# Migrate database from macOS to FreeNAS
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475
**Category:** Plex Media Server
**Tags:** server-truenas
**Created:** [May 4, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475 "2020-05-04T19:45:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Vallevert](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Vallevert)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/1 "2020-05-04T19:45:19Z")
Server Version: lastest
Player Version: lastest
All app mentioned is up to date.
Hi!
I would migrate my Plex Media Server database from my Mac to FreeNAS.
I tried to copy-paste the “Plex Media Server” folder from my Mac to FreeNAS, but when I start the new server, I can’t connect to it (server not find).
After, I tried to only copy-paste “com.plexapp.plugins.library.db” but the same problem.
Anyone have an idea to migrate from macOS to FreeNAS a database?
Thanks!
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### Author:  [@nx6](https://forums.plex.tv/u/nx6)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/2 "2020-05-04T19:58:24Z")
Did you try connecting to the new install _before_ you tried moving the info over from the old one? Possible it’s not working to begin with.
You should install the new system and make sure it’s working before trying to transplant a setup from another machine. Also, it not always possible to move the entire setup between two different OS’s
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### Author:  [@Vallevert](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Vallevert)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/3 "2020-05-04T20:15:53Z")
> [@nx6](#):
>
> Did you try connecting to the new install _before_ you tried moving the info over from the old one? Possible it’s not working to begin with.
Yes, I tried and PMS worked.
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### Author:  [@mikec\_pt](https://forums.plex.tv/u/mikec_pt)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/4 "2020-05-06T14:39:04Z")
Can you post exactly what you copied (full paths) form on place to the other? And was PMS stopped on destination when you did this?
Note: macOS uses `defaults` not Preferences.xml so you might need to apply some settings later via the UI. You can use `defaults read com.plexapp.plexmediaserver` to get an idea what was there before.
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### Author:  [@Vallevert](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Vallevert)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/5 "2020-05-06T15:26:39Z")
First try:
copy /Users/Vallevert/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server
paste the full PMS folder here: /Volumes/App/jails/Plex/root (replace the existing not used PMS folder)
Second try:
copy only /Users/Vallevert/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases/com.plexapp.plugins.library.db
paste here /Volumes/App/jails/Plex/root/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Databases
PMS was stopped when I copy-paste files.
I don’t need to transfer Preferences.xml because it’s not mandatory for me.
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### Author:  [@mikec\_pt](https://forums.plex.tv/u/mikec_pt)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/6 "2020-05-06T16:03:30Z")
> [@Vallevert](#):
>
> /Volumes/App/jails/Plex/root
Its not the first person that mentions this is the path for the plex data on the plugin… that is horrible IMHO, it should be in `/usr/local/plexdata` or similar, but in any case if that’s the actually path it should be using (you can confirm if you `cat /etc/rc.conf| grep plex` in the jail shell) it should work!
But you can’t just copy over you need to make sure permissions and ownership are correct.
So 1st things 1st… open a shell IN THE JAIL (not the host);
`cat /etc/rc.conf | grep plex` (there should be a `plexmediaserver_support_path` setting`) make sure it does point to `/Plex Media Server`
If so now do:
`chown -R plex:plex /Plex\ Media\ Server`
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### Author:  [@Vallevert](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Vallevert)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/7 "2020-05-08T16:18:03Z")
Unfortunately this is becoming far too complicated for me.
Thank for your help.
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### Author:  [@jakebennettyoung](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jakebennettyoung)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2020, 12:23am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/8 "2020-05-18T00:23:44Z")
Hi Mike,
I’m trying to achieve the exact same move as OC, having followed your steps in this post, my `plexmediaserver_support_path` is `"/"` not `"/Plex Media Server"` as you suggested it should? Does this matter? Or should I just be able to give permissions to plex using `chown -R plex:plex /Plex\ Media\ Server`?
If the `plexmediaserver_support_path` does indeed matter, how do I go about editing it?
Edit: I accidentally omitted that I am using the Plex Pass plugin, so I’m actually referring to `plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path`
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### Author:  [@jakebennettyoung](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jakebennettyoung)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/9 "2020-05-18T01:10:22Z")
Update
I used vim to edit my `plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path` in `/etc/rc.conf` from `"/"` to` "/Plex Media Server"`.
I then used `chown -R plex:plex /Plex\ Media\ Server` to give plex permissions of the my copied over Plex Media Server directory.
The server started up no problem! Which is the most progress I’ve made so far.
Sadly, this PMS instance looked as if it was completely fresh, it didn’t know about my libraries, my watch history, nothing.
Is it possible I need to adopt the PMS instance to my account BEFORE moving across any databases? I’m really at a loss as to how to make this work
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### Author:  [@jakebennettyoung](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jakebennettyoung)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/10 "2020-05-18T14:30:47Z")
Another update, I tried the exact same procedure as above, except this time I adopted the server into my plex account before moving any database across. After completing all the above steps and starting the server, it wanted to be adopted to an account, as if it was if it was completely fresh install
@mikec_pt, I really hope you have some insight as to how I can get this to work
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### Author:  [@mikec\_pt](https://forums.plex.tv/u/mikec_pt)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2020, 1:52pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/11 "2020-05-19T13:52:52Z")
So to clarify the Plex Media Server dir is created by PMS so if rc.conf points to “/” that would match `/Plex Media Server`!
So you just need to place “Plex Media Server” dir on the jail root it seems!
The chown command still applies (-R changes the ownership for all inner dirs)
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### Author:  [@jakebennettyoung](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jakebennettyoung)
#### Post date: [May 19, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/12 "2020-05-19T23:43:41Z")
Thanks so much for getting back to me! I am finally up and running, and everything important appears to be intact! I ended up going with a FreeBSD jail instead of the plugin jail, mainly to get more regular updates, but all it took was chown plex:plex from within the jail shell.
Thank you for your support, @mikec_pt!
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### Author:  [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/migrate-database-from-macos-to-freenas/585475/13 "2020-08-17T23:43:48Z")
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