(Defunct) Sickrage vs Sickchill vs Medusa vs SickGear

[Jerzy Sobski]

Now that Sickrage appears to be defunct. Im trying to decide on the alternative media manager to move too. My understanding is that all are forks off of sickrage. In my searching I have been looking for comparisons on these listed in the subject line and have not had much success. If anyone has had any experience or could shed some light on these alternatives it would be greatly appreciated. Some questions I have are:

What are the differences between the alternatives?
What is the best alternative?
What are the differences between the options?
Pro's and Cons on these options?

Any other Options I should look at?

 

[diskdiddler]

I found a guide to repair my sick rage install at GitHub and it worked, switching it to sick chill and avoiding me having to set up again. Happy to continue with it.


Tried sonarr, don't like it.


Will try Medusa maybe in 6 months when there's an official plugin for freenas and it's a low effort trial.

 

[Mryusef1]

I found a guide to repair my sick rage install at GitHub and it worked, switching it to sick chill and avoiding me having to set up again. Happy to continue with it.


Tried sonarr, don't like it.


Will try Medusa maybe in 6 months when there's an official plugin for freenas and it's a low effort trial.

Do you have a link to the guide for sickchill. I am I longtime user of sickgear on ubuntu and haven't been able to get it to work on freenas. I have been using sonarr but it just is not as good. I'm thinking of running sickgear on an old pi zero because the VMs seam unstable. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Plato]

I switched to Medusa, and it's very easy to upgrade from sickrage if you were using it. You could setup sickrage and then remove everything in sickrage directory ( except db files and config.ini ) and move medusa files to there.



Or just use this rc.d/medusa file:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
#
# PROVIDE: medusa
# REQUIRE: LOGIN
# KEYWORD: shutdown
#
# Add the following lines to /etc/rc.conf.local or /etc/rc.conf
# to enable this service:
#
# medusa_enable (bool):    Set to NO by default.
#            Set it to YES to enable it.
# medusa_user:    The user account Medusa daemon runs as what
#            you want it to be. It uses 'medusa' user by
#            default. Do not sets it as empty or it will run
#            as root.
# medusa_group:    The group account Medusa daemon runs as what
#            you want it to be. It uses 'medusa' group by
#            default. Do not sets it as empty or it will run
#            as wheel.
# medusa_dir:    Directory where Medusa lives.
#            Default: /usr/local/medusa
# medusa_datadir:    Data directory for Medusa (DB, Logs, config)
#            Default is same as medusa_dir

. /etc/rc.subr

name="medusa"
rcvar=${name}_enable

load_rc_config ${name}

: ${medusa_enable:="NO"}
: ${medusa_user:="medusa"}
: ${medusa_group:="medusa"}
: ${medusa_dir:="/usr/local/medusa"}
: ${medusa_datadir:="${medusa_dir}"}

pidfile="/var/run/PyMedusa/Medusa.pid"
command="/usr/local/bin/python2.7"
command_args="${medusa_dir}/start.py --datadir ${medusa_datadir} -d --pidfile ${pidfile} --quiet --nolaunch"

start_precmd="medusa_prestart"
medusa_prestart() {
    if [ -f ${pidfile} ]; then
        rm -f ${pidfile}
        echo "Removing stale pidfile."
    elif [ ! -d ${pidfile%/*} ]; then
        install -d -o ${medusa_user} -g ${medusa_group} ${pidfile%/*}
    fi

    if [ ! -d ${medusa_datadir} ]; then
        install -d -o ${medusa_user} -g ${medusa_group} ${medusa_datadir}
    fi
}

run_rc_command "$1"

 

[danb35]

sonarr but it just is not as good.

I'm curious in what way you perceive this to be the case--it seems to be working quite well for me.

 

[diskdiddler]

The user interface is a warcrime.

Radarr is also ghastly compared to couchpotato.

 

[Mryusef1]

I'm curious in what way you perceive this to be the case--it seems to be working quite well for me.

