Plex setup resource

[Fyodor]

Could someone direct to reliable resource on how to setup Plex MS at 11.3 please. Seems like trying to follow various comments and suggestions from internet contibutors things only get worse.

 

[Yorick]

Can I shill my walkthrough of danb35's script? Use the links to the text explanations, and watch the video if there are bits in there that are useful to see. Video really is quite optional, the instructions online are crystal clear.
I should add that the method for enabling hardware transcode is a little dated. After further testing, there's an easier way. Not motivated to re-record this just for that, though.

FreeNAS Plex jail creation using a script

Create a Plex Media Server jail on FreeNAS 11.3 using danb35's script, while keeping metadata from an old Plex plugin install. Then, for good measure, enable...

www.youtube.com

 

[morningwon]

I second that recommendation, I used danb35's script for both plex and nextcloud. Both went silky smooth.

 

[Fyodor]

Thanks for recommendation, I went it thru, but I do setup PMS at 11.3 from scratch, I had no PMS at 11.2 that I could rsync. Yorik, you say the jail name shall not be "plex" otherwise installation from script does not go well. Might this be same applicable for GUI installation? In my case PMS has installed in "plex" named jail and seems operating, at least I see it at plex web app, but media content does not show up there and source dataset with that content has access problems. Probably permissions/ACL issues

 

[Yorick]

The issue with the name "plex" was that I had another jail running that had been named "plex" at some point in its life, and that caused some form of networking issue. Unclear whether within FreeNAS or in my CPE. In your case, as long as installation of pkg and plexmediaserver worked, you are all set.

And yes, your plex user needs access to that media dataset. In my case it's a SMB-type dataset with read access for Everyone, and full access for owner and group, with owner nobody and group shared. Pretty basic setup. This works for playing media. If I wanted Plex to "optimize media", which means it will transcode and write a transcoded version to the media storage, then I'd need to give Plex write permissions. Which could be done by changing the owner, or adding an ACL, either will work.
Edit: Adding an ACL works better though, as folders created via SMB will have the logged in users as the owner, and changing that owner after the fact is an extra step that can be avoided by having that additional ACL. ONLY needed if "optimize" is desired.

 

[Basil Hendroff]

If I wanted Plex to "optimize media", which means it will transcode and write a transcoded version to the media storage, then I'd need to give Plex write permissions.

I hadn't realised that, Thanks!

 

[Yorick]

but I do setup PMS at 11.3 from scratch, I had no PMS at 11.2 that I could rsync.

In which case you just leave out the rsync step, that's it, no other changes needed.

 

[Fyodor]

Understood with jail naming, thanks, I didn't pickup on second jail with the same name issue. Following what you say on ACL, I think what happened with my seup is when replacing root/wheel user to 972 user from GUI my Windows ACL got screwed rejected normal access to dataset. So, I will destroy and recreate media dataset, create standrad permissions, then add user 972 thru add ACL option (will not create 972 user in Accounts), setup unauthenticated access to media dataset, so everyone can load whatever content to watch they want (family server), remount and see what happens.

 

[NasKar]

I hadn't realised that, Thanks!

I have my plex user set as media which is the same as my other apps. I have the configuration mounted from outside my jail to /config inside the jail. In the Settings/Transcoder I have Transcoder temporary directory set to /config and optimization works.