Quick Start Guide: Revel Digital Player on Ubuntu

Overview

This guide walks you through installing and configuring the Revel Digital player on Ubuntu Linux. Revel Digital provides multiple installation package formats to suit different deployment preferences and use cases.

Package Types

Revel Digital offers the following installation formats:

Recommended for Ubuntu: DEB package for production deployments, Snap for quick testing

Prerequisites

Hardware Requirements:

• x86_64 (64-bit) or ARM64 processor
• 2GB RAM minimum (4GB+ recommended for HD content)
• 10GB available disk space
• Graphics card with OpenGL 2.0+ support
• Internet connection

Software Requirements:

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS or newer (64-bit)
• Active internet connection
• Display server (X11 or Wayland)

Installation Methods

NOTE: All current Linux installation packages are available at https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux

Method 1: DEB Package (Recommended)

The DEB package integrates seamlessly with Ubuntu's package management system and provides automatic updates through apt.

Step 1: Download the DEB Package

Visit https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux and download the latest .deb file for your architecture (amd64 or arm64).

Alternatively, download via command line:

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux/revel-digital-player_latest_amd64.deb

Step 2: Install the Package

sudo dpkg -i revel-digital-player_latest_amd64.deb

If you encounter dependency errors, resolve them with:

sudo apt install -f

Step 3: Launch the Player

Start the player from the application menu or via command line:

revel-digital-player

Method 2: AppImage

AppImage provides a portable, self-contained application that doesn't require installation or root access.

Step 1: Install FUSE (if not already installed)

sudo apt install fuse libfuse2

Step 2: Download the AppImage

Visit https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux and download the AppImage for your architecture.

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux/revel-digital-player-latest-x86_64.AppImage

Step 3: Make it Executable

chmod +x revel-digital-player-latest-x86_64.AppImage

Step 4: Run the Player

./revel-digital-player-latest-x86_64.AppImage

Optional: Move to a permanent location for easier access:

mkdir -p ~/Applications
mv revel-digital-player-latest-x86_64.AppImage ~/Applications/

Method 3: Snap Package

Snap provides automatic updates and sandboxed security.

Step 1: Install Snapd (if not already installed)

sudo apt install snapd

Step 2: Download and Install the Snap

Visit https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux and download the .snap file.

sudo snap install --dangerous ~/Downloads/revel-digital-player_latest_amd64.snap

Step 3: Launch the Player

snap run revel-digital-player

Or launch from your application menu.

Method 4: RPM Package (For RPM-based Systems)

If you're running Fedora, CentOS, or another RPM-based distribution:

Download and Install:

cd ~/Downloads
wget https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux/revel-digital-player-latest.x86_64.rpm
sudo rpm -i revel-digital-player-latest.x86_64.rpm

Device Registration

After launching the player for the first time, you'll see a registration code displayed on screen.

Register Your Device:

1. Log into your Revel Digital account at https://as1.reveldigital.com
2. Navigate to Devices → Add Device
3. Select Linux Player as the device type
4. Enter the registration code displayed on your screen
5. Assign a device name and location
6. Click Register

Your device will appear in your device list and begin synchronizing content within moments.

Auto-Start Configuration

Configure the player to launch automatically on system startup.

For DEB and RPM Installations

Create a systemd service:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/revel-player.service

Add the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Revel Digital Player
After=graphical.target network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/usr/bin/revel-digital-player
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target

Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual username.

Enable and start the service:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable revel-player.service
sudo systemctl start revel-player.service

For AppImage Installations

Create the systemd service with the full path to your AppImage:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/revel-player.service

[Unit]
Description=Revel Digital Player
After=graphical.target network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=YOUR_USERNAME
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/home/YOUR_USERNAME/Applications/revel-digital-player-latest-x86_64.AppImage
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target

Then enable as shown above.

For Snap Installations

Snap applications can be launched on startup using the desktop autostart mechanism:

mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
nano ~/.config/autostart/revel-player.desktop

Add:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Revel Digital Player
Exec=snap run revel-digital-player
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true

Display Configuration

Disable Screen Blanking and Sleep

For GNOME Desktop:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.screensaver lock-enabled false
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.screensaver idle-activation-enabled false
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.session idle-delay 0

For systems using xset: Add to your autostart or create a startup script:

xset s off
xset -dpms
xset s noblank

Set Display Resolution

Configure your preferred resolution through:

• Settings → Displays (GNOME)
• System Settings → Display Configuration (KDE)
• Or use xrandr for command-line configuration

Kiosk Mode Setup

For dedicated digital signage deployments, configure Ubuntu to boot directly into the player in kiosk mode.

