New install on Debian 13 cannot add library(s)

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: installed 08/19/2025 from plexmediaserver_1.42.1.10060-4e8b05daf_amd64.deb
Player Version#: Plex Web Version 4.147.1
Problem explanation - I previously used plex on Debian 12. Used for a year. I saw my previous post about the same problem and replicated permissions steps provided there, but must have missed something because when I try to add a library path I can click on root (/), then home, then randy and that is as far as I can get.
My media is in the path /home/randy/Videos/plex.
Media was already structured and previously working. I just recovered from backup.
Here is what I did to try and give the user plex permissions on my /home/randy/Videos/plex path:
1 At /home/randy/ …
ls -ld
drwx------+ 21 randy randy 4096 Aug 20 05:57

2 Now I move down to …
/home/randy/Videos/
ls -ld
drwxrwxr-x+ 3 randy randy 4096 Aug 20 05:57

3 Then I move down another level to …
/home/randy/Videos/plex
and I ran these commands …
sudo find -type d -exec chmod 755 {} ;
sudo find -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ;
ls -ld
drwxr-xr-x+ 8 randy randy 4096 Apr 16 09:02

4 Then I change move down another level to …
/home/randy/Videos/plex/Movies
ls -l
drwxr-xr-x+ 2 randy randy 4096 Apr 16 09:02 ‘The Three Musketeers (1973) {tt0072281}’

5 Next I restarted plex media server…
sudo systemctl restart plexmediaserver

6 Then I check it
sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: active (running) since Wed 2025-08-20 06:36:16 EDT; 2min 45s ago
Invocation: 97cfa441ab594f55a20d90076ba36cd6
Process: 21314 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” || /bin/mkdir -p “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” >
Main PID: 21316 (Plex Media Serv)
Tasks: 57 (limit: 37833)
Memory: 113M (peak: 121M)
CPU: 3.475s
CGroup: /system.slice/plexmediaserver.service
├─21316 “/usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server”
├─21359 “Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.system]” /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-4e8b05daf/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/bootst>
├─21404 “/usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Tuner Service” /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Private /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/Shared 1.42.1.>
└─21437 “Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.imdb]” /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-4e8b05daf/Framework.bundle/Contents/Resources/Versions/2/Python/b>

Aug 20 06:36:16 randy-xps8940 systemd[1]: Starting plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server…
Aug 20 06:36:16 randy-xps8940 systemd[1]: Started plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server.

But I still cannot get any farther than /home/randy in the “path walker” in plex as shown in attachment.

7 Here is the getent ouput for plex user….
plex:x:997:987::/var/lib/plexmediaserver:/usr/sbin/nologin

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Cannot figure out what I have missed.

plexAddLibrary
plexAddLibrary577×433 10.9 KB

2

The best solution would be to NOT put your media in your home folder which is intended to protect access from all other users.

User Plex needs to be in user Randy’s group.

sudo usermod -a -G groupName userName

Restart Plex.

Probably better would be to create an override.conf file and run Plex as user Randy.

3

Thank you for the suggestions - of the two, relocating the plex folder is preferable to me. Do you have a suggestion as to where I should place that? (I would rather keep home’s purpose now that I think about it - protection from other users).

4

Answer would be based on what does your storage layout look like?

Generally you make a directory off of root (/) and chown it to plex. If you mount additional storage then mount it to the directory you just created (and after you have chowned it to plex)

5

Thanks much - I will give that a try.

6

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