On Linux moving my plexmediaserver/Application data directory

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Server Version#: plexmediaserver_1.40.5.8854-f36c552fd_amd64.deb

I was previously running linux mint 20. The Application Data folder outgrew my root partition so I moved it to a raid 5 array and created a link from the new location. This was working fine for the last two - three years. I finally decided to upgrade to the latest LTS version of 22. I was already running the latest plex package on my mint 20 system.

I upgraded everything to mint 22, downloaded the latest plex server package and installed it. This works fine. As soon as I create the link to my original Application Data folder, plex refuses to start and throws permission errors.

I found that on my new system the plex user:group was different than my old system so I did a recursive Chown to correct it. Iā€™ve checked the permissions and they all seem correct. I went back over the permission of any parent folders and corrected anything that looked off. I also tried using the /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d/override.conf to simply set the location of the new folder.

journalctl -b output shows:

Blockquote
Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server Plex Media Server[11922]: libc++abi: terminating with uncaught exception of type boost::filesystem::filesystem_error: boost::filesystem::create_directories: Permission denied [system:13]: > ā€œ/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cacheā€, , ā€œ/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Cacheā€
Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server systemd[1]: Started systemd-coredump@6-11933-0.service - Process Core Dump (PID 11933/UID 0).
Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server systemd-coredump[11934]: [šŸ”•] Process 11922 (Plex Media Serv) of user 997 dumped core.

                                                             Module libgcompat.so.0 without build-id.
                                                             Module ld-musl-x86_64.so.1 without build-id.
                                                             Module libc++.so.2 without build-id.
                                                             Stack trace of thread 11922:
                                                             #0  0x00007f97b434bf80 setjmp (ld-musl-x86_64.so.1 + 0x82f80)
                                                             #1  0x00007f97b3d51187 n/a (Plex Media Server + 0xf51187)
                                                             #2  0x00007f97b3c7bd69 n/a (Plex Media Server + 0xe7bd69)
                                                             #3  0x00007f97b3e959a0 n/a (Plex Media Server + 0x10959a0)
                                                             #4  0x00007f97b431ba62 n/a (ld-musl-x86_64.so.1 + 0x52a62)
                                                             ELF object binary architecture: AMD x86-64

Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server systemd[1]: systemd-coredump@6-11933-0.service: Deactivated successfully.
Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Main process exited, code=dumped, status=6/ABRT
Aug 18 12:56:54 MINT-System-File-Server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ā€˜core-dumpā€™.

Blockquote

I understand from this that it still has to be permissions issue but I canā€™t seem to find the issue.

Any help appreciated.

2

Mint not supported.

Application folder needs to be a local disk.

3

it is a local disk. and it worked previously.

4

Donā€™t use a link.

Plex Linux Tips: Customizing your Plex configuration on systemd based systems

Also: Can't upgrade past 1.40.2.8395 - #5 by ChuckPa

5

Also, Be advised, MINT is not supported nor has it been stable as a Plex server.

While itā€™s a good desktop, it has proven itself unstable when subjected to the load of media server.

6

Honestly. Iā€™ve been using linux for close to 30 years. Started on redhat. Iā€™ve used suse, gentoo, mandrake,mandriva, peanut, etc.

I have supported linux, bsd, hpux, aix and mac server professionally as a system admin. And although Iā€™m more fond of rpm based systems there is nothing wrong with mint. I just told you Iā€™ve been running plex on mint for 3 years with no issues.

You guys are unbelievable.

I fixed it myself. I would prefer a better solution but for now I opened up some of the permissions on some of the parent folders. Bam working,.

Iā€™ve only ever asked for something a couple times on these forums but each time it makes me wonder why I paid for a plex pass.

in the future instead of trying to figure out how not to support your product try being helpfull.

1 Like
7

thank you for your helpful response.

8

Linux has changed.

  1. /etc/default was the old method until systemd became standard in 2020.
  2. Systemd allows customization in /etc/systemd/system/servicename.service.d/override.conf

Iā€™ve been using Unix since the 80ā€™s and started with Linux when it came out in 1998.

Plex runs as its own non-privileged user.
Giving PMS free reign on a machine isnā€™t always the wisest thing.
There are many users who want PMS constrained so thatā€™s why it itā€™s default is constrained.

You can customize the config (in systemd) to be as unconstrained as you wish as well as move PMSā€™s AppSuppDir to wherever you want.
(Thatā€™s how I set it up)

As for Mint, I am relaying to you what our experiences are.
If Mint were a vetted OS, it would be listed.

For reference: There is a Linux Tips section here in the forum to show you the most common tasks.

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10

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