First time user having some trouble setting up with Ubuntu

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Sorry in advandce if I’ve got the wrong area for this.

I’m setting up a Plex server for the first time, and I’m having some trouble getting it to find the media files I’ve got.

I’ve got the file on two separate hard drives, and after coming across the Linux Tips page I thought I might be able to muddle through the issue myself with the Using other Hard Drives how to, but I’ve hit a bit of a brick wall.

After editing the fstab file I go to mount the drives, but that doesn’t seem to work as when I double check it there’s no output for the ls command. Then if I go to mount the drives from the File manager, they have disappeared from “Other Locations”.

I’ll be honest and say I haven’t used Linux hardly at all, so I don’t know if I’m missing something I’ve done completely wrong.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

2

I had the same problems this week. As an Ubuntu newbie, I was continually running into permissions issue with the drive. My fix was to just install the Plex server from software app in Ubuntu instead of the direct download from Plex. Worked on the first try and I’ve had no issues for 24-hrs. It means I’m not going to get the most updated releases with my Plex Pass, but it was worth it to just be done.

3

Installing from Ubuntu is SNAP container. It is like docker and brings its own set of problems.

I strongly recommend you remove it, download the package from Plex.tv/downloads, and install it. The server will now live in a clean and pure environment. You will have hardware transcoding if your machine supports it (PlexPass feature).

Permissions in Linux are strict. There are support pages and several tips to show you what to do but all of it must be done at the command line. Command line is the nature of Linux.

How would you like to proceed? I can help you with any docs we have here. They will help you with using Plex on Linux but won’t teach you basic Linux… That knowledge comes from the many great tutorials out on the internet.

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This will help you get your media accessible to both you and to plex.

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That was the guide I was following. I got to Step D and after editing fstab the drives disappeared from other locations in Files, then when I went to mount them that didn’t work for some reason. I’ve uninstalled Plex and I’ll try it again tomorrow in case I went wrong somewhere and get back to you on how it went.

6

Take time and practice with the editor.
Become fully proficient with it.

As you learned the hard way, Editing system files is dangerous. Typos are fatal. :slight_smile:

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