Install Minimal Window Manager

sudo apt install openbox

Create Openbox Autostart

mkdir -p ~/.config/openbox
nano ~/.config/openbox/autostart

Add:

# Disable screen blanking
xset s off
xset -dpms
xset s noblank

# Hide cursor after inactivity
unclutter -idle 0.1 &

# Launch Revel Digital Player
/usr/bin/revel-digital-player &

Configure Auto-Login

sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Add under [daemon]:

AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=YOUR_USERNAME

Set Openbox as Default Session

Create or edit:

nano ~/.xsession

Add:

exec openbox-session

Network Configuration

Firewall Requirements: Ensure outbound HTTPS (port 443) is allowed for:

• cdn.reveldigital.com
• api.reveldigital.com
• *.reveldigital.com

Static IP Configuration: For production deployments, configure a static IP through Network Manager or netplan:

sudo nano /etc/netplan/01-netcfg.yaml

Example configuration:

network:
  version: 2
  ethernets:
    eth0:
      dhcp4: no
      addresses:
        - 192.168.1.100/24
      gateway4: 192.168.1.1
      nameservers:
        addresses: [8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4]

Apply changes:

sudo netplan apply

Updating the Player

DEB Package Updates

If you've added the Revel Digital repository:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade revel-digital-player

For manual updates, download the latest .deb and reinstall:

sudo dpkg -i revel-digital-player_latest_amd64.deb

AppImage Updates

Download the new AppImage, replace the old one, and restart the service:

sudo systemctl stop revel-player.service
# Replace the AppImage file
sudo systemctl start revel-player.service

Snap Updates

Snap updates automatically, but you can manually update:

sudo snap refresh revel-digital-player

Troubleshooting

Player Won't Start

Check service status:

sudo systemctl status revel-player.service

View logs:

journalctl -u revel-player.service -n 50 -f

Verify display environment:

echo $DISPLAY

Graphics Issues

Install OpenGL libraries:

sudo apt install libgl1-mesa-glx libglu1-mesa

Check graphics driver:

lspci | grep VGA
glxinfo | grep OpenGL

AppImage FUSE Errors

If you see FUSE-related errors:

sudo apt install fuse libfuse2
sudo modprobe fuse

Registration Code Not Appearing

• Verify internet connectivity: ping reveldigital.com
• Check system time synchronization: timedatectl status
• Review firewall settings: sudo ufw status
• Ensure display is properly configured

Content Not Downloading

• Confirm device registration in the Revel Digital portal
• Check available disk space: df -h
• Verify network connectivity to CDN: curl -I https://cdn.reveldigital.com
• Review player logs for specific errors

Audio Not Working

Check audio output:

aplay -l

Test audio:

speaker-test -t wav -c 2

Configure default audio device:

pavucontrol

Performance Optimization

Disable Unnecessary Services

sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl disable cups.service
sudo systemctl disable avahi-daemon.service

Increase GPU Memory (for lower-end systems)

Edit GRUB configuration:

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Add or modify:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash video=HDMI-A-1:1920x1080@60"

Update GRUB:

sudo update-grub

Monitor System Resources

htop
iotop
vmstat 1

Uninstallation

DEB Package

sudo apt remove revel-digital-player
sudo apt autoremove

AppImage

Simply delete the AppImage file and any service files you created.

Snap

sudo snap remove revel-digital-player

RPM

sudo rpm -e revel-digital-player

Security Best Practices

• Keep Ubuntu updated with latest security patches: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
• Use a dedicated user account for the player
• Configure firewall rules to limit unnecessary network access
• Disable unused services and ports

• Enable automatic security updates:

  sudo dpkg-reconfigure -plow unattended-upgrades

• Consider full-disk encryption for sensitive deployments
• Regularly review player logs for suspicious activity

Remote Management

The Revel Digital platform provides comprehensive remote management capabilities:

• Device Status Monitoring - Real-time online/offline status
• Remote Reboot - Restart devices from the web portal
• Content Updates - Push new content and schedules remotely
• Screenshot Capture - View what's currently displayed
• Device Settings - Configure player settings remotely
• Health Monitoring - Track uptime and performance metrics

Access these features through your Revel Digital account dashboard.

Support Resources

• Downloads: https://versions.reveldigital.com/linux
• Knowledge Base: https://support.reveldigital.com
• Email Support: support@reveldigital.com
• System Status: https://status.reveldigital.com
• API Documentation: https://developer.reveldigital.com

Deployment Checklist

Before deploying to production:

• [ ] Choose appropriate package type for your environment
• [ ] Install and test player with sample content
• [ ] Configure auto-start and kiosk mode
• [ ] Disable screen blanking and power management
• [ ] Set static IP address (if required)
• [ ] Configure firewall rules
• [ ] Test content playback (video, images, web)
• [ ] Verify audio output (if needed)
• [ ] Set up remote monitoring
• [ ] Document device location and configuration
• [ ] Create backup/recovery plan
• [ ] Schedule regular maintenance windows

Last Updated: November 2025 For the latest version of this guide, visit the Revel Digital Knowledge Base