# Accessing server **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-linux\ **Created:** [October 8, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754 "2024-10-08T19:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/1 "2024-10-08T19:58:51Z")
Hi. Im just getting started using Plex. Plex media server is installed on a linux box and is the place where my music and photo libraries are stored. Normally i run plex from my windows pc and when the pc is switch on, all works fine. What i want to do is be able to access the server from my LG tv. As I said, when my pc is switched on it works fine, but when its off I cant access the server. Is there a way around this? Do I need to reistall plex on my windows pc as originally the Plex Media Service was orginally installed there before I set it up on the linux pc. So Im guessing that it is still accessing that way rather than via the Linux pc. Any help to work this out would be great and make things a lot easier for my wife. Regards Antony ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/2 "2024-10-08T20:06:31Z")
Which Linux distribution - Debian, Ubuntu, etc.? Are you using Docker, Proxmox, or some other virtualization platform? Is the server listed in your [Authorized Devices](https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms)? Can you access Plex Media Server directly? For example, if the IP address of the Linux box is 10.1.2.3, try [http://10.1.2.3:32400/web](http://10.1.2.3:32400/web). ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/3 "2024-10-08T20:17:43Z")
The server has to be running if you want to be using Plex on any of your devices. Your media are not uploaded to a cloud server or something. They remain on your computer, and have to travel from there to whichever device is requesting playback. Because of this, of course your computer needs to remain switched on. So pick wisely where you are installing Plex. (You will have a hard time keeping Plex server running when you are dual-booting the same machine into Windows and Linux.) ---
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 8:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/4 "2024-10-08T20:38:35Z")
Im running Mint as my distribution. (Im new to Linux along with Plex so I chose a distro that should be easy to use. Im not using Docker or anything like that. I dont yet know how to use any of them. I dont know if it is showing in my authroised devices, I dont know how to check. And no I cannot access its ip directly from a different device. ---
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/5 "2024-10-08T20:42:32Z")
Plex media server is running on the linux pc. I am not dual booting and they are seperate physical computers. Both the windows pc and the linux one are talking to each other and I can access files in both directions. The linux pc is running 24/7 so the media server is always available. ---
**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/6 "2024-10-08T20:58:55Z")
> [@ant158](#): > > I dont know how to check. [Settings](https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/web/general) → [Authorized Devices](https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms) [https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms](https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms) > [@ant158](#): > > And no I cannot access its ip directly from a different device. How did you install Plex Media Server? Did you use `dpkg -i ......` Is Plex Media Server running? From the Linux command line, enter `ps -ef | grep plex`. You should see several listings for plex. Example: ```auto # ps -ef | grep plex plex 22972 1 2 Oct06 ? 01:06:16 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server plex 23007 22972 0 Oct06 ? 00:00:40 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.system] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-af5eaea7a/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.1.9057-af5eaea7a /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-af5eaea7a/System.bundle plex 23051 22972 0 Oct06 ? 00:01:33 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Tuner Service /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Private /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Shared 1.41.1.9057-af5eaea7a 32600 # ``` ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2024, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/7 "2024-10-08T21:16:46Z")
> [@ant158](#): > > Im running Mint Our resident Linux expert discourages people from using Mint for Plex. Says it has too many quirks which disturb Plex. ---
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 7:00am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/8 "2024-10-09T07:00:11Z")
So I entered the command as you suggested and got the following back from it: plex 19794 1 0 Oct08 ? 00:02:27 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server plex 19850 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:00:57 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.system] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/System.bundle plex 19897 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:01:17 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Tuner Service /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Private /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Shared 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 32600 plex 19927 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:00:44 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.themoviedb] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/TheMovieDB.bundle plex 20164 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:00:40 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.plexthememusic] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/PlexThemeMusic.bundle plex 20241 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:00:39 Plex Plug-in [org.musicbrainz.agents.music] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Musicbrainz.bundle plex 20300 19794 0 Oct08 ? 00:00:46 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.localmedia] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootstrap.py --server-version 1.41.0.8994-f2c27da23 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-f2c27da23/LocalMedia.bundle antony 37743 8501 0 07:55 pts/4 00:00:00 grep --color=auto plex ---
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 7:03am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/9 "2024-10-09T07:03:36Z")
As to how I installed plex, I followed the following video on youtube: [How to Install Plex Media Server on Linux Mint 21 | 20 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oddm2X28pZk) ---
**Author:** ![ant158](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8edcca/32.png) [@ant158](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ant158)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2024, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/10 "2024-10-09T10:23:40Z")
So I eventually decided to delete Plex off my windows pc. On doing that I looked at the linux pc and found that it was trying to find the plex media server on the windows pc. Looking up a couple of posts elswhere it suggested, after deleting the server it was trying to access, removing a few lines from the preferences.xml file. Problem I had there is it would not let me access it. So taking the bull by the horns, I uninstalled plex completely from the linux pc and reinstalled it there. At the present moment the plex media server is now cataloging my music and photos, and more importantly, is telling me that the plex media server is where I thought it was. once this is done I will hopefully be able to access the music and photos again how I first intended it to work. Im greatful to those on here who have been offering advice, but I think I learned a few things along the way. But thank you all for those who have so far offered advice. (Dont go to far though, I might still need you 🙂 ). Antony ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2025, 10:24am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/accessing-server/891754/11 "2025-01-07T10:24:33Z")
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