Plex Snap Install Directory Location

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#:Version 1.42.2.10156
Player Version#

Hi, I installed Plex Server on Ubuntu 24.04.3 LTS desktop using Snap. Guess I shouldn’t have used Snap but I have my media files on a second internal SATA drive. When I first restart the server/workstation I can connect to the server but get an error when I try to play a movie. Says it can’t find the media. I have to go into the directory and launch a movie/MP4 manually and as soon as I do it can launch any movie or TV show in Plex. Is there a way to make Snap plexmediaserver know the location where my media is located? I know that can be one of the problems with Snap install and sandboxing.

If not I’m going to have to start over and try apt install or installing it in a Docker container.

2

There are a lot of limitations on SNAP installations. It’s VERY sandboxed.

When you setup PMS in the SNAP, if you saw the library sections then and were able to index them, it should still be doing so now.

All that said, It is possible to migrate from snap to native PMS .

I can help you as you wish.

3

Thanks Chuck! Here is the error I get after a reboot:

Screenshot from 2025-09-23 14-21-44
Screenshot from 2025-09-23 14-21-44518×233 7.82 KB

As soon as I manually play a video it works in Plex.

Would I have to uninstall Snap Plex and reinstall? I’m good with my media files but would have to figure out where my config files are. I assume I could just copy them over to the new locations? Actually I’ve installed Plex a couple times so it would be hard to rebuild it.

It looks like everything is sandboxed or located here:
/var/snap/plexmediaserver/common/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server?

Native meaning apt install from the repository or manual deb package install?

If you could point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it! Thanks!

4

I actually have a script for removing it from that sandbox and putting it where the native package is. Works pretty slick.

I’ll give it a quick read through again to be certain then PM it to you.

That work?

5

Perfect, thank you!

6

Here you go:

  1. You must run it as root (sudo bash)
  2. It does ask Y/N questions before proceeding.
  3. It’s very simplistic. It takes from default SNAP → default native app

Any time before it starts the move, you can bail out of it.

MigrateSnapToNative.tar (10 KB)

If you’re versed with shell scripting, give a read and

ASK QUESTIONS FIRST :slight_smile:

7

OMG, thank you! I will read through it.

Just FYI my external drive works fine when I point my library to it but not my second internal drive. I have removable-media configured under the snap plexmediaserver. I could probably live with it they way it is but it’s not right. I think I could get it to work with snap but it’s not worth the time and I’d rather have more control.

8

Looks great, thanks!!!

9

Media paths will be the same … -OR- You only edit the top-most directory path.
All library sections are relative to that top level directory.

10

Does the script (how it works) make sense ?

11

Yes it does. I need to take a deeper dive but everything I looked at does make sense.

12

It’s quite simple.

  1. confirm what’s installed (avoids trying to do what’s impossible)
  2. sets flags and asks questions based on what’s installed
  3. Installs Plex from the repo if needed for the host
  4. Deletes the empty DB it creates (if needed)
  5. Moves your existing DB in SNAP to into the Native location
  6. Removes the snap package to avoid two plexmediaserver’s trying to start
    – Knowing the native will take over

That’s it.

1 Like
13

I ran the script this morning and it worked perfect. Everything came right back up but the problem still exists. I have my media on a second internal drive:

sda 8:0 0 1.8T 0 disk
└─sda1 8:1 0 1.8T 0 part /media/steve/78f29c01-6e20-480e-85ca-51692

I changed the owner to plex:plex and still no change:

$ ls -la
total 68
drwxr-xr-x 17 plex plex 4096 Sep 24 13:56 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 Sep 9 23:00 ..
drwxr-xr-x 5 plex plex 4096 Sep 16 06:32 Cartoons
drwxr-xr-x 26 plex plex 4096 Sep 17 06:29 Christmas
drwxr-xr-x 26 plex plex 4096 Sep 20 11:39 Disney
drwxr-xr-x 7 plex plex 4096 Sep 19 18:25 Halloween
drwxr-xr-x 57 plex plex 4096 Sep 24 12:41 ‘Home Movies’
drwxr-xr-x 6 plex plex 4096 Sep 10 10:16 ‘John Deere’
drwxr-xr-x 11 plex plex 4096 Sep 21 18:33 Kids
drwxr-xr-x 2 plex plex 4096 Sep 11 09:31 Misc
drwxr-xr-x 65 plex plex 4096 Sep 20 12:27 Movies
drwxr-xr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Sep 19 08:02 .Spotlight-V100
drwxr-xr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Sep 19 11:28 .TemporaryItems
drwxr-xr-x 5 plex plex 4096 Sep 16 13:31 .Trash-1000
drwxr-xr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Sep 19 10:40 .Trashes
drwxr-xr-x 6 plex plex 4096 Sep 15 11:22 ‘TV Shows’
drwxr-xr-x 3 plex plex 4096 Sep 14 11:09 YouTube

The issue when I restart the server and log in I can connect to Plex but can’t start a movie until I physically run it from outside of Plex. Then everything works. Not sure where to go from here.