Oracle Linux Can't start Plex service after I tried moving /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library

[Chapman-Home]

Server Version#:currrent 1.28.x
Hi,
I have a sun server running Oracle linux (current) and had everything working until my /var directory started filling up. I moved the /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library to /home/jc/Plexmediaserver-var and created a sym link in /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library. I changed the permissions on the sym ling for plex, plex and tried to start the plex service. After a few seconds the service says it can’t start and no matter what I try, I can’t figure this out. I tried uninstalling, reinstalling . Nothing works. It there anyone out there that can give me a hand with figuring this out?

Thank you

[pshanew]

This post shows how to move your Plex data directory on systemd-based systems:

Linux Tips

Moving Plex’s metadata (Library) directory on systemd based systems This information is intended for those systems where cat /proc/1/comm returns systemd. If your system returns init, please see the next post in this thread. While you may change /lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service, it is under the control of the package manager and subject to replacement without warning at any time during an update. To provide stability, systemd allows creation of an override.conf file to customiz…

The specific example given shows how to tell the service to use a different Plex data directory than the default (the part showing “Environment” being set). It also shows how to change the user which the service runs as, though that may not be necessary in your case (see the information below regarding changing ownership of the directory).

I’d follow those directions rather than symlink’ing to /var/lib/plexmediaserver (though that should likely work as well).

Also, ensure that your new Plex data directory is owned by user and group plex. Something like sudo chown -R /home/jc/Plexmediaserver-var/ should work. Plex Media Server, by default, runs as user plex, so that user needs to be able to read/write/execute on that directory.

[ChuckPa]

To add to this:

/home/jc needs permission of 711 or 755 to allow PMS to pass through to the directory.

Linux default security is to block any attempts to read another user’s home directory.

[Chapman-Home]

Thank you for your help. I’ll give it a try…

[ChuckPa]

I should also add a bit of education info here.

1. /var/lib/plexmediaserver is the $HOME directory for user plex just as we normal users have our $HOME in /home.

2. Some distributions require a user’s home directory to be a real directory and not a symbolic link . (they do test for this). If $HOME is a symbolic link it will fail to create any and all processes (e.g. Plex Media Server)