Plex not able to start (Permissions problem?)

[jorgeanzola_gmail_com]

OS#: Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS
Server Version#: 1.21.0.37

So I have a server, and I was trying to set up Transmission and Flexget. Honestly, I’m just starting with all these, I think I messed up the permissions, Plex won’t start now These are the only logs I see.

I tried removing it entirely and reinstall it again, but that didn’t help.

● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
             └─override.conf
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2020-12-14 12:49:43 CET; 21min ago
    Process: 5744 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" || /bin/mkdir -p "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" >
    Process: 5748 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c  export PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_INFO_VENDOR="$(grep ^NAME= /etc/os-release | awk -F= "{print \$2}" | tr -d \" )";  export PLEX_MEDIA_SERV>
   Main PID: 5748 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

dec 14 12:49:43 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
dec 14 12:49:43 server systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server.
dec 14 12:49:43 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
dec 14 12:49:43 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
dec 14 12:49:43 server systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.

[jorgeanzola_gmail_com]

I tried https://askubuntu.com/a/1274738/1107385 but no luck yet

[CostaHT]

What’s the output of the command ls -l / ?

[ChuckPa]

Run the list of possibilities:

1. systemctl status plexmediaserver
   a. verify the override.conf is showing – if used for your config

2. grep plex /etc/passwd

3. ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver

[jorgeanzola_gmail_com]

@CostaHT

ls -l /

lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root          7 dec 12 14:46 bin -> usr/bin
drwxr-xr-x   4 root root       4096 dec 12 15:27 boot
drwxrwxr-x   2 root root       4096 dec 12 14:49 cdrom
drwxr-xr-x  19 root root       4480 dec 14 12:33 dev
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root       4096 dec 12 16:44 disk1
drwxr-xr-x 139 root root      12288 dec 14 12:46 etc
drwxr-xr-x   4 root root       4096 dec 13 00:08 home
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root          7 dec 12 14:46 lib -> usr/lib
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root          9 dec 12 14:46 lib32 -> usr/lib32
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root          9 dec 12 14:46 lib64 -> usr/lib64
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root         10 dec 12 14:46 libx32 -> usr/libx32
drwx------   2 root root      16384 dec 12 14:45 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x   4 root root       4096 dec 12 17:12 media
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root       4096 jul 31 18:27 mnt
drwxr-xr-x   3 root root       4096 dec 12 21:47 opt
dr-xr-xr-x 233 root root          0 dec 14 12:32 proc
drwx------   6 root root       4096 dec 12 16:23 root
drwxr-xr-x  35 root root        960 dec 14 21:07 run
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root          8 dec 12 14:46 sbin -> usr/sbin
drwxr-xr-x  10 root root       4096 dec 12 15:10 snap
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root       4096 jul 31 18:27 srv
-rw-------   1 root root 2147483648 dec 12 14:45 swapfile
dr-xr-xr-x  13 root root          0 dec 14 12:32 sys
drwxrwxrwt  22 root root       4096 dec 14 16:26 tmp
drwxr-xr-x  14 root root       4096 jul 31 18:28 usr
drwxr-xr-x  14 root root       4096 jul 31 18:35 var

[jorgeanzola_gmail_com]

1. systemctl status plexmediaserver

● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
     Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
             └─override.conf
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2020-12-14 16:25:55 CET; 4h 44min ago
    Process: 9314 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" || /bin/mkdir -p "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" (code=exited, statu>
    Process: 9321 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c  export PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_INFO_VENDOR="$(grep ^NAME= /etc/os-release | awk -F= "{print \$2}" | tr -d \" )";  export PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_INFO_DEVICE="PC">
   Main PID: 9321 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

dec 14 16:25:55 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
dec 14 16:25:55 server systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server.
dec 14 16:25:55 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
dec 14 16:25:55 server systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
dec 14 16:25:55 server systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.

2. grep plex /etc/passwd

plex:x:998:998::/var/lib/plexmediaserver:/usr/sbin/nologin

3. ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver

total 12
drwxr-xr-x  3 plex plex 4096 dec 14 12:46 .
drwxr-xr-x 71 root root 4096 dec 14 12:46 ..
drwxr-xr-x  3 plex plex 4096 dec 14 12:46 Library

Lemme know if there’s any other info I can provide

[ChuckPa]

See what’s in override.conf

that’ll drive what PMS looks for and which UID/GID it uses.

[jorgeanzola_gmail_com]

@ChuckPa

systemctl status plexmediaserver

YES! Indeed there was something wrong there! It’s working OMG. Thanks!

[akanie]

I installed Plex on a Raspberry Pi following instruction online and on first bootup, I am having the same error but I don’t know how to fix this as I am new to this. Thanks.

Warning: The unit file, source configuration file or drop-ins of plexmediaserver.service changed on disk. Run 'systemc
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
└─override.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2020-12-25 23:02:40 EST; 2min 14s ago
Process: 944 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "{PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" || /bin/mkdir - Process: 946 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c export PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_INFO_VENDOR="(grep ^NAME= /etc/os-release | awk -F= "{p
Main PID: 946 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Service RestartSec=5s expired, scheduling restart.
Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server.
Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Dec 25 23:02:40 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server.

[akanie]

how do I see what’s in override.conf?
what’s the command?
thanks

[ChuckPa]

20 Linux commands every sysadmin should know

We are able to help with Plex on Linux but not setup to teach Linux.

[akanie]

Thanks. I searched a little more and found these errors:

pi@raspberrypi:/etc/systemd/system $ sudo journalctl -xe | grep -i plex
Dec 25 23:02:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Starting Plex Media Server…
– Subject: A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has begun execution
– A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has begun execution.
Dec 25 23:02:22 raspberrypi systemd[1]: Started Plex Media Server.
– Subject: A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has finished successfully
– A start job for unit plexmediaserver.service has finished successfully.
Dec 25 23:02:24 raspberrypi Plex Media Server[507]: PMS: failure detected. Read/write access is required for path: /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server
Dec 25 23:02:24 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
– An ExecStart= process belonging to unit plexmediaserver.service has exited.
Dec 25 23:02:24 raspberrypi systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
– The unit plexmediaserver.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘exit-code’.

How can I resolve this error? Thank you…

[ChuckPa]

Look at what it’s telling you.

1. Permission problem.

@akanie

Dec 25 23:02:24 raspberrypi Plex Media Server[507]: PMS: failure detected. Read/write access is required for path: /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server

The username you’re trying to run as doesn’t Own / have Read-Write access to /var/lib/plexmediaserver and all below it.

What does that make you think of? hint: override.conf & chown

[akanie]

I found another post which you helped another user

Plex failed to start: Read/write access is required for path

I don’t know which (if any) files were overridden when I upgraded. Output of ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver: drwxr-xr-x 4 myuser myuser 4096 Feb 4 17:34 . drwxr-xr-x 52 root root 4096 Feb 17 11:30 .. drwxr-xr-x 3 myuser myuser 4096 Feb 4 17:34 Library drwxr-xr-x 2 myuser myuser 4096 Feb 5 18:03 tmp_transcoding /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/lib/plexmediaserver.service: User=myuser Group=myuser

After a day of research, I learned enough Linux commands to be able to use the command chown -R myuser /var/lib/plexmediaserver and added the myuser to have Read-Write access. Plexmediaserver is up and running. I didn’t have to go into the override.conf file, thankfully, because I don’t know enough yet to know what to do in the file.

Thanks for your help!