# New install on Debian 13 cannot add library(s) **URL:** \ **Category:** Plex Media Server\ **Tags:** server-linux\ **Created:** [August 20, 2025, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800 "2025-08-20T10:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randyvolters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a587f6/32.png) [@randyvolters](https://forums.plex.tv/u/randyvolters)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 10:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/1 "2025-08-20T10:56:23Z")
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](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/a/1/1/a117a9a0cdc4a981996ac7a841710321a963bb55.png) ---
**Author:** ![pl\_5309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pl\_5309](https://forums.plex.tv/u/pl_5309)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/2 "2025-08-20T11:19:01Z")
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. ```auto sudo usermod -a -G groupName userName ``` Restart Plex. Probably better would be to create an override.conf file and run Plex as user Randy. ---
**Author:** ![randyvolters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a587f6/32.png) [@randyvolters](https://forums.plex.tv/u/randyvolters)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:32am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/3 "2025-08-20T11:32:50Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![pl\_5309](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@pl\_5309](https://forums.plex.tv/u/pl_5309)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 11:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/4 "2025-08-20T11:38:20Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![randyvolters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a587f6/32.png) [@randyvolters](https://forums.plex.tv/u/randyvolters)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/5 "2025-08-20T12:30:34Z")
Thanks much - I will give that a try. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2025, 12:31pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/new-install-on-debian-13-cannot-add-library-s/929800/6 "2025-11-18T12:31:27Z")
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