Strix

Spent 2 years googling URL for your Chinese camera?

Strix finds working streams automatically. In 30 seconds.

• 67,288 camera models
• 3,636 brands (from Hikvision to AliExpress no-name)
• 102,787 URL patterns (RTSP, HTTP, MJPEG, JPEG, BUBBLE)

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Your Problem?

• ❌ Bought ZOSI NVR, zero documentation
• ❌ Camera has no RTSP, only weird JPEG snapshots
• ❌ Frigate eating 70% CPU
• ❌ Config breaks after adding each camera
• ❌ Don't understand Frigate syntax

Solution

• ✅ Auto-discovery - tests 102,787 URL variations in parallel
• ✅ Any protocol - No RTSP? Finds HTTP MJPEG
• ✅ Config generation - ready Frigate.yml in 2 minutes
• ✅ Sub/Main streams - CPU from 30% → 8%
• ✅ Smart merging - adds camera to existing config with 500+ cameras

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🚀 Installation (One Command)

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update && command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh && docker run -d --name strix --network host --restart unless-stopped eduard256/strix:latest

Open http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:4567

Docker Compose

sudo apt update && command -v docker >/dev/null 2>&1 || curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sudo sh && command -v docker-compose >/dev/null 2>&1 || { sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose && sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose; } && curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/eduard256/Strix/main/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml && docker-compose up -d

Home Assistant Add-on (Beta)

⚠️ Status: Experimental (SSE has bugs, Docker recommended)

Installation:

1. Go to Settings → Add-ons → Add-on Store
2. Click ⋮ (top right) → Repositories
3. Add: https://github.com/eduard256/hassio-strix
4. Find "Strix" in store
5. Click Install
6. Enable "Start on boot" and "Show in sidebar"
7. Click Start

Known Issues:

• Real-time progress may not display (Ingress SSE limitation)
• Use Docker installation for better experience

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How to Use

Step 1: Open Web Interface

http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:4567

Step 2: Enter Camera Details

• IP Address: 192.168.1.100
• Username: admin (if required)
• Password: your camera password
• Model: optional, improves accuracy

Step 3: Discover Streams

Click "Discover Streams"

Watch real-time progress:

• Which URL is being tested
• How many tested
• Found streams appear instantly

Wait 30-60 seconds.

Step 4: Choose Stream

Strix shows details for each stream:

Stream	Details
Protocol	RTSP, HTTP, MJPEG, JPEG
Resolution	1920x1080, 640x480
FPS	25, 15, 10
Codec	H264, H265, MJPEG
Audio	Yes / No

Step 5: Generate Frigate Config

Click "Use Stream" → "Generate Frigate Config"

You get ready config:

go2rtc:
  streams:
    '192_168_1_100_main':
      - http://admin:pass@192.168.1.100:8000/video.mjpg
    '192_168_1_100_sub':
      - http://admin:pass@192.168.1.100:8000/video2.mjpg

cameras:
  camera_192_168_1_100:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/192_168_1_100_sub
          roles: [detect]      # CPU 8% instead of 70%
        - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/192_168_1_100_main
          roles: [record]      # HD recording
    objects:
      track: [person, car, cat, dog]
    record:
      enabled: true

Smart Merging:

• Paste your existing frigate.yml with 500 cameras
• Strix adds camera #501 correctly
• Doesn't break structure
• Preserves all settings

Step 6: Add to Frigate

Copy config → Paste to frigate.yml → Restart Frigate

Done!

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Features

Exotic Camera Support

90% of Chinese cameras don't have RTSP. Strix supports everything:

• HTTP MJPEG - most old cameras
• JPEG snapshots - auto-converted to stream via FFmpeg
• RTSP - if available
• HTTP-FLV - some Chinese brands
• BUBBLE - proprietary Chinese NVR/DVR protocol
• ONVIF - auto-discovery

Camera Database

67,288 models from 3,636 brands:

• Known brands: Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Foscam, TP-Link
• Chinese no-names: ZOSI, Escam, Sricam, Wanscam, Besder
• AliExpress junk: cameras without name, OEM models
• Old systems: NVR/DVR with proprietary protocols

Discovery Methods

Strix tries all methods in parallel:

1. ONVIF (30% success rate)

• Asks camera directly for stream URLs
• Works for ONVIF-compatible cameras

2. Database Lookup (60% success rate)

• 67,288 models with known working URLs
• Brand and model-specific patterns

3. Popular Patterns (90% success rate)

• 206 most common URL paths
• Works even for unknown cameras

Result: Finds stream for 95% of cameras

Frigate Config Generation

What you get:

✅ Main/Sub streams

• Main (HD) for recording
• Sub (low res) for object detection
• CPU usage reduced 5-10x

✅ Ready go2rtc config

• Stream multiplexing
• Protocol conversion
• JPEG → RTSP via FFmpeg

✅ Smart config merging

• Add to existing config
• Preserve structure
• No manual YAML editing

✅ Pre-configured detection

• person, car, cat, dog
• Ready motion recording
• 7 days retention

Speed

• Tests 20 URLs in parallel
• Average discovery time: 30-60 seconds
• Complex cameras: 2-3 minutes
• Real-time progress updates via SSE

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Advanced Configuration

Docker Environment Variables

environment:
  - STRIX_API_LISTEN=:8080        # Custom port
  - STRIX_LOG_LEVEL=debug         # Detailed logs
  - STRIX_LOG_FORMAT=json         # JSON logging

Config File

Create strix.yaml:

api:
  listen: ":8080"

Example: strix.yaml.example

Discovery Parameters

In web UI under Advanced:

• Channel - for NVR systems (usually 0)
• Timeout - max discovery time (default: 240s)
• Max Streams - stop after N streams (default: 10)

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FAQ

No streams found?

