Weird issues w/ PMS on Ubuntu 20.4 server install

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

I have a PMS running on an install of Ubuntu Server 20.4, and I’ve experienced a multitude of issues.

I downloaded the latest version from the repo (1.19.3.2852) and it set up completely fine. I was able to define where my media went, give permissions and everything, following every step I did previously. However, once I was able to set it up successfully, it keeps telling me to claim the server. When I claim the server, it loads infinitely, stops, but doesn’t error out. Interesting thing is it’s telling me to update to a newer version. Even downloading from the website manually and exporting it to the server, extracting and running will do the same thing and fail without reason.

Something else interesting is that whenever I go directly to the dashboard via IP, it asks to “Customize your Media”, showing where all my directories are. Last interesting thing is, although Plex definitely has access to the folder, none of my media shows. It is formatted correctly, this is a reinstall of Plex. I haven’t touched any of my media’s names.

Yes, very buggy install haha, not too sure what I did to accomplish this but I did it.

2

The current repo version is 1.20.5 . The version you are declaring is very old ad not the latest.

Please recheck and show me what it is actually doing.
Also, after the install, please get file /tmp/plexinstaller.log and attach it

3

Oh? That’s the version that downloaded from the repo instructions on the Plex website.
There is no plexinstaller.log file after install in /tmp. There’s a snap.plexmediaserver folder, however there’s nothing inside.

4

Very odd. I have been running PMS on Ubuntu 20.04LTS for over 6 months now and perform automatic upgrades when new versions are available (no real risk as a secondary server). I have not seen this issue and am currently on 1.20.5.3600

5

I used Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop briefly and tried installing it on there via the snap store, worked flawlessly. However, on Ubuntu 20.04 Server, it just refuses to work as it should! Guarantee this is probably a me issue, though. This server hasn’t been too cooperative with me recently.

6

hold up please. You just said the magic word — SNAP ?

Open a terminal window

  1. sudo dpkg -l | grep -i plex
  2. Show us what it reports.

Ubuntu 20.04 eliminated the traditional DEB packages in favor of SNAPs.
The two mechanisms are completely incompatible.
Judging by your reaction so far, you’re like most of us and want the DEB version

7

Haven’t had too much experience in Linux yet, that’s a great thing to know haha

Output of that cmd is below.

ii  byobu                                5.133-0ubuntu1                     all          text window manager, shell multiplexer, integrated DevOps environment
ii  libgraphite2-3:amd64                 1.3.13-11build1                    amd64        Font rendering engine for Complex Scripts -- library
ii  php7.4-xml                           7.4.3-4ubuntu2.4                   amd64        DOM, SimpleXML, XML, and XSL module for PHP
ii  plymouth                             0.9.4git20200323-0ubuntu6          amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer
ii  plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text           0.9.4git20200323-0ubuntu6          amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - ubuntu text theme
ii  screen                               4.8.0-1                            amd64        terminal multiplexer with VT100/ANSI terminal emulation
ii  tmux                                 3.0a-2ubuntu0.2                    amd64        terminal multiplexer
8

thanks. that confirms you don’t have normal (DEB) PMS installed.

You probably installed via the GUI from the Ubuntu Store ?

If so, and you are expecting a full and proper Plex experience (including hardware transcoding at some point), the SNAP package won’t give that to you.

  1. Uninstall what you have.

  2. Go to www.plex.tv/downloads

  3. Download PMS for Ubuntu linux (most likely 64 bit)

  4. Follow here for normal DEB package install
    https://support.plex.tv/articles/200288586-installation/

  5. As that installer runs, it will perform all the preconfiguration for using automatic updates.

  6. Complete the process of enabling automatic update
    https://support.plex.tv/articles/235974187-enable-repository-updating-for-supported-linux-server-distributions/

9

Removed everything, got the deb, installed that, aaaand same problem.
The version I just downloaded from the downloads page is still erroring out with “An update is available. Please install manually.” That version is 1.20.5.3600. Newer then before, but still nothing.

10
  1. You used Server rather than Desktop. Server has missing packages and other complications. Desktop. I think I ran Desktop and did the ‘lite’ install for my server.
  2. Repository on my 20.04 updates to 1.20.5, on both Intel/Ubunu 20.04 and RaspberryPi
  3. Make sure you are on the .deb repository, and not the snap.

Might want to purge snap: https://www.kevin-custer.com/blog/disabling-snaps-in-ubuntu-20-04/ Lots of issues and high overhead with snap…
Make sure you aren’t using Docker.

11

Will try this and see if it resolves.
I am not using Docker.

