Playback Error: Conversion failed. The transcoder exited due to an error

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

Hi, I love Plex and it runs like a charm on my new media server. But I’m having trouble getting any transcoding done. Direct play works perfectly.

Strangely enough transcoding wasn’t a problem when I tested Plex, but now with this install on the main server the transcoder just won’t start. Every time it gives the indescriptive error “Playback Error: Conversion failed. The transcoder exited due to an error.”

Server Version#: 1.15.3.876
Player Version#: iOS 5.12.1 and web 1.15.3.876
host: linux OpenMediaVault (Debian Stretch) with Plex running in docker

I’m more than happy to provide more details or upload logs, but don’t know which ones. Where do I start? Any help is appreciated.

2

I’m having the same issue, with the same version of Plex. Although my host is Suse.

3

What drive and Host path does your docker’s Container path /config point to? Is that drive mounted with exec capability?

4

I just posted this elsewhere. It is an issue with the way the Plex Plugin installs plex on OMV:

I actually ran into this. The issue is that the default OMV installation links the Codec directory inside of the plex install directory to a path on the root drive, with only root permissions. The quick way I fixed this was to delete the link, and the Codec directory altogether, and then restart the container. Plex will re-create the Codec directory, and download the codecs as needed the first time they are needed.

5

Your answer does not apply to Plex running in a docker if the /config is located on a drive mounted noexec.

6

You’re absolutely right. OMV does by default mount file systems outside the install partition no exec.

7

Frederick, you’re right the drive is mounted noexec.

Docker folders are mapped like this:

/config    : "/sharedfolders/dockerapps/plex:/config:rw"
/transcode : "/transcode:/transcode:rw"

The /transcode directory maps to a tmpfs directory (RAM) I created in fstab like this:

tmpfs        /transcode      tmpfs   defaults   0   0

The /config directory sits on a second partition on the boot SSD. There pas plenty of space and I created this specifically so that Plex could run from a fast SSD. It’s mounted by OMV like this in fstab:

/dev/disk/by-label/ssdpart2	/srv/dev-disk-by-label-ssdpart2	ext4 
defaults,nofail,noatime,user_xattr,noexec,usrjquota=aquota.user,grpjquota=aquota.group,jqfmt=vfsv0,discard,acl 0 1

OMV does this automatically but I can edit fstab manually to change the mount parameters and remove noexec if that fixes the issue.

I can also see why the problem didn’t occur when testing. I tested on a data disk and all my other disks are mounted very differently by OMV, like so:

/dev/disk/by-label/data1	/srv/dev-disk-by-label-data1	btrfs 
defaults,nofail,noatime		0	2

This could be because I’m using an SSD formatted ext4 for docker, and all my data disks are spinning disks formatted btrfs. I tested on one of these HDD’s. But that’s probably more a question for the OMV forums.

I will test and report back here with the results.

8

Just found out, there is a better way to change mount options in OMV:
https://openmediavault.readthedocs.io/en/latest/various/fs_env_vars.html

9

Fixed! Thanks a lot

1 Like
10

Ive just come across this post as im getting it appears the same trans-coding error. Ive followed the direction and seen the “noexec” as shown in your example and the OMV help https://openmediavault.readthedocs.io/en/latest/various/fs_env_vars.html but being and absolute newbee to the OMV set up i was just wanting to confirm that just removing the “noexec” within the line is enough. Also when removing do i just leave the drives mounted ? and as a final question can i add a second independent drive in my Plex Docker for just my PVR programmes, I did try but the Docker wouldn’t save so I presumed not but didnt know if there was another way. I have my main Plex media folders on 3 x 2TB WD Blacks on Raid 5.

I would be grateful for a reply as the OMV Zeon system i have built now has so much more flexibility that the older Windows 10 Zeon system.

Regards

Peter

1 Like
11

Did you follow the instructions from the OMV docs and tested if the mounts changed as described over there? Please do and then check the results.

If you change mount parameters, the drives need to be remounted before those changes are applied. OMV manages mount parameters through its own config so you have to make the changes in the OMV config, because manual changes to /etc/fstab will eventually be overwritten by OMV.

1 Like
12

all done and checked.

Thank you

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