcome contributions!

• Fork and submit a Pull Request
• All code must be GPL v3
• Include copyright header
• Test on real hardware

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License

GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0)
Copyright (C) 2025 DeMoD LLC

See LICENSE for full text.

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License.

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Support

For enterprise support, consulting, or custom integrations:

Contact: DeMoD LLC

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DeMoD Camera Setup — Secure. Simple. Scalable.

Let me know if you'd like:

• A GitHub Actions CI workflow
• Docker image
• NixOS module
• Home Assistant integration
• Hardware guide