WARNING: Do not EVER sign out everywhere after a password change

Plex Media Server Remote Access
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For any user out there attempting this for safety reasons DON’T.

It will lock you out of your remote server and the instructions set out in the FAQs or things like changing the preferences.xml file or re-setting permissions don’t work because hey - NO SOUP FOR YOU!

Back story:

Running the latest version of Plex on a headless remote server (Ubuntu). Worked perfectly. I had suspicious traffic so I decided to change my password just to be sure (and yes I have 2FA on) because who knows.

Somewhere in the user menu there was a security option to sign you out everywhere. So I hit yes to be on the safe side.

What I did of course was sign me out of the remote server too. Which wouldn’t be a problem if only the server would show up again per the instructions which I followed to the letter. Changing permissions or tinkering with preferences.xml file (again per instructions) didn’t work either.

So, don’t trust the process and only sign out servers/instances manually in the settings. Hell, why change the password. Scary ■■■■! Otherwise a routine job will become a ■■■■■■■ nightmare.

Meanwhile, I’ll have to reinstall en rebuild everything again. I’m thrilled.

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I’m not sure which support articles you were looking at, but have a look at the “On a Different Network” section of this one:

The short version is that if you need to initially configure or log in to a remote server for the first time, you have to do it over an SSH tunnel. By signing out of your server, you ended up in a state where you’d need to do this again.

ssh user@remote_ip -L 8888:localhost:32400 (enter your password if/when prompted).

Then, point your browser to http://localhost:32400/web.

If you’re beyond the point where you can attempt to recover, you’ll still need to do this when you set up your newly-rebuilt installation.

2 Likes
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Just claim the server again

No need to reinstall/rebuild anything

1 Like
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There may be improvements to the text to help make the consequences of signing out all devices more apparent.

yes this signs out clients and server(s), so you must be able to access a (remote) server via local address (ie within your lan/vpn, or via ssh tunnel), in order to sign the server back in to your plex account.

you should not need to reinstall or setup anything else with your content etc.

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What you see may seem unexpected, but a common troubleshooting step when working with servers is to access them locally.

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I SSH’d into the server and logged in correctly.

I followed the instructions to the letter to reclaim it.

Still, the server wouldn’t show up in the settings.

Instead I got the NO SOUP FOR YOU!!! message.

Via the forum I found comparable problems, some suggested that it was a permissions thing and another editing the preferences.xml file.

That didn’t work either.

Instead it was no SOUP FOR ME.

As I was swamped with work I didn’t have time to investigate further.

So a reinstall was the only option.

That’s why I stand by my statement.

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For next time, so you don’t have to stand by reinstalling everything -

Just run this to claim it

2 Likes
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Thanks, update: even a reinstall didn’t help. Still the same issues.

When I try to run this script on the server it gives me a: "Syntax error: “(” unexpected

All very typical PMS.

No soup for me. Very fracking funny.

Is this to force users into reinstalling their entire server? wtf?!

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Remember, all I did was change the password and sign out.

The simplest task imaginable but somehow PMS is making it into a world-ending event.

How? Really?!

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Have you tried deleting the Preference.xml file before starting plex and claiming it ?

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Also, this article is generally useful to folks encountering the issue you are:

My suggestion above (local access via SSH) applies when going through the “Restore Access to Your Plex Media Server” section of the article.

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If I may jump in?

I developed some scripting code which I use for DSM 7 (Synology).
That scripting code claims PMS using the Plex Claim Token.

If I adapted that for desktop Linux, would it be of help here?

It wouldn’t take much effort to make the changes.

It would be of the form:

ClaimPlex 127.0.0.1-or-LAN_IP Plex_Claim_Token

example:
ClaimPlex 127.0.0.1 'claim-asdkhfaksjdhfasdfgasd

1 Like
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Yup, and renaming as .old but nada.

I finally got the script to work (by adding bash) but I now get an authentication failure.

Tired of all the work-arounds. I’ve seen examples of single lines used for changing permissions. This shouldn’t be complicated.

Edit, just seeing the new posts, will try.

No, regardless of what I try it doens’t connect. Now I can’t even login via the remote server after I’ve ssh’d into the server.

Seeing as this is a new install something somewhere must have gone horribly wrong. I just don’t get it.

Literally:

1st time around:

  • updated the server itself
  • updated Plex via the CL
  • verified that it worked
  • changed password
  • it worked
  • saw the option to sign out everywhere
  • APOCALYPSE NOW NO SOUP FOR YOU DIE!

2nd time around

  • killed PMS
  • deleted the plexmediaserver folder
  • installed PMS
  • YOU DIDN’T THINK I’D FALL FOR THAT NOW, FY - NO ACCESS PERMANENTLY
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If you want, I’d love to give it a shot.

EDIT:
Saw your post in my inbox but not here.

How about both?

  • The minimal version so you can do it step by step.
  • The more embellished version that produces error codes too so you know where to look for a solution.

What I found so frustrating was that I seemed to do everything by the book. I’m sure there was some log file somewhere that was shouting the error but I’m not THAT of an advanced user (right now, I’m learning).

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@KudraM

In all your gyrations, have you:

  1. With PMS stopped
  2. Settings - Authorized Devices - Server (dropdown)
  3. Deleted the multiple instances of the server before attempting to claim it?
  4. Signed OUT of Plex/web app & close the winodw
  5. Then started
  6. Open browser window and claimed?
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Signed out all instances @ settings/AD, deleted the old folder then did a complete CL reinstall of the PMS (with the plex user), killed the PMS process, varified via ps x. Next, if I try to claim it with the script it says:

Comparing entered passwords
Comparing entered passwords ok
Validating IP address
Getting PMS Server Identifier
Getting PMS Server Identifier ok
Getting User Token from plex.tv
******** ERROR ********
We failed to authenticate towards plex.tv
Please check username and password, as well as network access

So it’s the token that’s somehow the problem. Don’t see anything about this on the wiki.

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So the latest reinstall might have cast out the demons that produced this harrowing experience.

frack yes

Instead of the script I tried the old-fashioned way to set it up. Low and behold it did. I was… speechless,

Possible explanations:
-Install via the plex user.

EDIT:

  • Token claimed via cl in the first 5 mins.
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