Local Media Assets: Metadata fails to load when there are unicode characters in the file path

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: 1.13.9.5456
Player Version#: 3.73.2

see also:

Given the path:

/mnt/storage/Media/Music/Flac/FAX/Daniel Pemberton/PS 08⧸62 - Daniel Pemberton - Bedroom (1994)/[*.flac]
                                                        ^-- unicode U+29F8 "BIG SOLIDUS"

The server fails to load anything more than very basic metadata. Missing: date/year, genres, embedded album art, etc.

Changed to:
/mnt/storage/Media/Music/Flac/FAX/Daniel Pemberton/PS 08_62 - Daniel Pemberton - Bedroom (1994)/

clicked “Refresh Metadata”
Instantly, all the remaining metadata loaded properly.

I have done the suggested fix of adding export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 to my /etc/default/plexmediaserver and restarting the service - removed/re-added this folder and rescanned library - this does not appear to correct the issue (nevermind that the system-wide locale is en_US.UTF-8 already)

Is there something I’m missing? Unicode has been around for ages now, I’m shocked that some apps still struggle with this.

2

Since Ubuntu 16 / Debian 8 / Fedora 12, /etc/defaults/plexmediaserver has not been used.
It is used only for systems where cat /proc/1/comm returns init.

As for the Unicode /, that is unfortunately an illegal character in name in Linux just as * is legal on Linux but illegal on Windows/SMB.

3

As far as the Linux filesystem is concerned, ⧸ (BIG SOLIDUS) is perfectly legal – it is not the same as / (SOLIDUS, common name “forward slash”), which (as a directory separator), is not allowed. The file system allows me to create files with this character, it renders properly on the terminal, and a Windows machine can interact with it properly over SMB/CIFS. It’s just another Unicode character like an umlaut or ellipsis.

In fact, if I replace ⧸ (BIG SOLIDUS) with … (HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS), the results are the same – no metadata is loaded.

What’s used now instead of /etc/defaults/plexmediaserver? do I need to add this to the systemd service file? I’m running Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (whatever point version thereof is current)

4

Solved:
I created & added the following lines to
/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d/override.conf:

[Service]
Environment=LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
Environment=LANG=en_US.UTF-8
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5 posts were split to a new topic: Accessing USB drives with Linux Mint

6

Do you realize, by overriding the entire PMS service file with a full unit overide this way, you will negate any changes I need to make in the distribution?

I strongly suggest you make use of the systemd method of creating a Service Override and augmenting to your specifications.

Here you only need specify the settings you need.

Your customization will not clash with any updates I need make for PMS.

7

Yes, I realize this is a file maintained by the package maintainer (this is you, I surmise) – I was just doing this as a quick debug. Planned to make an override after success was confirmed. :slight_smile:

I’ll update my above post with new instructions when I’ve finished – it’s slow typing this out one-handed with a newborn slepping on my chest :wink:

8

Fair enough @legoguy.
It sounds like you have had a few hair-pulling moments just as I have wondering “Where did I change that?” haha.

Yes, I am the maintainer and provide support here in the Linux forum

9

My day job is an enterprise application developer for a large academic institution - I know all about “maintaining maintainability” :slight_smile:

10

Cool. Thanks for the info.
When you’re all done, would you mark the solution checkbox so the thread is ‘solved’ and closes out for me?

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