Hey there
When facing issues with plexmediaserver we are often asked to provide logfiles so support can help us. The problem is the logs are visible and downloadable for everyone, providing various information like IPs and usernames that are not meant for the general public and could potentially be misused.
Can you please provide an option to upload files that are only visible to the support staff?
Thanks in advance.
When asked to provide logs within a discussion, send via Message.
It’s not a bad idea, but I’d much prefer that the logs were just sanitized a bit more; for example, remove/redact all user names, e-mail addresses, and public IP addresses. I’ve helped users with issues which required being able to see their logs. Making them visible to staff only would remove a lot of the community from community support. Making it optional would mitigate that to an extent, but it would likely be exercised enough that it would remove visibility to the larger part of the support community.
I would be fine with that as well, if filenames also get sanitised.
The only issue sanitizing the information is it’s often used to help solve the issue. Witnessed in many Discussions.
But if your meaning sanitized to everyone other than Ninjas or employees, well that’s a different story
Though I’ve never (personally) needed to see a username or e-mail address, there have been cases where knowing the public IP address helped out; for example, in determining that someone was behind a CG-NAT. However, that could be addressed by follow-up questions.
But I agree, there is the potential of limiting the overall effectiveness of the debug logging by performing too much sanitization. However, if it makes more folks comfortable with providing logs, maybe there’s a net benefit. Perhaps a new logging level could be introduced: “Debug (Sanitized)”. Or something similar.
I wasn’t, but that’s also an interesting idea.
Yeap, For your eyes only
The “directions” say to provide logs with any request for assistance. All (at least most) people that can read and understand logs have a request for people not to PM them unless asked. This means that if you want to ask for assistance and you want, either rightly or wrongly, to not have your logs seen by just anybody you must either go through your logs and redact sensitive info or delay sending logs until someone asks and that “asking” is often in the from of “Hey, stupid, where are your logs.” This delays any response for often over a day…
Maybe Plex should provide an “administrative” mail box that only “support” people can access. And users can upload to that mailbox instead of the regular post.
Of course that removes access to the logs for users and much of the best support I ever have received has been from users that are really nothing but users so PMing to a location that most users cannot see eliminates a lot of the best, and sometimes only, support most users can access.
In my logs there is nothing that anyone could use for anything because I do not allow any remote access and any IPs are internal and I am behind a strong VPN so there is nothing in my logs that exposes anything important. (unless what I watch is interesting to someone)
But, given that Plex has shown very little interest in actually providing support, it is very unlikely that anything like this will ever be seen because it would mean that Plex would lose one excuse for having such poor support.
Ok, different strokes for different folks. I really can’t complain about the Forum support. I do agree it can be timely and definitely without timelines. Very much like many other software support but I have witnessed recently a change with statements like. It will fixed or addressed in the next update.
I think they are doing their best but, I think plex support is understaffed. Lot’s, if not most, of the threads get unnoticed by staff, sometimes for month 
Not sure what the best solution to the log upload problem is, sanitised for the public, unsanitised for staff would work (for me) but I think that is not that easy to implement and requires some server cpu cycles to parse the text and has a potential for misuse, exploits or denial of service attacks against the forum server(s).
Private upload would be quick and easy but maybe not the best solution for getting the most support from the most people.
As @SE56 mentions, many of the details that might be redacted are also useful (or necessary) when solving problems.
It might not be important to know it’s “The Terminator (1984)” vs. “Terminator 2 (1991)”, but if the logs just say “Redacted Movie”, it’s no longer possible to tell there are multiple files involved.
Same thing with usernames. I don’t care that it’s “Bob Dole” or “Mary Kate”, but if the logs just say “Redacted User” and “Redacted User” and “Redacted User”, they’ve lost their value.
There’s already a constant stream of “Please re-enable Debug” and “Please disable Verbose”. I would remove them from the UI if I could; adding another type of logging would only add to the confusion. (I also don’t think it’s feasible to sanitize everything.)
I don’t think there’s a magic solution to this. “Upload to the support mailbox” seems attractive, but it’s in conflict with “Support is available via the forum”.
There is always the option to have a “upload file” and a “upload private file” option simultaneously. It is done that way in other forums so you can post something to the community if you want or post something for the support staff if they ask you to.
Does not have to be an either or.
I think if that option exists it causes a perception problem.
Why have most Plex employees turned off the ability to Direct Message them? It’s because of how many people tried to get private support, which Plex doesn’t offer.
“Upload privately” would have the same problem. It would appear to be a mechanism for getting private support, which isn’t something Plex offers.
I agree with that sentiment, there are also Ninja and employees that have a message no Messages unless requested.
So the assumption here is some don’t want their inbox flooded with support requests, when the normal forum etiquette and protocols reduce the number of requests to be intercepted and actioned currently.
There’s no clear way other than manually removing data that one wishes to keep private. Which is also reasonable considering the ever present, Bad hats on the internet.
I disagree.
You can name it differently. Name it “upload hidden” “upload for support” right next to the upload button.
Also, I don’t think a perception problem should be higher priority than user privacy.
Thinking about using this method will invoke a privacy protocol, that support members would be bound. That would in ways would not be in forum subscribers interest and as Volts mentioned a perception problem of a free and open forum. No one can really win here, so a fall back to request logs privately are used by Ninjas and others.
I know it’s a PITA and could be advantageous if handled as requested but I envision pitfalls are a bound and doubt an adoption of this kind will be possible.
I think you are overthinking this by a lot.
A checkmark “limit visibility to staff only” would be enough as well. It’s basically the same as private messaging a staff member, just less hassle, less back and forth and is more convenient if a staff member revisits the thread later or another staff member looks over it.
I think that is something most people can easily grasp and no need for a privacy protocol.
I also do not see any perception issue here, does also not make the forum less free nor open, at least not that I can see.
One could also argue staff requesting to post possible private information publicly is a perception issue.
Having IPs and usernames(and real names) out in the open should not be the default. Please change the default.
So what you saying, this would not become a shortcut to support. I doubt that very much…
Post a generic Discussion, then request a log to be handled privately. So in reality the general forums members will be in the dark unless the PLEX Ninja interacts with the logs and posts a complete analysis minus the sensitivities. I’m not too sure Plex would be willing to travel down that rocky road.
Good luck on your request… 
Not sure i made myself clear properly 
How would that be a shortcut to support? It would be the same upload process, just as it is now, the logs would just not be visible for everyone, if one chooses that option. Nothing else changed. And 75% of the threads will still get ignored by staff.
I don’t think I understand your second paragraph at all 
Thanks! 
p.s. a shortcut to support would actually be great. Can we have one?
What I was getting at, your perception would be a private Log should be acted on, a public one would also include the many brilliant Forum subscribers. I take the later any day, you have pointed out your view of Plex support lacking. I believe the forums do a excellent job most of the time.
As for shortcut - Buckleys Chance 
