Shinobi
Shinobi is
Shinobi is open source video surveillance software. Connect the security cameras you already own, watch them live in your browser, record what they see, and get an alert the moment something happens.
Shinobi turns a computer you own into a security camera recorder. You install it once, add your cameras, and it takes care of the rest — showing you a live view, saving the footage, and keeping an eye out for movement so you only have to review the clips that matter.
It runs on hardware you choose, from a small Raspberry Pi to a full server, and everything stays on your own network. There is no cloud service in the middle deciding what you can see or how long your footage is kept.
There are two common ways to install. The Ninja Way installs from source directly onto the host and is the recommended path for most people. Docker keeps everything in a container with an integrated database.
sh <(curl -s https://cdn.shinobi.video/installers/shinobi-install.sh)Paste that into the terminal of a fresh Ubuntu or Debian machine. The installer asks a few simple questions and sets up everything Shinobi needs for you. Full walkthrough →
docker run -d --name='Shinobi' --memory=2g \
-p '8080:8080/tcp' -p '21:21/tcp' \
-v "$HOME/ShinobiDatabase":'/var/lib/mysql':'rw' \
-v "$HOME/Shinobi":'/home/Shinobi':'rw' \
registry.gitlab.com/shinobi-systems/shinobi:devBundles MariaDB in the same container. Your config, videos and database live in the two mounted folders on the host. Docker guide →
Once it is running, open http://YOUR_SERVER:8080/super to create your first account, then log in at http://YOUR_SERVER:8080. Also available for Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano and Docker Desktop on Windows — check the hardware requirements before you pick a machine.
Shinobi can scan your network and find your cameras for you. Most IP security cameras will work.
Record all the time, only when something moves, or on a schedule you set for each camera.
Beyond simple motion, Shinobi can recognise people, vehicles and even faces, so you get fewer false alarms.
Get an email, a Discord message or a Telegram message the moment a camera sees something.
Shinobi can react to your other devices, and tell them when something happens on camera.
Send recordings to cloud storage automatically, so footage survives even if the recorder does not.
Give people their own login, and choose exactly which cameras each of them is allowed to see.
If your camera can pan, tilt and zoom, you can drive it from the dashboard or let Shinobi follow movement.
Log in from another network, or use the Shinobi mobile app to look in while you are out.
Happy on a Raspberry Pi for a couple of cameras, and ready to scale up when you add more.
Run more than one Shinobi and manage them together from a single screen.
If you like to tinker, everything the dashboard does is available to your own scripts and apps.
Each camera you add is called a Monitor — the camera itself plus all of its settings. Here is what happens from the moment you add one.
Let Shinobi scan your network to find cameras automatically, or paste in the camera’s address if you already have it.
Your camera appears on the dashboard straight away. Open it in any web browser on your computer, tablet or phone.
Record around the clock, only when something moves, or on a schedule — whatever suits that camera.
Shinobi looks for movement in the picture, and can go further and recognise people, cars and other objects.
When something is spotted, Shinobi can email you, message you on Discord or Telegram, or tell your smart home system.
Everything is saved and listed by time and camera, so you can jump straight to the moment you care about.