Issues setting up Plex and permissions issues

[djdwosk97]

I'm running the Plex plugin on FreeNAS 9.3, but I'm having some issues with it. So I added the storage, but when I try to add libraries in Plex and choose those storage locations nothing loads. Also, for some reason the storage I created keeps disappearing. When I first create the storage I checked under /mnt/RAID1/jails/Plexmediaserver_1/Media and I see disk1, disk2, disk3, and disk4, and if I open each of them up they each show the contents of the respective pools that they're using as a source. However after I try to add library in Plex I checked back in /mnt/RAID1/jails/Plexmediaserver_1 and noticed that the Media folder is now missing (until I disconnect (signing out, not just closing the folder) and reconnect to the server). Any idea what's causing that to happen? (Note, if I check the plex jail, then it always shows that the storage is mounted -- even when I can't see it).

Also, for some reason I keep losing permission to write to the drives from my computer (when I'm logged in under an account that has full permissions under both the permissions section within each volume, and the permission section within each share). I had this issue the last time I tried to write data to one of the drives, and I ended up fixing it by opening up the drives permission files, rechecking 'set permissions recursively' and then restarting the server. Now, this method may work this time too, I haven't tried it since that's just a temporary fix that isn't going to work in the long run anyway. So any idea what could be causing that?

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

Can you show a screenshot of your dataset and Jails > Storage tab?

As for plex having permission to read the files, can you show the output of the following.

Code:

ls -l /path/to/files

 

[djdwosk97]

Can you show a screenshot of your dataset and Jails > Storage tab?

As for plex having permission to read the files, can you show the output of the following.

Code:

ls -l /path/to/files

The permissions issue I'm having isn't with Plex (well, there might be another issue there), but rather when I'm just trying to copy a file from my computer to the server. I'm able to copy small files (<2gb), but when I try to copy a folder it says I don't have permission to write to the drive.

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

How are you copying your files over, CIFS/AFP?
As this isn't related to plugin permissions someone else might be able to help better than I.

 

[djdwosk97]

How are you copying your files over, CIFS/AFP?
As this isn't related to plugin permissions someone else might be able to help better than I.

AFP

/any idea about the plex issue though?

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

AFP

/any idea about the plex issue though?

Plex isn't seeing your files right?
please run the command again, you used at "1" when I told you to use an "l"

 

[djdwosk97]

Plex isn't seeing your files right?
please run the command again, you used at "1" when I told you to use an "l"

I can find /MediaStorage/Video1 when I try to add a library, but no contents show up and none of the folders within the Video1 folder appear either.

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

looks good so far.
Can you show the output of..

Code:

ls -l /mnt/RAID1/jails/plexmediaserver_1/MediaStorage/Video1
ls -l /mnt/RAID1/jails/plexmediaserver_1/MediaStorage/Video3

You can crop out the file names, I just want to see what the permissions on the left are. As long as there are 3 'r's plex shouldn't have a problem seeing files at /MediaStorage/Video1 and /MediaStorage/Video3

 

[djdwosk97]

looks good so far.
Can you show the output of..

Code:

ls -l /mnt/RAID1/jails/plexmediaserver_1/MediaStorage/Video1
ls -l /mnt/RAID1/jails/plexmediaserver_1/MediaStorage/Video3

You can crop out the file names, I just want to see what the permissions on the left are. As long as there are 3 'r's plex shouldn't have a problem seeing files at /MediaStorage/Video1 and /MediaStorage/Video3

This is just Video1, but there is only one 'r', so what do I need to change?
[img=[URL]http://i.imgur.com/dvTydQ2.png][/URL]

Video3:

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

This is just Video1, but there is only one 'r', so what do I need to change?

I see 3 r's, those files should be readable by plex. If plex can't read them it is not because of permissions.

 

[djdwosk97]

I see 3 r's, those files should be readable by plex. If plex can't read them it is not because of permissions.

I set the permissions to the shares and the volumes to everything (3-3-3) and that didn't fix it (is that not what 755 is?).

When I tried to add Plex to a group I got this (so I assume I'm doing something wrong):

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

I set the permissions to the shares and the volumes to everything (3-3-3) and that didn't fix it (is that not what 755 is?).

When I tried to add Plex to a group I got this (so I assume I'm doing something wrong):

Like I said, plex should be able to see those files so messing around with groups isn't going to solve whatever issue you are currently facing. I don't personally use Plex, but it should be as easy as pointing it to /MediaStorage/Video1. If it can't see the files it is not a permission issue.

As for adding the Dwoskin group to a jail, you should be replacing "GID" with a number matching what you have set on FreeNAS.

