Server Version#:1.13.8.5395
Player Version#: Version 3.67.1
I’ve installed Plex on my ubuntu server and am having troubles with accessing the media libraries (“There are no items in this library”). I’ve read through the Permissions Guide and aren’t seeing issues with my permissions. I have media in the default /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/ directory and all have the correct permissions. I’ve even tried 777. Any ideas?
Does the /var and /lib need plex ownership/group?
You do not place media in /var/lib/plexmediaserver. It is for Plex’s internal use only.
Place your media out somewhere else and not under /media (Ubuntu restriction)
Wherever you do place it, user plex only needs read access.
This is accomplished by granting 755 for directories and 644 for files with your username and group owning them.
Thank you for your reply, I’m still getting the same issue when moved to my home directory 
/home/sayre/Media/Shows/
Now go the next step. Remember to open access to your home directory too.
Linux is, by default, very strict. It supports multiple concurrent usernames and therefore won’t let another user (plex) see your files unless you expressly give permission.
Let PMS enter the top level.
sudo chmod 755 /home/sayre
Still nothing… I really appreciate your help. I even tried removing the library and adding it back again.
I feel like an idiot.
So looking at the processes that are running Plex processes appear to be running as user “plex”, do the folders need ownership to be plex?
At this point i’m willing to paypal someone who can help me get this going
As I stated above. You own the directories and files (so you can administer them).
Please read through this entire tutorial. Step F is important to you and what you need to do
Once you see what I’m showing, you can adapt it for your pathnames.
https://forums.plex.tv/t/using-ext-or-ntfs-drives-internal-or-external-on-linux
Thank you so much Chuck! I followed F and it didn’t work until I restarted the PMS service. I can now see all my media in that library. 
I guess I spoke too soon, nothing new that gets added automatically is showing. I’ve tried “Scan Library Source” and nothing.. I’ve made sure Sonarr is giving the proper permissions and verified the files themselves. 
For example S03E01 is showing and playing fine however S03E02 which was just added isn’t displaying.
Sonarr Setting:
Did you also enable
Automatic detection tells PMS to watch the target directory. When something (Sonarr) deposits a file, PMS sees it within the next minute.
Yes sir I did. Even tried restarting PMS.
Had two more files added last night for different shows and they also aren’t displaying
May I see the entire log file please?
How is PMS configured? Default user Plex in /var/lib/plexmediaserver?
It’s reacting as if it’s not.
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.362 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - * Scanning This Is Us Season 3 Episode 2
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.362 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Looking for path match for [/home/sayre/Media/Shows/This Is Us/Season 3/This Is Us - S03E02 - A Philadelphia Story.mkv]
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.362 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Skipping hash check, no size match for 996890295 bytes.
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.362 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - No match for hash.
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.363 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Checking descendants of This Is Us
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.364 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - -> Searching down into This Is Us/Season 1
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.364 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Checking descendants of This Is Us/Season 1
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.365 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - -> FOUND metadata item (show)
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.365 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - -> We found a local media item with rooted metadata in This Is Us/Season 1
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.365 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Found existing show 202
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.366 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - Downloading document http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/changestamp
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.366 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/changestamp
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.366 [0x7fedf6132d40] DEBUG - HTTP 401 response from GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/library/changestamp
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.367 [0x7fedf6132d40] ERROR - downloadContainer: expected MediaContainer element, found html
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.367 [0x7fedf6132d40] ERROR - Exception inside transaction (inside=1) (../Library/Episode.cpp:187): Unable to allocate a changestamp from the server
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.367 [0x7fedf6132d40] ERROR - Exception inside transaction (inside=1) (../Library/MetadataItem.cpp:3049): Unable to allocate a changestamp from the server
Oct 04, 2018 21:14:34.367 [0x7fedf6132d40] ERROR - Exception assimilating media item in This Is Us/Season 3: Unable to allocate a changestamp from the server
This is an internal ‘permission denied’ as it tries to update the existing metadata files
If PMS is still in /var/lib/plexmediaserver and running as user plex, please do the following and then restart it.
sudo chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver
It will take a bit to execute (lots of files).
Now restart PMS.
If the problem clears it means something was modifying ownership of your files.
This did the trick!! It also successfully picked up a new episode I’ve just added automatically.
Thank you!
That’s very disconcerting.
Something is writing on your PMS metadata.
You need to track that down.
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