Plex server just stopped working (Ubuntu) after Plex v1.15 update

thesav · February 13, 2019, 12:31am

Hi all, my Plex system just suddenly stopped working this morning… No idea why… It’s been happily chugging along for a couple of years. I used it happily last night, yet today the Plex service on Ubuntu won’t even start…

Plex Server Version: 1.15.0.659 (latest - I have a plex pass)
OS Version: Ubuntu 17.04
Player Version: Chrome on Win10 (latest); iOS Plex app via Chromecast (latest)

I’ve tried stop/start/restarting the service, and rebooting the computer, to no avail.
Help? I’m not sure exactly where to find Plex logs to look through?

When I check the status of the service, I get the following output:

sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
└─override.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2019-02-13 09:55:51 AEST; 17min ago
Process: 3785 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server (code=exited, status=127)
Process: 3781 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, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 3785 (code=exited, status=127)

Feb 13 09:55:45 systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduling restart.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server for Linux.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Unit entered failed state.
Feb 13 09:55:51 systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.

Can someone help me out please?
Thanks

ChuckPa · February 13, 2019, 12:49am

sudo journalctl -xe | grep -i plex | less

Now look for specific details about permissions or missing directories.

thesav · February 13, 2019, 3:04am

sudo journalctl -xe | grep -i plex | less output
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: [Warn] PlexServerService: Failed to Update Plex host: localhost
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerProxy.Version (NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x00068] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService.GetVersion (NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x00016] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService+<>c__DisplayClass5_0.b__0 () [0x00000] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService.UpdateLibrary (NzbDrone.Core.Tv.Series series, NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x0006c] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: [Warn] NotificationService: Unable to send OnDownload notification to: Plex
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerProxy.Version (NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x00068] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService.GetVersion (NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x00016] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService+<>c__DisplayClass5_0.b__0 () [0x00000] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerService.UpdateLibrary (NzbDrone.Core.Tv.Series series, NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServerSettings settings) [0x00120] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServer.UpdateIfEnabled (NzbDrone.Core.Tv.Series series) [0x0001a] in :0
Feb 13 12:45:58 --computername-- mono[965]: at NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.Plex.PlexServer.OnDownload (NzbDrone.Core.Notifications.DownloadMessage message) [0x00007] in :0
Feb 13 12:51:51 --computername-- sudo[11656]: plex : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/plex/Downloads ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/journalctl -xe
Feb 13 12:51:51 --computername-- sudo[11656]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root by plex(uid=0)
Feb 13 12:52:22 --computername-- sudo[11669]: plex : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/plex/Downloads ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/journalctl -xe
Feb 13 12:52:22 --computername-- sudo[11669]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root by plex(uid=0)
Feb 13 12:52:48 --computername-- sudo[11678]: plex : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/plex/Downloads ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/journalctl -xe
Feb 13 12:52:48 --computername-- sudo[11678]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root by plex(uid=0)
Feb 13 12:57:57 --computername-- sudo[12090]: plex : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/plex/Downloads ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/journalctl -xe
Feb 13 12:57:57 --computername-- sudo[12090]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root by plex(uid=0)
Feb 13 12:58:13 --computername-- sudo[12162]: plex : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/plex/Downloads ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/usr/sbin/service plexmediaserver start

grep plex /etc/passwd output
plex:x:1000:1000:plex,:/home/plex:/bin/bash

grep plex /etc/group output
adm:x:4:syslog,plex
cdrom:x:24:plex
sudo:x:27:plex
dip:x:30:plex
video:x:44:plex
plugdev:x:46:plex
lpadmin:x:121:plex
plex:x:1000:
sambashare:x:131:plex

ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver output
total 12
drwxrwsr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Jul 13 2017 .
drwxr-xr-x 75 root root 4096 Dec 13 2017 …
drwxrwsr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Jul 13 2017 Library

sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver.service output
plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
└─override.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2019-02-13 12:58:29 AEST; 22s ago
Process: 12259 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server (code=exited, status=127)
Process: 12255 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, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 12259 (code=exited, status=127)

Feb 13 12:58:24 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduling restart.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server for Linux.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Unit entered failed state.
Feb 13 12:58:29 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Feb 13 12:58:38 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Feb 13 12:58:38 --computername-- systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Feb 13 12:58:38 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.

sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver.service output after stopping and starting the service
plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d
└─override.conf
Active: activating (auto-restart) (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2019-02-13 13:03:09 AEST; 4s ago
Process: 13490 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server (code=exited, status=127)
Process: 13486 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, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 13490 (code=exited, status=127)

Feb 13 13:03:09 --computername-- systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.

I hope that helps?

thesav · February 13, 2019, 3:09am

ChuckPa:

sudo journalctl -xe | grep -i plex | less
Now look for specific details about permissions or missing directories.

next:

grep plex /etc/passwd
grep plex /etc/group
ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver

FYI I updated the version last night with mrworf’s plexupdate script here

I’ve not downgraded or anything yet. Let me know if you need more details or logs etc

willruss1 · February 13, 2019, 3:32am

Double check the “bitness” of the version of PMS you have installed, I just had almost the exact same issue because I wasn’t paying attention and installed the 32bit version as an “upgrade” to an existing 64bit one… never used this update script you linked to.

file /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server should tell you whether it was compiled for 32 or 64bit.

thesav · February 13, 2019, 3:35am

Thanks willruss1
file /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server
/usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server: ELF 64-bit LSB executable, x86-64, version 1 (SYSV), dynamically linked, interpreter /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2, for GNU/Linux 3.2.87, stripped

I’ve used this script for quite a while and done lots of updates with it, without issue. Also looks like the correct x64 binary is installed…

willruss1 · February 13, 2019, 3:37am

Indeed it does. Figured it was worth a shot.

ChuckPa · February 13, 2019, 7:05pm

The linux command file filename-here will tell you the details.

e.g.

[chuck@lizum ~/bin.335]$ file pfgw
pfgw: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), statically linked, for GNU/Linux 2.6.15, with debug_info, not stripped
[chuck@lizum ~/bin.336]$

thesav · February 15, 2019, 9:53am

I’ve now downgraded to v1.14.1.5488 - I’ve tried updating again, and it still produces the same fault - what can I do to help out with troubleshooting?

I see some other are having very similar issues to me on v1.15 too…
Help?
Thanks

ChuckPa · February 15, 2019, 4:14pm

Clarify please?

You downgraded to 1.14.1 and the problem is the same?

Restart the machine.
Verify you’re back to normal.

thesav · February 17, 2019, 10:06am

Sorry, my last comment was confusing…

I downgraded to 1.14.1 and that fixed everything.
I tried another manual upgrade to 1.15 via command prompt and this time it complained about /etc/init/plexmediaserver.conf:

Configuration file ‘/etc/init/plexmediaserver.conf’
==> Deleted (by you or by a script) since installation.
==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
What would you like to do about it ? Your options are:
Y or I : install the package maintainer’s version
N or O : keep your currently-installed version
D : show the differences between the versions
Z : start a shell to examine the situation
The default action is to keep your current version.
*** plexmediaserver.conf (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ? y

Once I typed ‘y’ to reinstall this conf file, the upgrade was successful and Plex is running correctly again.

Thanks for your assistance Chuck.

system · May 18, 2019, 10:07am

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