Moving PMS from Synology to Linux Ubuntu

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
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That will do it but, if I may suggest, Linux → Linux affords a much easier way.

  1. Settings - Server - Library - Turn off both Empty Trash and Automatically update. You want PMS in fully manual library update mode during the move.
  2. Stop PMS on the Syno.
  3. Make certain you have R/W permission to the Plex share
  4. Right click Library and Compress to Library.zip . This has just created a clone of the Synology
  5. Install PMS on the Linux machine
  6. Let it run once and then stop it. It only needs to create a couple directories
  7. Copy the ZIP file into /var/lib/plexmediaserver

This part must be done from the command line, No gui shortcuts exist.

# get a root shell
sudo sh

# get into Plex's home directory
cd /var/lib/plexmediaserver

# Make sure it's stopped 
systemctl stop plexmediaserver

# Rename the empty Library (created by the installer) out of the way
mv Library Library.enpty

# Unzip the Synology's ZIP file into position
unzip Library.zip 

# Verify you have a both Library and Library.empty
ls

# Set ownership to this system's UID/GID for plex
chown -R plex:plex ./Library

# Start Plex
systemctl start plexmediaserver

Make certain your media is properly mounted in /etc/fstab at its permanent location

Return to your locally running PMS (on the Linux host). Do not use the Synology again. It has been cloned to Linux and will cause confusion if both run.

Now follow this procedure (moving media location) because, from this machine’s perspective, the media is no longer on /volume1/-something- . You’ve moved it to a new mount point.

When all is complete, you may delete the ZIP file and Library.keep.
You may also remove the Plex share from the Synology.

Keeping the user Plex is beneficial on the Synology for NFS permission purposes.

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