Duplicated server install?

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: Version 1.42.2.10156
Player Version#: Version 4.147.1
On Linux Leap 15.6 and the OS crashed after a peripheral drive failed.
Not too daunting, yanked the failed disc drive (a backup path) and the system balked.

So I had to reinstall the OS but failed to back up the PMS files.
All the data, is safe. Just not the installation.
So I reinstalled PMS but I couldn’t claim my old server.

Somehow I ended up with a server called localhostdomain. ugh.
I’ve tried to disengage that and make it go away to no avail.

Been doing reviews of ChuckPA’s always helpful stuff but nothing I’ve done yet has worked.

HOWEVER I seem to have noted that I have 2 paths with a PMS on it somehow.

I’m not sure it’s WRONG but I think so. The file tree under this path:

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/

seems exactly the same file tree as here:

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/

Thinking I should just wipe them both out and then reinstall PMS which should kill the unwanted server localhostdomain and THEN try to claim the old server.

Advice?

2

/var/lib/plexmediaserver is user plex’s home directory

Because the Linux implementation came from the MacOS days,
the subdirectory structure Library/Application Support came with it.

The Environment variable PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR tells us where Plex Media Server will be.

On workstation/desktop Linux installations , we include the $HOME value in the APP_SUPP_DIR and get

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server

As for the cleanup, You can find all the servers here:

https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms

Here is where you can delete the weird duplicate(s)

3

Greetings and good to hear from you again.

Went through the steps and opened in a Private Browswer :: https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms

Message up that the credentials are invalid, please sign in again.
Just clicked OK and I’m logged into the home screen.

Nothing under the General tab, indeed nothing under the settings shows any servers.

Authorized devices shows only the browser I’m now using.

I couldn’t “download" logs” from there so I started the local PMS.

I downloaded the logs and noted that now I see the errant server shown as UNclaimed.

I do not see my original server name.

Plex Media Server Logs_2025-12-31_11-02-56.zip (275.4 KB)

4

Team I’m aware that ChuckPA may be unavailable so I hope it’s not an offense to ask for another to review this issue?
I have gone to https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms and I don’t see any path to reclaiming my original server.

I opened Preferences.xml and removed these Name=“Value” pairs:
– PlexOnlineUsername
– PlexOnlineMail
– PlexOnlineToken
– PlexOnlineHome

Then saved as Preferences.xml
I opened a browser window to Claim|PLEX (https://plex.tv/claim) and itt presented a claim token. claim-numbers and letters….

Copied that token into the browser clipboard and opened http://127.0.0.1:32400/web and the icon spins…
Went to Konsole and on the command line, typed ::
curl -X POST 'http://127.0.0.1:32400/myplex/claim?token=claim-letters and numbers’

Hit enter and was supposed to wait 15-20 seconds for PMS and Plex.tv to negotiate using the claim token. HOWEVER ::: When complete, it was supposed to respond with a bunch of feature flags , ending in This signifies success

This did not happen. It never “completed”. Icons spinning still / no activity in Console…

I still do see an erroneously created server that I would like to get rid of. It might go away once I claim the legit server. But I don’t know for sure obviously.

Screenshot
Screenshot1852×612 65.8 KB

I found some alternate methods in the forum for reviving the legit server but I’m failing at it.

5

Try the User Credential Reset utility.

That is only for removing servers from your account, not for claiming servers.

Delete any old/outdated/duplicate/etc. entries.

6

So I’ve gone through the process, ran the script and it appeared to be successful.

But when I opened the PMS in the browser… the UNWANTED and empty server is still showing up. (localhostdomain). The legit should be PopeyesSeabag.

I went back to https://app.plex.tv/desktop/#!/settings/devices/pms and deleted the localhostdomain server. Reworked the process with a new claim code and when I went back to authorized devices but the only thing showing is again localhostdomain server.

How can I reject that thing permanently and get back the Seabag server?

7

In the first post you said you failed to backup the Plex data folder (/var/lib/plexmediaserver).

So everything in that folder was lost, correct?

If so, that is why the server is empty - no libraries, etc. Such information is contained in the Plex database, which is in that folder.

You will need to re-create the libraries, re-share with others, etc.

Let me know if I am misunderstanding things.

For a new installation, Plex uses the system hostname as the server name. It should be the same as if you ssh to the system and enter the hostname command.

You can also set the server name in Settings → server_name → General → Friendly Name.

8

Well I was afraid of that. I’d blame it on my age but carelessness knows no boundaries.

Backing up things should be an ingrained habit by now. Thanks! and best to Chuck.

9

ALL:

I must profusely apologize.

The above value for APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR is too long.
Bad Typo on my part :frowning: :frowning: It should be

/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support

PMS itself creates the Plex Media Server directory under that.

If help is needed to “UN****” what I’ve caused, PLEASE PLEASE let me know

10

No sir! not at all.

I pretty much thought this was gonna be a manual rebuild. Just painful to lose all the stars and collections, etc. But it’s on me. :blush:

Rebuilding the server now.

Be Well!