Cannot Update PlexPass to current 1.18.3.2129 or 1.18.4.2171

[siconic]

I have been trying to update Plex since early December, and running into major issues.

For version 1.18.3.2129:
1. I tried to update through Plugin Library in the GUI. No luck, get Error 500
2. I tried to update through command line, in jail, using pkg upgrade. No luck, Error 500
3. I tried to update through command line, using "iocage update plexmediaserver-plexpass". No luck, error 500

With each of those steps, I tried to run "sysrc plexmediaserver_plexpass_enable=yes", and received a message that it was added, but then when I tried to use "service plexmediaserver-plexpass start" i got the error that it does not exist in the local startup.

The interesting thing, is I was able to restore functionality 2 ways:
1. Rollback a snapshot. This obviously works...
2. The interesting one:

Code:

cd /var/cache/pkg
pkg install plexmediaserver-plexpass-1.18.1.1973_1.txz

And that worked! So I tried the same thing with 1.18.3.2129:

Code:

cd /var/cache/pkg
pkg install plexmediaserver-plexpass-1.18.3.2129.txz

And it did not work! What I thought that told me was the 1.18.3.2129 update was hosed.

Unfortunately, I tried all the same things today with 1.18.4.2171, and same ended up with the same results, that I failed to apply the update, and had to roll back to version 1.18.1.1973.

Is there ANY solution to this, without having to rebuild Plex? Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[sretalla]

Have a look at this script... https://github.com/ryanakata/PMS_Updater

If that doesn't get you there, you probably need to just abandon that jail and make a new one (then use the script).

The pkg repository in FreeNAS jails is quarterly by default, so that results in folks seeing Plex telling them there's a new version when the pkg isn't yet available. The script gets around that, but still isn't a substitute for eventually running pkg update && pkg upgrade to catch the supporting packages like ffmpeg.

Depending how you've done it, you should be able to rescue your plex database out of the existing jail and put it in the new one and continue without loss of watched status and library content. (really the db should be outside your jail and just mounted in so you can easily refresh the jail in future... jail filesystems should be seen as disposable and contain nothing that you care about).

 

[siconic]

Have a look at this script... https://github.com/ryanakata/PMS_Updater...

(really the db should be outside your jail and just mounted in so you can easily refresh the jail in future... jail filesystems should be seen as disposable and contain nothing that you care about).

I used to use the script to avoid these issues, but when I saw they integrated the Plugin better, I went with the Plugin version. I dont feel like I used the quarterly on my last update (maybe I did?) I always switch my repo to latest, run an update, and then go back to quarterly. Never had problems until now.

I would LOVE to do what you just descrived with the DB, having rebuilt my jail about 3 times now. That way I can put it on my DB disks, which should be faster and better suited to DB work. Is there a tutorial?

Thanks

 

[siconic]

Just got this email from Plex, so maybe new Jail time... Even though I am on a version that will work, I hope they put out the update sooner than quarterly for those who have the old version.

Starting January 31st, Plex Media Server version 1.18.2 or higher will be required to continue fetching TV show posters and episode thumbnails from TheTVDB.

 

[sretalla]

OK, so first stop the jail.

Go to the jail filesystem in /mnt/iocage/plex.../root

Look to see where your DB is... probably either just "Plex Media Server" directly in / (root) or elsewhere depending on your jail's history. Take care as this path contains spaces.

Copy that somewhere else outside the jail, ideally in its own dataset so you can snapshot and recover it.

Delete it from the jail filesystem (optionally leave it there, up to you... next step works with or around it as you choose)

Mount the dataset location into the jail (in my jail, I do that to /config)... your dataset needs to be one level higher than "Plex Media Server" so that when mounted, you would see "/config/Plex Media Server"

Start the jail

Set the sysrc plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path: /config (sysrc plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path="/config") in the jail (also don't forget to use the same username and UID GID for a user in your jail and do the sysrc for those too... not part of this explanation).

Restart the jail... all should now be good using your old settings for plex.

After that, your plex data is now free of the jail... feel free to create a new jail (with the same mounts and user/sysrc config) and you're good to go.

 

[siconic]

@sretalla
So, I did it before you posted, and I did it a little different, so maybe you can just clarify the advantage of doing it your way. It will be easy enough for me to change at this point if I like the advantages.

I did mine mostly identical.

1. Created a new Dataset
2. Copied the entire "Plex Media Server" contents, with preserve permissions, to that new dataset.
3. Moved the "Plex Media Server" folder in the jail to "Plex Media Server Old" to preserve the conifguration, if I screwed up.
4. Created a new folder "Plex Media Server" on the jail and assigned permissions and ownership appropriately
5. Mounted the new plex dataset to the new folder location in the jail through the FreeNAS UI
6. Started Plex.

Everything seems to be working, and I am operating under the assumption that that entire directory is the DB. But I guess I am wondering, what was the point of changing the support path? Is that just so stuff is not overwritten on install? Is there some other advantage, or can I just leave it how I have it as plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path: / ?

Thanks for the help!

 

[sretalla]

Everything seems to be working, and I am operating under the assumption that that entire directory is the DB. But I guess I am wondering, what was the point of changing the support path? Is that just so stuff is not overwritten on install? Is there some other advantage, or can I just leave it how I have it as plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path: / ?

It's all good as you have it. The /config location is something I do consistently across all my jails, so isn't mandatory for anyone else.