 

[djdwosk97]

Like I said, plex should be able to see those files so messing around with groups isn't going to solve whatever issue you are currently facing. I don't personally use Plex, but it should be as easy as pointing it to /MediaStorage/Video1. If it can't see the files it is not a permission issue.

As for adding the Dwoskin group to a jail, you should be replacing "GID" with a number matching what you have set on FreeNAS.

Okay, I got it to see the contents of the Video1 file within Plex....I'm not sure what I did, but I guess I did something.

And another random question, what's the difference between using Unix, Mac, or Windows permissions for each volume?

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

Okay, I got it to see the contents of the Video1 file within Plex....I'm not sure what I did, but I guess I did something.

And another random question, what's the difference between using Unix, Mac, or Windows permissions for each volume?

Gald you got it working.

Not sure, I only use Unix. =O

 

[djdwosk97]

Gald you got it working.

Not sure, I only use Unix. =O

Me too, Thanks :)

Alright, I wasn't sure if there was a difference or if I should be using one instead of the other. I'll try to determine the other permissions issue I had later when I can afford to set aside my computer for a few hours and just let it transfer over. (I know I can just plug in a flash drive/external drive and import, but that's not super convenient as a long term solution)

Also, do you know anything about openVPN (I'm having issues with an openVPN service which runs off my router) -- I'm able to connect from my phone but not from any computer (whether I'm on or off my network).

One final thing, every once in a while I'm streaming a video from the server, and this happens:

When I look over the reporting section of the FreeNAS GUI nothing seems out of place other than a spike in the Interface Traffic (from 7M to about 17M). Is that what's causing the issue, and is there any way to prevent the issue from occurring?

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

Me too, Thanks :)

Alright, I wasn't sure if there was a difference or if I should be using one instead of the other. I'll try to determine the other permissions issue I had later when I can afford to set aside my computer for a few hours and just let it transfer over. (I know I can just plug in a flash drive/external drive and import, but that's not super convenient as a long term solution)

Also, do you know anything about openVPN (I'm having issues with an openVPN service which runs off my router) -- I'm able to connect from my phone but not from any computer (whether I'm on or off my network).

One final thing, every once in a while I'm streaming a video from the server, and this happens:

When I look over the reporting section of the FreeNAS GUI nothing seems out of place other than a spike in the Interface Traffic (from 7M to about 17M). Is that what's causing the issue, and is there any way to prevent the issue from occurring?

I'm guessing that's more of an transcoding/encoding issue. I doubt it has anything with FreeNAS and you'd be better off directing those things to the plex / ffmpeg projects.

 

[djdwosk97]

I'm guessing that's more of an transcoding/encoding issue. I doubt it has anything with FreeNAS and you'd be better off directing those things to the plex / ffmpeg projects.

That occurs when I'm just streaming off the server straight to VLC (not using Plex at all), so it shouldn't be transcoding, and none of the usages seem to fluctuate when one of those graphical issues occur (which is why I seem think it has to do with bandwidth spiking since that's the only thing that changes when that happens)

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

That occurs when I'm just streaming off the server straight to VLC (not using Plex at all), so it shouldn't be transcoding, and none of the usages seem to fluctuate when one of those graphical issues occur (which is why I seem think it has to do with bandwidth spiking since that's the only thing that changes when that happens)

Then it's a VLC/ffmpeg(libavcodec) issue, maybe being forced by a slow/latent connection to FreeNAS. As long as the sharing protocol you're using is using TCP, FreeNAS is giving you the exact file. But, I'm guessing VLC can do weird stuff with while decoding the file for various reasons.

 

[djdwosk97]

Then it's a VLC/ffmpeg(libavcodec) issue, maybe being forced by a slow/latent connection to FreeNAS. As long as the sharing protocol you're using is using TCP, FreeNAS is giving you the exact file. But, I'm guessing VLC can do weird stuff with while decoding the file for various reasons.

I had to restart the server last night, and for some reason everytime I restart the server I can't turn on the Plex plugin (I click the toggle to turn it on, but it never changes to on). This is the second time this issue occurred, the last time being the last time I restarted, and the only way I've been able to get it working again is by reinstalling the plugin. Is there a reason for that/is there some other way I can turn it on without having to reinstall the plugin every time?

 

[Joshua Parker Ruehlig]

I had to restart the server last night, and for some reason everytime I restart the server I can't turn on the Plex plugin (I click the toggle to turn it on, but it never changes to on). This is the second time this issue occurred, the last time being the last time I restarted, and the only way I've been able to get it working again is by reinstalling the plugin. Is there a reason for that/is there some other way I can turn it on without having to reinstall the plugin every time?

you should never have to reinstall the plugin to get it to start. most of the times this happens it is because of user error.

what's the output of the following when run in the plex jail?
"service plexmediaserver onestart"