Using Plex Media Server 1.13.2.5154 in the Plex docker on unRAID.
I created libraries from my media files.
I created managed users for the kids.
I shared the appropriate libraries to the managed users.
This worked. Then I came at a point where I wanted to do some restructuring.
I deleted some libraries.
I moved files around on disk.
I created new libraries from the new locations.
I also renamed some existing libraries. No files were moved, just the library renamed.
Yes, I realize (now) that I could have changed the location through the library settings, which would have avoided deleting and re-adding libraries. But that’s not the point here.
After deleting / re-adding libraries and renaming some others, the managed users cannot access the re-added libraries and are seeing the renamed libraries under their old name. When going into the “Users” section and checking the managed users (to see what is shared with them), I see all the “old” libraries! This is, the deleted libraries and the renamed libraries under their old name. The deleted / re-added libraries are not in the list, so I can not select them for the managed user to have access to them.
When switching to the managed user account, only the renamed libraries are available (under their old name).
I deleted the managed user and created it again, hoping this would somehow refresh the list of available libraries in the managed user settings. Alas, even with a new managed user, only the “old” libraries are showing!
This means my managed users no longer have access to much of the content I have for them; in other words, my kids can no longer watch their cartoons. As you can guess, this gets me into hot water. Urgent help requested !
So, with no other ideas forthcoming, I deleted the Docker image and started over. Newly downloaded image, new installation, freshly created libraries. So far so good.
Then, I go into the users panel, create a new managed user and…
It is showing the previous installation as unavailable. Hmh. Why is it even still showing up? I removed it from the “devices” and now it’s no longer showing up. Ok then.
It is showing the current installation with 0 libraries. Huh??
Seems like this is not related to the server but rather to the Plex account side of things. Help welcome!
That last thing, about this being a Plex account issue, actually gave me a thought. What with the remote access, is it possible the library sharing (even with managed users, i.e. locally) is in some way depending on Plex (account, not PMS) knowing about your libraries? So if the remote access doesn’t work, Plex (account, not PMS) wouldn’t know about the libraries and the sharing wouldn’t work.
So I took my PMS out from behind the VPN, set up a port forward and exposed its port 32400 to the internet. Shudder. Then enabled remote access. Lo and behold, the libraries became available for the managed users. I set up the managed users, shared the libraries I wanted them to have access to, and then again disabled remote access. And put PMS behind the VPN again, where I want it to be. What with it downloading media information, I don’t want any snooping ISP to know what I’m downloading media information for.
The managed users now keep being shared the libraries I shared.
So, the workaround is enabling the remote access briefly after renaming / adding libraries. I’m calling it a workaround, not a fix, as I don’t see why the local installation of PMS would need to be reachable from the internet to set up sharing of libraries with local managed users.
Plex, the least you can do is add this prerequisite to the manual for managed users. The best thing to do would be to solve this unnecessary dependency.
Or, of course, if I read the whole thing wrong, to explain why it needs to be set up this way.
You might wonder if I’m not missing out with the remote access disabled. I’m not. If I have need to play something from my library while away from home, I VPN into my home network and thereby regain full access. I see no need to expose Plex to the internet for this functionality.
!