Failed to start Plex Media Server on Raspberry Pi

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

Hi there! I just re-installed Plex Media Server (the latest version available on the website for Debian ARMv7) and the server wouldn’t start. Logs below.

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ systemctl status plexmediaserver.service
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor 
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2021-01-26 12:07:57 -03; 27s ago
  Process: 4978 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_AP
  Process: 4980 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c  export PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_INFO_VENDOR="$(gr
 Main PID: 4980 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Jan 26 12:07:57 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server.
Jan 26 12:08:03 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request r
Jan 26 12:08:03 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with res
Jan 26 12:08:03 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request r
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with res
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.

pi@raspberrypi:~ $ journalctl -xe
-- 
-- A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has finished with a failure.
-- 
-- The job identifier is 4214 and the job result is failed.
Jan 26 12:08:03 raspberrypi sudo[5056]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed f
Jan 26 12:08:12 raspberrypi sudo[5099]:       pi : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/pi ; US
Jan 26 12:08:12 raspberrypi sudo[5099]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened f
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request r
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with res
-- Subject: Unit failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
-- 
-- The unit plexmediaserver.service has entered the 'failed' state with result '
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.
-- Subject: A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has failed
-- Defined-By: systemd
-- Support: https://www.debian.org/support
-- 
-- A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has finished with a failure.
-- 
-- The job identifier is 4283 and the job result is failed.
Jan 26 12:08:15 raspberrypi sudo[5099]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session closed f

Thanks for the help and let me know if there’s anything else you need to find out what the problem is.

2

Those are only system service status reports.

Go check your service definition (run-as user) and permissions for the target directory.
This seems to be the most common oversight for Pi users.

3

You were 100% correct, it was a permissions issue. A chown solved my problem.

4

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