# Moving plex metadata to external drive (debian linux) **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-linux-arm\ **Created:** [April 28, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551 "2021-04-28T14:38:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rda](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/rda/32/233453_2.png) [@rda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/rda)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/1 "2021-04-28T14:38:27Z")
Server Version#: 1.22.3.4392 Player Version#: I have followed the steps from ChuckPa forum post [Moving PMS 'Library'](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-pms-library/197342) Plex DOES not use the metadata folder in my external drive despite the path in editor being changed. Instead plex creates a new metadata folder in /var on my linux drive so completely disregards the changes made in the editor and carries on as normal I thought it may have something to do with permissions. so, I checked my permissions and the metadata folder I created for plex in my external drive has root permission, I believe this is the highest permission no? so plex should be able to access these files? I still attempted to change ownership using chown to my user pi in group pi, however the terminal camback with permission denied for all files when carrying out the command, even with sudo privileges. I followed more advice form the post and - I unmounted and remounted the drive -added exec in fstab -checked the editor for mistakes ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 3:52pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/2 "2021-04-28T15:52:38Z")
Somehow I fail to see the connect between Linux and a Registry editor. What Linux distribution has picked up on that concept? For a better idea of where it goes wrong… can you access your Plex Media Server’s logs? ---
**Author:** ![rda](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/rda/32/233453_2.png) [@rda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/rda)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/3 "2021-04-28T16:05:09Z")
I meant editor “systemctl edit plexmediaserver” not reg editor The linux distribution is debian armv7 I can access the logs and will upload them when I can Steps I followed 1. **Stop Plex Media Server** 2. Create the ‘override’ file 3. Move the files to their new location 4. Change ownership if needed 5. Inform systemd of the changes 6. Start PMS > [@Moving PMS 'Library'](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-pms-library/197342): > > Moving Plex’s metadata (Library) directory on systemd based systems This information is intended for those systems where cat /proc/1/comm returns systemd. If your system returns init, please see the next post in this thread. While you may change /lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service, it is under the control of the package manager and subject to replacement without warning at any time during an update. To provide stability, systemd allows creation of an override.conf file to customiz… ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/4 "2021-04-28T17:08:52Z")
@rda Please show me the contents of /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d/override.conf ? Also, which Debian version please ? ---
**Author:** ![rda](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/rda/32/233453_2.png) [@rda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/rda)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 6:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/5 "2021-04-28T18:25:53Z")
I am using Debian Version ARMv7 The metadata is stored in an external mounted SSD named with the path /mnt/disk1/PlexMetaData ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/6 "2021-04-28T18:41:41Z")
@rda You forgot the header. The override is not valid without it ```auto [Service] Environment="PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR=..........." ``` ---
**Author:** ![rda](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/rda/32/233453_2.png) [@rda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/rda)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/7 "2021-04-28T20:36:32Z")
![stillnowork](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/b/b/bb9ff3c6c823210b05964206b5ed3eae4647a639.jpeg) Hi, I added the [Service] line went through the other steps informed systemD of changes. deleted old libary and rebooted added my media folders again howeve the server still does not gather metadata from the external drive I can tell by the logs it is gathering from tvdb and storing in /var again and I have lost my organized collections. ---
**Author:** ![ChuckPa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/chuckpa/32/79710_2.png) [@ChuckPa](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ChuckPa)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/8 "2021-04-29T14:24:33Z")
@rda You have misspelled `Environment` . The `n` is missing. Sorry if I didn’t see that. (Screenshots are difficult to read. Copy/Paste is much easier) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2021, 2:24pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/moving-plex-metadata-to-external-drive-debian-linux/712551/9 "2021-07-28T14:24:49Z")
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