Move Plex Server from Linux to Linux VM

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 4.134.2
Player Version#:
Today my Plex Server is on a physical CENTOS 7 Server, runs great. Problem I have to upgrade since CENTOS 7 is no longer supported (IE no patches available). I have decided to rebuild the server to PROXMOX VM server and create a Rocky 9 VM for my Plex Server but having the library on my NAS. I cannot find any documentation for a move of this nature as it applies to the external access methods, library change etc. I have found documentation on creating a new Plex Server, and how to re-point the library. But they are vague on key topics.

The question I have since this is on a Linux Server, does the Preferences.xml fil contain all these finer details for my present configuration? Are there prerequisites I have to do to prep the move (I know I have to build the destination server first, but I was curious as to the best practices for this type of move… I just can’t find those documents. Any direction to those documents would be great.

Cheers,
T Wilson
Spring, TX

2

One of the beauties of Linux is the simplicity of doing this.

  1. Stop Plex
  2. sudo bash
  3. cd /var/lib/plexmediaserver
  4. tar cf /home/PlexBackup.tar ./Library ( I presume /home is safe & has enough space for this)
  5. Now copy/move “PlexBackup.tar” somewhere safe or directly into the new VM
  6. Recreate the equivalent existing media mount points into the VM so PMS won’t know or care that you’ve moved it into the VM.
  7. Install PMS in the VM and immediately stop it
  8. Restore the tar ball back into the VM’s /var/lib/plexmediaserver
  9. Confirm everything is chown -R plex:plex
  10. away you go

You’re effectively cloning the real machine into the VM. :wink:

3

Greatly Appreciated! I will definitely work on that! I have the movies/TV shows in my library copied over to the new NAS so it should be a good place to store them as well.

4

The concept:

  1. Mirror the data mounts in the VM to be exact of what now exists / works.
  2. COPY all of your PMS instance (tarball) into the VM
  3. Adjust for maximum :fire:

:rofl:

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