Cannot use my PMS

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#:1.32.6.7521
Player Version#:
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>
I have a dedicated Linux box running PMS. This has been running for many years, but suddenly stopped after a power outage and restart of the server. The service plexmediaserver is running but I cannot connect my browser to port 32400: “This site is not available”. Checking the Logs I found (at end of Logs):

Sep 18, 2023 13:14:46.254 [0x7ff57b59ab38] WARN - [HttpClient/HCl#c9be] HTTP error requesting PUT https://plex.tv/devices/61c410c7ff6cb4c3b154db81cd873dcc8d08939a?Connection[][uri]=http://86.83.4.26:32500&Connection[][uri]=http://192.168.2.1:32400&Connection[][uri]=http://[2a02:a45f:4f46:1:2e0:4cff:feef:8380]:32400&httpsEnabled=1&httpsRequired=0&dnsRebindingProtection=1&natLoopbackSupported=0&X-Plex-Token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (6, Couldn’t resolve host name) (Could not resolve host: plex.tv)
Sep 18, 2023 13:14:46.254 [0x7ff54a514b38] WARN - MyPlex: Updating device connections failed, retrying in 2560 seconds.
Sep 18, 2023 13:14:47.771 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Failure: 113 - Host is unreachable.
Sep 18, 2023 13:14:47.771 [0x7ff57e078b38] ERROR - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Retrying in 15 seconds.
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:02.772 [0x7ff57de75b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Resolving 178.79.165.194 port 443
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:02.772 [0x7ff57de75b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Resolved 178.79.165.194 to 178.79.165.194:443
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:05.779 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Failure: 113 - Host is unreachable.
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:05.779 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443/PubsubServerManager/getNextWorkingHost/lhr] 2 total hosts available in region, starting tests
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:08.785 [0x7ff57de75b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/connectiontester/178.79.145.139:443] Failure: 113 - Host is unreachable.
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:08.785 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443/PubsubServerManager/getNextWorkingHost/lhr] Switching to next host in region: 178.79.145.139
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:08.786 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.165.194:443] Stopping.
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:08.786 [0x7ff57e078b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.145.139:443] Resolving 178.79.145.139 port 443
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:08.786 [0x7ff57de75b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.145.139:443] Resolved 178.79.145.139 to 178.79.145.139:443
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:11.791 [0x7ff57de75b38] DEBUG - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.145.139:443] Failure: 113 - Host is unreachable.
Sep 18, 2023 13:15:11.791 [0x7ff57de75b38] ERROR - [EventSourceClient/pubsub/178.79.145.139:443] Retrying in 15 seconds.

Thereafter I have successfully upgraded PMS to the latest version, but PMS still does not seem to communicate to port 32400. Not even anything in the Logs after the above, although the service seems to be running:

[root@dotter39 ~]# systemctl status plexmediaserver
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Active: active (running) since za 2023-09-23 19:59:03 CEST; 14h ago
Process: 21595 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” || /bin/mkdir -p “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 21599 (Plex Media Serv)
CGroup: /system.slice/plexmediaserver.service
└─21599 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server

sep 23 19:59:03 -----.com sh[21599]: Failed to load preferences at /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Me…ces.xml
sep 23 19:59:05 ------.com sh[21599]: Failed to load preferences at /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Me…ces.xml
Hint: Some lines were ellipsized, use -l to show in full.

2

First step is to get a upload of your server logs. Using the random excerpt you provided may or may not be the root cause.

3

You’re right of course: the root cause may well be in the server. As it is about time to upgrade the OS of the server I will rebuild it now and assume Plex will work afterwards. Thanks for the direction.

4

As stated above,

  1. Having only a snippet doesn’t help HOWEVER
  2. The first error is obvious
(6, Couldn’t resolve host name) (Could not resolve host: plex.tv)
  1. The host networking is misconfigured. DNS resolution is failing
5

Yes, DNS is clearly failing on Plex but not on other services. Something peculiar is going on, probably with the server, not Plex. I decided to rebuild the server as the OS is already quite old, and assume Plex will then be running normally. Thanks for the help.

6

Finally I found time to rebuild my CentOS7 server. Installing plexmediaserver went OK, I could start the server and browse the (empty) Library via a remote connection.
My original Library was saved on a USB-disk and I thought it would be OK to upload my original Library to the new setting using rsync.
However, after the upload the server would no longer start up. I have tried to remove and re-install plexmediaserver but the server will not start (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE).
I would like to get some advice on how to clean the installation process so that I can properly re-install. But certainly I would need advice on how to upload an existing PMS Library into a newly installed system.

7

I presume you’re using /var/lib/plexmediaserver for PMS ? (default location)

If this is true, rebuilding the OS often changes UID/GID. rsync preserves original UID/GID – Often leading to mismatch

To correct, we’ll do all 3 steps in parallel :

sudo bash
chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver &
find /var/lib/plexmediaserver -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \; &
find /var/lib/plexmediaserver -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \; &
wait

When the prompt returns, ownership, directories, and files will all have been reset to standard.

systemctl reset-failed
systemctl start plexmediaserver

If this fails,

sudo tar cf /tmp/plexlogs.tar  "/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Logs"

The Logs tarball will be in /tmp. Please attach

8

That was a really great service, thank you very much! The 3 steps immediately soilved both of my problems. The solution is so simple but still I could easily have spent many more hours before I would have found out myself. The Plex reputation, while being high already, has even increased.

1 Like
9

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