Upgrade of plex media server fails

Plex Media Server
1

Server Version#: 1.13.9.5456
Player Version#: 3.69.1

Hi All,

I am trying to update my media server to the lastest version. However I keep getting an error and the update exits.

The following is the output from the console
(Reading database … 135372 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack plexmediaserver_1.19.3.2764-ef515a800_amd64.deb …
Removed symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/plexmediaserver.service.
PlexMediaServer install: Pre-installation Validation.
PlexMediaServer install: Systemd configuration error detected:
PlexMediaServer install: File “/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service” is leftover from an earlier Debian/Ubuntu bug.
PlexMediaServer install: Please transfer any customizations (APP_DIR, User, Group, TMPDIR, and/or UMask) to a proper “/override.conf”
PlexMediaServer install: and reinstall.
PlexMediaServer install: Unit override “/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service” found.
PlexMediaServer install: Only “/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.d/override.conf” is supported.
PlexMediaServer install:
PlexMediaServer install: Pre-installation Validation failed.
PlexMediaServer install: Configuration information discovered:
PlexMediaServer install: Installation Type: Update
PlexMediaServer install: Process Control: systemd
PlexMediaServer install: Plex User: plex
PlexMediaServer install: Plex Group: plex
PlexMediaServer install: Video Group: video
PlexMediaServer install: Metadata Dir: /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support
PlexMediaServer install: Temp Directory: /tmp
PlexMediaServer install: Lang Encoding: en_US.UTF-8
PlexMediaServer install: Transcoding HW: Not found
PlexMediaServer install:
PlexMediaServer install: Pre-installation Validation complete.
dpkg: error processing archive plexmediaserver_1.19.3.2764-ef515a800_amd64.deb (–install):
subprocess new pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
Created symlink from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/plexmediaserver.service to /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu11) …

I have spent many hours Googling and combing the forum for a solution. Could someone please point me in the direction of a procedure to correct the error and allow the upgrade to proceed.

My server is currently running Ubuntu 16.04. I can do a release upgrade to 20.04 but I am not sure that this will only compound the issue. I am very confident with the file system and working with consoles.

Thanks is anticipation

Stuart

2

i had the same problem, i solved it by renaming the file /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service

mv /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service.old

and i re ran the installation

dpkg -i plexmediaserver_1.19.3.2764-ef515a800_amd64.deb

i’ve got a warning :
Warning: The unit file, source configuration file or drop-ins of plexmediaserver.service changed on disk. Run ‘systemctl daemon-reload’ to reload units.

but the installation continue and after it is installed i saw the last version in my plex setting on web broswer.

Olivier.

3

Please be advised:

  1. /etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service is leftover from a Ubuntu BUG. from 2016 (Ubuntu 16.04)
  2. The file does not belong there.
  3. The proper location, which I install , is located in /lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service
  4. The installation script fails because I am not permitting full service override definitions in /etc
  5. Proper use of /etc/systemd/system/plexmedisserver.service.d/override.conf, which allows customizing of username, file locations, and some environment variables.

I am willing to help overcome this transition.

4

Thank you both for your offer of assistance. Took the plunge and did a re-install of the Linux OS. Then re-installed plex from scratch. All went well and one re-attached my library that is held on an LVM volume, the system is back up and running and working well.

Once again thanks