One of the things I like most about Sickgear is that if it can't find a show or episode I can configure it to search alternate name and that normally works. It also has the ability to search for better quality shows after it has downloaded a show. An example would be If it could not find Shameless (US) I could tell it to search Shameless, Shameless.U.S., Shameless_U_S, ShamelessUS, and if it downloaded in 720p on Sunday and Tuesday it found a 1080P version it would update it automatically. Also from what I have read Sonarr doesn't move the downloaded files until a seeding ration is met where Sickgear will move the files based on my settings. I have tried sickbeard and sickrage in the past but sickgear is so much better that I am suppressed it's not more popular. I am currently running sonarr on my freenas build and sickgear on a ubuntu machine. I have it setup where sickgear cleans up the leftover files from sonarr. My goal is to be able to just use freenas.

 

[Mryusef1]

The user interface is a warcrime.

Radarr is also ghastly compared to couchpotato.

IMO the difference between Radarr and couchpotato isn't as big as the difference between Sonarr and Sickgear. I have been using CP and SG for years so I am sure there is a learning curve but the past month has not changed my mind. My wife threatened my life if she can't watch her shows We can watch all the same stuff with our Direct TV Now but it's not the same.

 

[Mryusef1]

I switched to Medusa, and it's very easy to upgrade from sickrage if you were using it. You could setup sickrage and then remove everything in sickrage directory ( except db files and config.ini ) and move medusa files to there.



Or just use this rc.d/medusa file:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
#
# PROVIDE: medusa
# REQUIRE: LOGIN
# KEYWORD: shutdown
#
# Add the following lines to /etc/rc.conf.local or /etc/rc.conf
# to enable this service:
#
# medusa_enable (bool):    Set to NO by default.
#            Set it to YES to enable it.
# medusa_user:    The user account Medusa daemon runs as what
#            you want it to be. It uses 'medusa' user by
#            default. Do not sets it as empty or it will run
#            as root.
# medusa_group:    The group account Medusa daemon runs as what
#            you want it to be. It uses 'medusa' group by
#            default. Do not sets it as empty or it will run
#            as wheel.
# medusa_dir:    Directory where Medusa lives.
#            Default: /usr/local/medusa
# medusa_datadir:    Data directory for Medusa (DB, Logs, config)
#            Default is same as medusa_dir

. /etc/rc.subr

name="medusa"
rcvar=${name}_enable

load_rc_config ${name}

: ${medusa_enable:="NO"}
: ${medusa_user:="medusa"}
: ${medusa_group:="medusa"}
: ${medusa_dir:="/usr/local/medusa"}
: ${medusa_datadir:="${medusa_dir}"}

pidfile="/var/run/PyMedusa/Medusa.pid"
command="/usr/local/bin/python2.7"
command_args="${medusa_dir}/start.py --datadir ${medusa_datadir} -d --pidfile ${pidfile} --quiet --nolaunch"

start_precmd="medusa_prestart"
medusa_prestart() {
    if [ -f ${pidfile} ]; then
        rm -f ${pidfile}
        echo "Removing stale pidfile."
    elif [ ! -d ${pidfile%/*} ]; then
        install -d -o ${medusa_user} -g ${medusa_group} ${pidfile%/*}
    fi

    if [ ! -d ${medusa_datadir} ]; then
        install -d -o ${medusa_user} -g ${medusa_group} ${medusa_datadir}
    fi
}

run_rc_command "$1"

Ill give this a try this weekend. Thanks

 

[JimBin]

I am I longtime user of sickgear on ubuntu and haven't been able to get it to work on freenas.

Have you checked that your setup is following the guidance here ..
https://github.com/SickGear/SickGear/wiki/Install-SickGear-[5]-FreeNAS

 

[Mryusef1]

Have you checked that your setup is following the guidance here ..
https://github.com/SickGear/SickGear/wiki/Install-SickGear-[5]-FreeNAS

Yes, I followed that guide several times and couldn't get it to work. I was sure that the problem was how python was being handled but couldn't figure it out. So I decided to try medusa. I noticed the guide (I forgot which guide) was using a different setup of python so I followed that guide to install sickgear and now I have had sickgear working for a few weeks now. I have tried Sonarr, Medusa, and Sickgear. I still think that Sickgear is the best of the three.

 

[Jelmerb]

I am thinking about switching from Sonarr to either Medusa or SickGear. I have tried Sonarr recently, but as far as I know Sonarr doesn't process subtitles named differently from the video file. I have tried SickChill and SiCKRAGE before, but they lack manual search of episodes. What does SickGear better than Medusa?

