quick links
ahoy, sailor!
welcome to the crew
captpancakes has invited you to join the queerbooty crew! being part of this crew requires discretion, care, and intention. that last thing we need is a person over board! to keep the crew and captain out of harms way:
- always use a vpn before sailing the high seas
- do not share your user account with anyone
- don't share captpancakes's dirty secrets with others
anyone caught violating these rules will walk the plank! in non-pirate terms: follow the rules or else i'll revoke your access.
setup
to access queerbooty from your own device, follow these steps. if you have a queerbooty device, Tailscale is already installed — skip step 1, but you'll still need to complete step 2 to set up your ProtonVPN account. if you want to access queerbooty from additional devices, follow all steps on each device.
1install tailscale
Tailscale is a private network tool that securely connects your device to queerbooty. without it, you won't be able to access any of the services.
- you'll receive an invitation email from CaptPancakes — click the link to accept
- create a free Tailscale account when prompted
- download the Tailscale app from tailscale.com/download or your mobile app store
- open the app and tap connect
- if the app says "not connected", check your phone's Settings → VPN — if Tailscale shows as connected there, it's working. try accessing jellyfin to confirm
- to keep Tailscale always on, go to your phone's Settings → VPN → Tailscale and enable always on
Tailscale is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. it is not supported on smart TVs directly — to watch on your TV, cast from your phone or tablet using your TV's built-in casting feature (AirPlay, Chromecast, FCast, etc.).
2install a vpn
a VPN protects your browser traffic when sailing the high seas. it's separate from Tailscale — you still need it even if Tailscale is running.
CaptPancakes recommends ProtonVPN — it's free, has no data caps, and has a strong privacy track record (though the free plan speeds are slightly slower than paid). avoid random free VPN apps from unknown providers as many are unsafe.
- go to proton.me and create a free account
- install the ProtonVPN browser extension or download the app from your mobile app store
- log in and click quick connect when visiting streaming sites
- you do not need it for jellyfin, jellyseerr, kavita, or audiobookshelf
3start streaming!
you're all set. head to quick links to access everything. the services section has details on each service and reminders to change your passwords.
services
here's what you have access to. your initial password for all services is changeme123. please change it after your first login — the process is the same for all services: click your profile icon → Settings → change password (or similar).
browsermobile app
stream or download movies, tv shows, and music.
browser
don't see something you want to watch? request it and it will be added to the library automatically. it may take some time — check the requests tab for status updates.
browsermobile app
browse, read, and download ebooks from the library.
browsermobile app
browse, listen to, and download audiobooks from the library.
programs
chromium is an open source version of Google Chrome — it's optimized for privacy and works best for streaming. other browsers like Firefox may not perform as well or at all. your queerbooty device comes with chromium pre-configured with bookmarks, extensions, and settings optimized for streaming. use it to access all the bookmarked streaming sites.
stream games from your steam library directly to your TV. open steamlink from the desktop or application menu, log in with your steam account, and connect to your gaming PC. learn more →
cast media from your phone or other devices directly to your TV. open fcast from the desktop or application menu, then use the fcast app on your phone to connect. learn more →
a free, open source media player that can play almost any video or audio file. useful for playing local files or media that other apps can't handle. learn more →
web browser
bookmarks
app recommended
app recommended
use your vpn
use your vpn
use your vpn
browser extensions
a free, privacy-focused VPN. use it when visiting the bookmarked streaming sites.
setup
- go to proton.me and create a free account
- click the protonvpn icon in the chromium toolbar
- log in with your proton account
- click quick connect to connect
turning it on and off
click the protonvpn icon in the toolbar → quick connect or disconnect.
auto-connect — highly encouraged
to have protonvpn turn on automatically every time you open chromium, go to the extension settings and enable auto-connect.
an ad and tracker blocker that runs automatically in the background. ads and trackers are used to build profiles of your browsing habits, serve you targeted advertising, and in some cases deliver malicious content. ublock origin blocks all of this without you having to do anything.
maintenance
leaving the device on
you can leave the device on all the time — it uses very little power (around 5–10 watts at idle, similar to a phone charger). there's no need to turn it off when you're not using it.
automatic updates
your device is configured to install security updates automatically in the background. you don't need to do anything for this.
manual updates
look at the taskbar in the top right corner of your screen. if you see a downward arrow icon like the one below, click it, then click install updates and follow the prompts.
once updates are installed, reboot: click the raspberry in the top left corner → logout → reboot.
rebooting the device
if something isn't working, a reboot often fixes it. click the raspberry in the top left corner → logout → reboot.
try to avoid unplugging the device unless absolutely necessary — use the reboot option above when possible.
changing your device password
click the raspberry in the top left corner → Preferences → Control Center → System → Password.
if the device ever prompts you for a password, use this same login password.
clearing browser cache
if chromium is running slowly or a site isn't loading correctly, clear the cache. open chromium and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete, select a time range, and click clear data.
want your own queerbooty device?
message @drpancakes to get set up. donations are welcomed but never required — venmo @dr_pancakes.
want to build your own? here are the specs
board
Raspberry Pi 5 (2GB RAM)
storage
256GB SSD
power
Official Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C power supply
display
Micro HDMI cable
input
Wireless keyboard & mouse
os
Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Trixie, 64-bit)
privacy policy
your access was set up and is maintained by CaptPancakes. here's exactly what that means for your privacy:
your data
the only personal data stored on this server is what is necessary to run the services — specifically, your email address, used for Tailscale network access and account setup on kavita and audiobookshelf. no other personal data is collected or stored.
what is not monitored
your browsing activity, streaming history, and personal files are not monitored or logged. jellyfin keeps a watch history tied to your account, but this is only visible to you and CaptPancakes.
remote access (queerbooty device only)
if you have a queerbooty device, it has Raspberry Pi Connect installed, which allows CaptPancakes remote access for troubleshooting purposes only. CaptPancakes will always ask before connecting and will never access your device without your knowledge and permission.
you can tell that a remote session is active because the Raspberry Pi Connect icon in your taskbar will turn blue and appear to be spinning. you can revoke access at any time by clicking the icon and turning off Raspberry Pi Connect.
troubleshooting
general
jellyfin won't load
- make sure you're connected to the internet
- make sure Tailscale is running on your device
- try refreshing the page
- try clearing your browser cookies
video is stuttering or buffering
- check your internet connection
- try a lower quality setting in the jellyfin player
- try clearing your browser cookies
a bookmarked streaming site isn't working
- these sites occasionally go down or move to a new address
- try turning on your vpn and refreshing
- search for the site name to see if it has moved to a new address
- try clearing your browser cookies
queerbooty device only
chromium is slow
- try clearing the browser cache and cookies (see maintenance)
- close any tabs you're not using
- if it's still slow, reboot the device
nothing works
- reboot: click the raspberry → logout → reboot
- if the device is frozen, unplug it, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in — it will automatically turn back on