Move PMS to a new Ubuntu Server

[granjan7]

Server Version#: latest on Ubuntu
Player Version#: latest on Roku 4 & Ultra

My current PMS server is a Ubuntu 20.04 LTS pc. Later this month Ubuntu will release 22.04 LTS and Im going to build it on new hardware. How can I transfer PMS from the old server to the new server? I dont want to loose my Watched list and all my customizations. Is there a backup & restore procedure? Thanks.

[BanzaiInstitute]

There is a backup/restore procedure. You can also do it by moving files around.

@ChuckPa recently helped me with a similar migration, this thread has a lot of great info.

Updating Ubuntu hardware from i3-7100 to i5-10400 -- move drive, or reinstall OS & Plex?

My i3-7100 box is dying and I will be replacing it with a new board and i5-10400 CPU. I don’t know much about Linux kernel level stuff though, and so I don’t know if I need to reinstall the OS. Or, can I just move the OS drive to the new system and Ubuntu will figure out the hardware changes? For Plex, I will be using Quick Sync transcoding and I think that different Intel libraries are needed per this post from @chuckpa. Assuming that I can move the drive without reinstalling the OS, is insta…

[ChuckPa]

@granjan7

The procedure is very simple.

1. Settings - Server - Library
2. Turn off all automatic & empty trash functions then SAVE the changes
3. Stop Plex
4. cd /var/lib/plexmediaserver
5. sudo tar cf /tmp/PlexFullBackup.tar ./Library
   – use another location if you have a lot of media and are worried /tmp isn’t big enough
6. Copy that tar file to a thumb drive / whatever to get it to the new machine

On the new machine;

1. Install Plex
2. Stop Plex
3. cd /var/lib/plexmediaserver
4. sudo tar xf /path/to/PlexFullBackup.tar
5. sudo chown -R plex:plex ./Library
6. Start Plex

At this point, the new machine has taken the identity of the old one.
Don’t start the old machine’s Plex server anymore.

Your final steps here are to

For each library section

1. EDIT the section
2. Add the new media location(s) (if they changed). DO NOT delete the old.
3. OK / save the addition.
4. When scanning finishes –
5. EDIT the section again
6. Remove the old location(s)
7. OK / save again and let PMS make a final scanning pass.
8. Verify no Red Trash Cans appear. Resolve those missing media items as needed.
9. Go to the next section and repeat until all sections done

With all sections edited and updated:

1. Scan all files one last time
2. Empty Trash
3. Clean bundles
4. Optimize the database
5. Settings - Server - Library — Enable the automatic functions again you previously had set

Task complete.

[granjan7]

Thanks, given time I may try this Sunday.

My existing PMS has

/disk1/TV (TV Shows)
/disk2/MOVIES (Movies)

I plan on moving disk1 & disk2 to the new server, mounted as /disk1 & /disk2, So I dont think the PMS libraries will change at all, so I shouldn’t have to add / remove locations in the libraries. I can Scan one last time, Empty Trash, Clean Bundles (Im not sure what that means), and Optimize the database.

Hopefully all will go perfectly.

[dmdrl]

@granjan7

I plan on moving disk1 & disk2 to the new server, mounted as /disk1 & /disk2, So I dont think the PMS libraries will change at all, so I shouldn’t have to add / remove locations in the libraries.

If the full path to the media will remain the same, then you won’t be facing any issue and it will really go smoothly.