 

[msbxa]

Do you have a link to the guide for sickchill. I am I longtime user of sickgear on ubuntu and haven't been able to get it to work on freenas. I have been using sonarr but it just is not as good. I'm thinking of running sickgear on an old pi zero because the VMs seam unstable. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Try this install Sickchill as a plugin? here is the instructions and guide:

https://www.ixsystems.com/blog/february-plugin-updates-and-new-plugins-for-testing/

New Plugins Ready for Testing
To install a testing plugin, you will need the latest copy of the iocage-ix-plugins git repository. If you have never cloned this repository from your FreeNAS system, run this command from Shell:
git clone https://github.com/freenas/iocage-ix-plugins
Then, change to that directory:
cd iocage-ix-plugins
While in the iocage-ix-plugins directory, you can install the desired testing plugin using the command specified for that plugin. Once a testing plugin is installed, it will be added to the Plugins → Installed Plugins page of the UI where it can be managed like any other plugin.

Install Sickchill
DHCP=On
iocage fetch -P -n ./sickchill.json dhcp=on bpf=yes vnet=on --accept

DHCP=Off, STATIC=ON
iocage fetch -P -n ./sickchill.json ip4_addr="vnet0|192.168.1.47/24" defaultrouter="192.168.1.1" bpf=yes vnet=on --accept

 

[diskdiddler]

Sick Chill is pretty good

 

[msbxa]

i've done testing between Sickchill and Medusa they both look identical in terms of UI and functionality but Medusa has little edge, faster and some nice finishing touches. Right now I am having a weird problem on Sickchill NZB search setting on saving Sabnzbd Api key where every time I save the SAB api key and reload the page i see different key been inserted and no idea how to get rid of it. i get this warning message after successful download: API key missing, please enter the API key from Config->General into your 3rd party program: 127.0.0.1>python-requests/2.21.0

 

[Jelmerb]

Sick Chill is pretty good

Thanks for the hint. I switched from Sick Chill to Sonarr, because SickChill became slow and unstable on my system. I much prefer the more modern look and feel of Sonarr but it has te problem I mentioned.

i've done testing between Sickchill and Medusa they both look identical in terms of UI and functionality but Medusa has little edge, faster and some nice finishing touches. Right now I am having a weird problem on Sickchill NZB search setting on saving Sabnzbd Api key where every time I save the SAB api key and reload the page i see different key been inserted and no idea how to get rid of it. i get this warning message after successful download: API key missing, please enter the API key from Config->General into your 3rd party program: 127.0.0.1>python-requests/2.21.0

Medusa also sounds like a good alternative to SickChill to me. I'll try either Medusa or SickGear, only wanted to know the main difference between the two.

 

[msbxa]

Thanks for the hint. I switched from Sick Chill to Sonarr, because SickChill became slow and unstable on my system. I much prefer the more modern look and feel of Sonarr but it has te problem I mentioned.


Medusa also sounds like a good alternative to SickChill to me. I'll try either Medusa or SickGear, only wanted to know the main difference between the two.

I am looking forward too to try SickGear and see what can I find compare to others.

 

[Jelmerb]

Awesome, let me know when you find out.

 

[msbxa]

I tried to follow Github guide for installing SickGear and its time consuming. Anyone has a proper step by step guide that works would be
appreciated. Cannot start the service with permissions problems.

iocage exec sickgear service sickgear start
env: /usr/local/etc/rc.d/sickgear: Permission denied

 

[Mryusef1]

I have sickgear running on my FN for several months now, but I am not sure how I got it working. It took me several days of failure. I could not find a guide that worked for sickgear specifically. I thing the problem I was having was with python. From what I remember I installed Medusa in two jails. I thing tried to install sickgear in that jail and copied some of the files from the medusa jail to the sickgear jail. I don't remember which files. I know thats not much help. The main feature I like in Sickgear is that I can give alternative names to search for it its having trouble finding shows such as ( The Daily Show, the.daily.show, the_daily_show, TheDailyShow). I know this isn't much help but hopefully it points you in the right direction. I am scared that if something happens to my Sickgear jail I wont be able to get it working again.