Install

zm-api installs as a systemd service in passive mode — it serves the REST API and leaves ZoneMinder’s daemons alone, so it is safe to put on a live box. That is the starting point; takeover is where it is meant to end up, whenever you choose to switch.

Packages

sudo dpkg -i zm-api_*.deb        # Debian / Ubuntu / Raspberry Pi OS
sudo dnf install zm-api-*.rpm    # Fedora / RHEL / Rocky / Alma
sudo zypper install zm-api-*.rpm # openSUSE

Arch users build from packaging/arch/PKGBUILD with makepkg.

Installing does three things beyond copying files: it creates the zoneminder service account if it does not exist, generates this install’s JWT signing keys into /var/lib/zm-api/keys, and registers the systemd unit. It does not start touching your cameras.

If the database already has ZoneMinder in it, do not start the service yet. Run the migration first — see Upgrading an existing ZoneMinder. zm-api only warns when startup migrations fail, so a database left in the wrong state gives you a service that looks healthy with features silently missing.

From source

For platforms without a package, or to test a local build.

You need current stable Rust, a MariaDB/MySQL server with a ZoneMinder schema, and the FFmpeg development libraries:

sudo apt install pkg-config libssl-dev \
  libavutil-dev libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libavfilter-dev \
  libavdevice-dev libswscale-dev libswresample-dev

Then:

git clone https://github.com/SteveGilvarry/zm-api.git
cd zm-api
cargo build --release --bins
sudo ./packaging/install.sh

install.sh lays files out exactly where the packages put them, so a later package install upgrades cleanly instead of colliding.

What gets installed

Man pages: zm-api(8), zm-api.env(5), zm-api-takeover(8), zm-api-db(8).

Next

First run covers starting the service and checking it works.