Check network:

ping 192.168.1.100

Camera must be reachable.

Verify credentials:

• Username/password correct?
• Try without credentials (some cameras are open)

Try without model:

• Strix will run ONVIF + 206 popular patterns
• Works for cameras not in database

Camera not in database?

No problem.

Strix will still find stream via:

1. ONVIF (if supported)
2. 206 popular URL patterns
3. Common ports and paths
4. HTTP MJPEG on various ports
5. JPEG snapshot endpoints

Help the project:

• Found working stream? Create Issue
• Share model and URL
• We'll add to database

Found only JPEG snapshots?

Normal for old cameras.

Strix auto-converts JPEG to stream via FFmpeg:

go2rtc:
  streams:
    camera_main:
      - exec:ffmpeg -loop 1 -framerate 10 -i http://192.168.1.100/snapshot.jpg -c:v libx264 -f rtsp {output}

Frigate gets normal 10 FPS stream.

Stream found but doesn't work in Frigate?

Try another stream:

• Strix usually finds 3-10 variants
• Some may need special FFmpeg parameters

Use sub stream:

• For object detection
• Less CPU load
• Better performance

How does config generation work?

For new config:

• Strix creates complete frigate.yml from scratch
• Includes go2rtc, camera, object detection

For existing config:

• Paste your current frigate.yml
• Strix adds new camera
• Preserves all existing cameras
• Doesn't break structure

Main/Sub streams:

• Main (HD) - for recording
• Sub (low res) - for detection
• CPU savings 5-10x

Is it safe to enter passwords?

Yes.

• Strix runs locally on your network
• Nothing sent to external servers
• Passwords not saved
• Open source - check the code yourself

Works offline?

Yes.

• Database embedded in Docker image
• Internet only needed to download image
• Runs offline after that

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API Reference

REST API available for automation:

Health Check

GET /api/v1/health

Search Cameras

POST /api/v1/cameras/search

{
  "query": "hikvision",
  "limit": 10
}

Discover Streams (SSE)

POST /api/v1/streams/discover

{
  "target": "192.168.1.100",
  "username": "admin",
  "password": "12345",
  "model": "DS-2CD2xxx",
  "timeout": 240,
  "max_streams": 10
}

Returns Server-Sent Events with real-time progress.

Full API documentation: DOCKER.md

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Technical Details

Architecture

• Language: Go 1.24
• Database: 3,636 JSON files
• Image size: 80-90 MB (Alpine Linux)
• Dependencies: FFmpeg/FFprobe for validation
• Concurrency: Worker pool (20 parallel tests)
• Real-time: Server-Sent Events (SSE)

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/eduard256/Strix
cd Strix
make build
./bin/strix

Requirements:

• Go 1.21+
• FFprobe (optional, for stream validation)

Docker Platforms

• linux/amd64
• linux/arm64

Auto-built and published to Docker Hub on every push to main.

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Use Cases

Home Automation

• Add cheap cameras to Home Assistant
• Integrate with Frigate NVR
• Object detection with low CPU
• Motion recording

Security Systems

• Discover streams in old NVR systems
• Find backup cameras without docs
• Migrate from proprietary DVR to Frigate
• Reduce hardware requirements

IP Camera Testing

• Test cameras before deployment
• Verify stream quality
• Find optimal resolution/FPS
• Check codec compatibility

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Troubleshooting

Frigate still eating CPU?

Use sub stream:

1. Find both main and sub streams with Strix
2. Generate config with both
3. Sub for detect, main for record
4. CPU drops 5-10x

Example:

inputs:
  - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera_sub   # 640x480 for detect
    roles: [detect]
  - path: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera_main  # 1920x1080 for record
    roles: [record]

Can't find specific stream quality?

In web UI:

• Strix shows all found streams
• Filter by resolution
• Choose optimal FPS
• Select codec (H264 recommended for Frigate)

Stream works but no audio in Frigate?

Check Strix stream details:

• "Has Audio" field shows if audio present
• Some cameras have video-only streams
• Try different stream URL from Strix results

Discovery takes too long?

Reduce search scope:

• Specify exact camera model (faster database lookup)
• Lower "Max Streams" (stops after N found)
• Reduce timeout (default 240s)

In Advanced settings:

Max Streams: 5     (instead of 10)
Timeout: 120       (instead of 240)

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Contributing

Add Your Camera

Found working stream for camera not in database?

1. Create Issue
2. Provide:
   • Camera brand and model
   • Working URL pattern
   • Protocol (RTSP/HTTP/etc)
3. We'll add to database

Report Bugs

• GitHub Issues
• Include logs (set STRIX_LOG_LEVEL=debug)
• Camera model and IP (if possible)

Feature Requests

• GitHub Discussions
• Describe use case
• Explain expected behavior

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Credits

• Camera database: ispyconnect.com
• Inspiration: go2rtc by AlexxIT
• Community: Home Assistant, Frigate NVR users

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License

MIT License - use commercially, modify, distribute freely.

See LICENSE file for details.

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Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Docker: Docker Hub

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Made for people tired of cameras without documentation

Tested on Chinese AliExpress junk that finally works now.