Plex is a streaming media server that helps you organize your video, music, and photos and stream them to your devices at any time and from anywhere.
Plex can be installed on Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS, Windows and various NAS systems.
This guide will show you how to set up the Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 18.04 / Ubuntu 16.04 & Linux Mint 19.
Install Plex Media Server
The installation process of Plex Media Server is very simple, and it won’t take much of your time. You can install Plex server either by setting up Plex’s official repository or downloading .deb package from Plex server download page.
Using Plex Repository
Import the Plex repository’s GPG key using the curl command.
curl https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-keys/PlexSign.key | sudo apt-key add -
Add the Plex repository to your system using the below command
echo "deb https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/deb public main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list
Now, update the apt index and install the latest version of the Plex Media Server.
sudo apt update sudo apt install -y plexmediaserver
Plex Media Server package places repository configuration in /etc/apt/sources.list.d directory. Since we already have the plexmediaserver.list in the repo directory, the installer may ask you below questions. Type Y and press enter.
Configuration file '/etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list'
==> File on system created by you or by a script.
==> File also in package provided by package maintainer.
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.list (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ? Y
Installing new version of config file /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list ...
Using .deb Package
Go to Plex server’s download page, select Linux and choose Ubuntu 14.04 or newer.
If you are installing Plex on a headless server, then you can copy the download link using right click and Copy link address. Then, use the copied link address with wget to download Plex from the command line.
wget https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server/1.14.1.5488-cc260c476/plexmediaserver_1.14.1.5488-cc260c476_amd64.deb
Install Plex package with apt command.
sudo apt install ./plexmediaserver_1.14.1.5488-cc260c476_amd64.deb
Start Plex Media Server
Start Plex Media server using the systemctl command, if required.
sudo systemctl start plexmediaserver
Once you start Plex Media Server service, you check the status of it using the below command.
sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver
Output:
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) Active: active (running) since Thu 2019-02-14 20:59:53 IST; 20min ago Process: 2688 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" Main PID: 2691 (sh) Tasks: 130 (limit: 2318) CGroup: /system.slice/plexmediaserver.service ├─2691 /bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver "/usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Med ├─2692 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server ├─2732 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.system] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-cc260c47 ├─2778 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Tuner Service /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Tuner/P ├─2784 /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex DLNA Server ├─2820 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.plexthememusic] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Pl ├─2901 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.plexmusic] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-in ├─3069 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.opensubtitles] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plu ├─3078 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.themoviedb] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-i ├─3080 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins- └─3150 Plex Plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.imdb] /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Resources/Plug-ins-cc2 Feb 14 20:59:53 lmint systemd[1]: Started Plex Media Server for Linux.
Configure Plex Media Server
Initial Configuration
Open your browser and access Plex Media set up page by going to the below URL.
You will see the below screen.
To use the Plex server, you will need to create an account with Email or sign in Google or Facebook.
Once you sign up for the new account, you will be redirected to the below page where it shows How Plex Works. Click the GOT IT.
You may wish to subscribe for Plex Pass which is a paid subscription that gives you numerous features such as Watch and record TV broadcasts, Mobile Sync, Camera Upload, Parental controls, etc. Click the close button if you do not want to subscribe for Plex Pass.
On the next screen type the Plex server name and click Next. Leave the box checked for Allow me to access my media outside my home.
Add Media Library
First, we will create a folder for placing movies and tv shows. Here, for this demo, I will create a folder /movies and add it to the Plex media server as a library.
mkdir /movies sudo chown plex.plex /movies/
On the Plex Media Server set up, click on ADD LIBRARY.
Select the Library type suitable for your Media folder and name your library. Click NEXT.
On the next screen, BROWSE FOR MEDIA FOLDER we created a few steps back.
Choose the media folder manually or type the folder path and then click ADD.
Finally, click Add Library.
You should see the added library we added just now. Click NEXT.
Click DONE to complete the Plex Media Setup.
Using Plex Media Server
Upon completing the Plex Media Server set up, you would see the blank media page shown like below.
To list your movies collection, you would need to upload your movies to /movies. Then, click three dots (…) next to your media library and then click Scan Library Files.
Wait for a few minutes. Movies you have uploaded should be listed in the Movies library.
Update Plex Media Server
When you install Plex Media Server, it puts the repository file on your system for getting updates from the official site. But, the repository entries are disabled by default. So, edit the plexmediaserver.list file.
sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list
Uncomment the below line.
# When enabling this repo please remember to add the PlexPublic.Key into the apt setup.
# wget -q https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-keys/PlexSign.key -O - | sudo apt-key add -
deb https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/deb/ public main
When a new version of Plex Media Server is released you can update it through Ubuntu’s/Linux Mint’s standard Software Update tool or by running the following commands in your terminal.
sudo apt update sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install plexmediaserver
Conclusion
You have successfully installed Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 18.04 / Ubuntu 16.04 & Linux Mint 19. Plex player apps are available for Android, iOS, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast and many more devices to play music, photos, videos and online content from Plex Media Server.
