Deploy the Arr Stack with Docker Compose (Prowlarr, Radarr, Sonarr)
The short version: put your downloads and your media library under one shared root ( /data ), mount that same root into every container, and run only the torrent client behind a VPN container. Get the folder layout right and every import is an instant hardlink; get it wrong and every import is a slow copy that doubles your disk usage. Everything below is one Compose file plus three connections in…
To deploy the Arr Stack using Docker Compose, first ensure the folder layout is correct by creating a shared root directory (/data) and mounting it into every container. This allows downloads and media library files to be accessed instantly through hardlinks, rather than being copied which would double disk usage. Next, create a Docker Compose file defining three services: gluetun (a VPN container), qbittorrent (the torrent client inside the VPN), and the three media management apps - Prowlarr, Radarr, and Sonarr.
The Compose file also specifies network settings, environment variables, volumes (mount points), and restart policies for each service. Once the Compose file is set up and the stack is deployed, confirm the VPN tunnel works by checking the IP address of the gluetun container. Finally, register each media management app in Prowlarr, copy their API keys, and add torrent indexers in Prowlarr which automatically sync with Radarr and Sonarr.
Remember, this setup is for lawful use only - importing media you have the right to download or own.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
