I can’t access plex web interface either using x2go or with an SSH tunnel. The link on the dashboard also gives me a 503 error.
Will you run box upgrade real quick and then try the install one more time.
I encountered this issues yesterday as well. It happened after I had already had an existing (and deleted) Plex though. I will need to spare some time and see why. I am definitely running into instances wherein I need to install it twice for it to install properly.
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Now it seems to be hung on Updating system ...
Hit Enter - @liara made an adjustment earlier to address this, but it started spitting out errors for several people in regards to bad options.
Ok, that worked. Installation finished and after the usual futzing with plex (multiple attempts at adding it to my plex.tv account with or without tunnels, with x2go, etc.) it finally worked.
It’s a shame Plex made it such a mess to get it running headless. I always manage to get it working, but I can never really explain how. It’s witchcraft.
Indeed, and it’s a topic Plex likes to ignore… which makes it additionally frustrating. Another issue I have hit on fresh installs is the system thinking it’s already bound to the proxy port. So, let’s mark this as a bug. It needs to have some focus on the installer sooner than later.
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I’m running the public plex releases. I’ve found the latest PlexPass to be be VERY unstable for me. I spent an entire day trying to make it work and then just wrote scripts to quickly move between public and plexpass. public has been much more stable.
just tried a complete new install on a Ubuntu 16.10. with 2.4.8
Went smoot but plex was red and refused to go green 
Install had problems starting the service because of a missing folder.
/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Application Support was missing.
So should you encounter this just make the folder, reinstall plex, do a plex upgrade.
Runs like a charm with newest version!
Running into the same issue as the OP. When I attempt to upgradePlex I get this…
Restarting Plex Media Server service …
Job for plexmediaserver.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See “systemctl status plexmediaserver.service” and “journalctl -xe” for details.
When I run systemctl status plexmediaserver.service this is the result…
plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor pr
Active: inactive (dead) (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2016-10-28 12:07:39 EDT;
Process: 63249 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APP
Oct 28 12:07:34 vachman systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Oct 28 12:07:34 vachman systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Unit entered failed s
Oct 28 12:07:34 vachman systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result 'e
Oct 28 12:07:39 vachman systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Service hold-off time
Oct 28 12:07:39 vachman systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server for Linux.
Oct 28 12:07:39 vachman systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeate
Oct 28 12:07:39 vachman systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Any help would be appreciated.
yeah read my reply just above yours!
Create the missing folders…
I’ve added the folder and still can’t get Plex to go green in the dashboard. Not too sure whats going on
Is it owned by plex:plex?
chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver
After deleting an reinstalling a few times I got it to work. Not too sure what did the trick since I tried just about everything posted recently in regards to Plex having issues.
I got a new fresh install on virtual machine on a proxmox (Debian 8 - 2 cpu - 4gb ram - 1To DD), everything work, rutorrent / sickrage / download.
But i got problem with Plex, first install was hard, after install i must do an apt-get update && upgrade to get the new .conf & user and i put the right access to the /var/lib/plexmediaserver folder. it’s seems to work but when i’ve got created my library in plex from a rutorrent folder files less than 300Mb not appear (it’s a limitation plex scanner) but .mp4 was not loaded i got error through web app / xbox one app or android…
I do a reinstall complete of plex, but now it’s not starting i only got :
systemctl status plexmediaserver.service
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled)
Active: activating (auto-restart) (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2016-11-04 11:14:14 CET; 1s ago
Process: 11508 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server (code=exited, status=134)
Process: 11506 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" || /bin/mkdir -p "${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}" (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 11508 (code=exited, status=134)
Nov 04 11:14:14 myquickbox systemd[1]: Unit plexmediaserver.service entered failed state.
And plex appear green in dashboard…
So if someone got an idea or a start to got plex start first and after we will check why files are not loading in it.
Hello,
I’ve exactly the same problem when I want to install Plex app in console :
Updating system …
chown: invalid user: ‘plex:plex’
Do you have a fix ?
Thanks.
exactly same problem here, need some help
Script doesn’t create user so you have to do it:
-
Uninstall plexmediaserver
-
Run this
adduser --quiet --system --shell /bin/bash --home /var/lib/plexmediaserver --group plex
then reinstall plex, and finaly open your beer & enjoy 
3 Likes
I had to also create /var/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex Media Server and chown -R plex:plex /var/lib/plexmediaserver
Plex was green on the dashboard, I rebooted and same problem as before…
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
Active: inactive (dead) (Result: exit-code) since Tue 2016-12-13 00:40:13 CET; 1min 22s ago
Process: 1195 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver /usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server
Process: 1191 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” || /bin/mkdir -p "
Main PID: 1195 (code=exited, status=126)
Dec 13 00:40:08 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Unit entered failed state.
Dec 13 00:40:08 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
Dec 13 00:40:13 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduling restart.
Dec 13 00:40:13 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: Stopped Plex Media Server for Linux.
Dec 13 00:40:13 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Dec 13 00:40:13 QBOX3_HETZNY systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Server for Linux.
Hello guys,
Thank you for sharing the solution. I’ve installed Plex in the past and never had this problem.
I have just tried to install plex and tried all the above solutions and still my Plex light stays red.
systemctl status plexmediaserver.service -l
● plexmediaserver.service - Plex Media Server for Linux
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service; enabled)
Active: failed (Result: start-limit) since Wed 2016-12-21 16:01:54 GMT; 4min 33s ago
Process: 25056 ExecStart=/bin/sh -c LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/plexmediaserver / usr/lib/plexmediaserver/Plex\ Media\ Server (code=killed, signal=ABRT)
Process: 25051 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c /usr/bin/test -d “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_A PPLICATION_SUPPORT_DIR}” || /bin/mkdir -p “${PLEX_MEDIA_SERVER_APPLICATION_SUPPO RT_DIR}” (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
Main PID: 25056 (code=killed, signal=ABRT)
Dec 21 16:01:49 supply.tk systemd[1]: Unit plexmediaserver.service ent ered failed state.
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service holdoff time over, scheduling restart.
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: Stopping Plex Media Server for L inux…
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: Starting Plex Media Server for L inux…
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: plexmediaserver.service start re quest repeated too quickly, refusing to start.
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: Failed to start Plex Media Serve r for Linux.
Dec 21 16:01:54 supply.tk systemd[1]: Unit plexmediaserver.service ent ered failed state.