Edit: Didn’t work.
Did generate a plexinstaller.log this time around however, will attach that.
(File removed)

12

thank you.

The file confirms:

Init=0
Systemd=1
Custom=0
LinuxContainer=0
NewInstall=1
HaveOverride=0
OverrideFile=""
PlexUser="plex"
PlexGroup="plex"
VideoGroup="render"
AppSuppDir="/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support"
PlexTempDir="/tmp"
LangEncoding="en_US.UTF-8"
ExistingVersion=0
HaveHardware=1
HaveTranscoderPref=0
NeedUser=0
NeedGroup=0
NeedVideo=0
Verbose=1
Running=1
Errors=0
Warnings=0

Which tells me user plex exists, (NeedUser=0, NeedGroup=0).

ls -la /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support should show that everything is owned by user plex:plex.

If not sudo chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver

Not being owned by plex:plex is consistent with not being able to CLAIM.

Another possible source of the confusion is in Settings - Authorized Devices - Servers (dropdown)

Please confirm there is only 1 instance of this hostname/friendlyname.

13

Running the ls -la command confirms that /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support is indeed owned by plex:plex as it should be, still infinitely trying to claim the server before eventually timing out.
Also checked over Authorized Devices and there are no duplicates of the server hostname on any other PMS instances.

14

@awexxx

Please stop plex.
Manually create a tar.gz of the Logs directory and attach it here for me to go through and see what it doesn’t like.

15

Here you go.
plex-log.tar.gz (101.5 KB)

16

Your server cannot communicate with Plex.tv.

While it does seem to have DNS resolution, it has no path to Plex.tc

Further, The ethernet adapter itself changed while PMS was trying to establish connections. The RTM_DELADDR tells me the adapter’s IP address was removed/dropped.

Might you have a misconfigured DHCP server supplying bad information to the server host ?

Nov 19, 2020 21:04:36.779 [0x7fe11dffb700] DEBUG - HTTP simulating 408 after curl timeout
Nov 19, 2020 21:04:36.779 [0x7fe11dffb700] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn't get features. Trying again soon.
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:06.571 [0x7fe11dffb700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET https://plex.tv/api/v2/user/privacy?X-Plex-Token=
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:21.577 [0x7fe11f7fe700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET https://plex.tv/api/v2/release_channels?X-Plex-Token=
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:21.581 [0x7fe11dffb700] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 28
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:21.581 [0x7fe11dffb700] DEBUG - HTTP simulating 408 after curl timeout
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:21.581 [0x7fe11dffb700] WARN - [Analytics] Couldn't get analytics privacy settings. Trying again soon.
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:31.823 [0x7fe1397fa700] DEBUG - NetworkInterface: received Netlink message len=88, type=RTM_DELADDR, flags=0x0
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:31.823 [0x7fe1397fa700] DEBUG - NetworkInterface: Netlink address message family=2, index=2, flags=0x0
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:31.823 [0x7fe1397fa700] DEBUG - Network change.
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:31.823 [0x7fe1397fa700] DEBUG - NetworkInterface: Notified of network changed (force=0)
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:31.823 [0x7fe1397fa700] DEBUG - Network change notification but nothing changed.
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:36.590 [0x7fe11f7fe700] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 28
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:36.590 [0x7fe11f7fe700] DEBUG - HTTP simulating 408 after curl timeout
Nov 19, 2020 21:05:36.590 [0x7fe11f7fe700] WARN - [AutoUpdateRequestHandler] Couldn't get update channels. Trying again soon.
Nov 19, 2020 21:09:36.779 [0x7fe11f7fe700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET https://plex.tv/api/v2/features?X-Plex-Token=
Nov 19, 2020 21:09:51.792 [0x7fe11f7fe700] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 28
Nov 19, 2020 21:09:51.792 [0x7fe11f7fe700] DEBUG - HTTP simulating 408 after curl timeout
Nov 19, 2020 21:09:51.792 [0x7fe11f7fe700] WARN - FeatureManager: Couldn't get features. Trying again soon.
17

We had a power issue here about a week ago and the IP of the server did drop and change after being offline, that could be part of the issue? Otherwise, this adapter’s been off and on, randomly dropping the connection, could the combination of those be messing with PMS?

18

This will cause failure every time.

There must be a connection when attempting to claim.

There is now a problem in the host / host OS itself.

19

Fixed it!
What ended up happening was my DNS server was set incorrectly, which explains what you mean by an incorrect routing issue. Updating that correctly detected that this was the most up-to-date version of PMS and successfully connected it to my account.

Really appreciate the help here :slight_smile:

20

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