Plex Media Server (PlexPass) vs 11.2-U3

[Mark Holtz]

I'll state up front, some of this is my fault. I moved halfway across the country, and had to reset my FreeNAS server to some new IP space. I have a working Plex distro in the legacy 11.1, and unintentionally deleted it. So, I have to reset Plex under a new jail instance, and have been encountering issues. Maybe it's me, maybe it's a defect. I don't know.

I have used this video as a guide:

The configuration is as follows:

• FreeNAS 11.2-U3 (hardware config is detailed here). The U3 patch was installed this morning.
• Plex Media Server (PlexPass) 1.14.1.5488 from the PlugIns interface. I have the Lifetime subscription.
• Arris TR4400 Gateway
• Plex Media Mount Point: /mnt/pool/plex

My home IP space is configured as follows:

• Gateway: 192.168.1.1
• Static IP Space: 192.168.1.2-192.168.1.9
  • FreeNAS Server: 192.168.1.2
  • Plex Server: 192.168.1.3 (eventually)
  • Transmission: 192.168.1.4
  • Unused: 192.168.1.5-192.168.1.8
  • Printer: 192.168.1.9
• DHCP Space: 192.168.1.10-192.168.1.254

So, I have blown away and attempted to install Plex several times, and removed the servers through the plex.tv link. Here is the documentation on the latest install process:

Step 1: Install the Plex plugin. For now, I'm going to use DHCP. The Plug-In is successful:

Step 2: Login via Management and set up the server. Since drive mapping is not yet set up, I don't set up any libraries. Thus, the media server error is expected.


Step 3: Shut down the Jail and add the mount point:


Step 4: Restart the Jail and get the following RuntimeError:

Code:

Error: concurrent.futures.process._RemoteTraceback:
"""
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/concurrent/futures/process.py", line 175, in _process_worker
    r = call_item.fn(*call_item.args, **call_item.kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 128, in main_worker
    res = loop.run_until_complete(coro)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/asyncio/base_events.py", line 468, in run_until_complete
    return future.result()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 88, in _run
    return await self._call(f'{service_name}.{method}', serviceobj, methodobj, params=args, job=job)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 81, in _call
    return methodobj(*params)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 81, in _call
    return methodobj(*params)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/schema.py", line 668, in nf
    return f(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/plugins/jail.py", line 609, in start
    iocage.start()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/iocage.py", line 1663, in start
    callback=self.callback
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_start.py", line 66, in __init__
    self.__start_jail__()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_start.py", line 401, in __start_jail__
    silent=self.silent)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_common.py", line 90, in logit
    _callback(content, exception)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_common.py", line 64, in callback
    raise callback_exception(message)
RuntimeError: mount: /mnt/pool/plex: Operation not supported by device
jail: /sbin/mount -t Media -o Server/Fezzik /mnt/pool/plex /mnt/pool/iocage/jails/plex/root/Plex: failed

"""

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 165, in call_method
    result = await self.middleware.call_method(self, message)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1141, in call_method
    return await self._call(message['method'], serviceobj, methodobj, params, app=app, io_thread=False)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1078, in _call
    return await self._call_worker(serviceobj, name, *args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1105, in _call_worker
    job,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1036, in run_in_proc
    return await self.run_in_executor(self.__procpool, method, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1021, in run_in_executor
    return await loop.run_in_executor(pool, functools.partial(method, *args, **kwargs))
RuntimeError: mount: /mnt/pool/plex: Operation not supported by device
jail: /sbin/mount -t Media -o Server/Fezzik /mnt/pool/plex /mnt/pool/iocage/jails/plex/root/Plex: failed

I'm seeing a partial problem already. In the iocage, "Plex Media Server" has spaces, and the command isn't in quotes. Why?

Step 5. Since this is a space issue, I will remap to the media directory instead as a workaround. Instead I get this:

See 2019-03-29 21-01-03.zip attached to this message for a MP4 recording.

Step 6. Take two. I will remap to the media directory instead.


Step 7. I attempt to start up the Plex jail again and get the following:

Code:

Error: concurrent.futures.process._RemoteTraceback:
"""
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/concurrent/futures/process.py", line 175, in _process_worker
    r = call_item.fn(*call_item.args, **call_item.kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 128, in main_worker
    res = loop.run_until_complete(coro)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/asyncio/base_events.py", line 468, in run_until_complete
    return future.result()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 88, in _run
    return await self._call(f'{service_name}.{method}', serviceobj, methodobj, params=args, job=job)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 81, in _call
    return methodobj(*params)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/worker.py", line 81, in _call
    return methodobj(*params)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/schema.py", line 668, in nf
    return f(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/plugins/jail.py", line 609, in start
    iocage.start()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/iocage.py", line 1663, in start
    callback=self.callback
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_start.py", line 66, in __init__
    self.__start_jail__()
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_start.py", line 491, in __start_jail__
    _callback=self.callback)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_common.py", line 90, in logit
    _callback(content, exception)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/iocage_lib/ioc_common.py", line 64, in callback
    raise callback_exception(message)
RuntimeError:
Stopped plex due to VNET failure
"""

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 165, in call_method
    result = await self.middleware.call_method(self, message)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1141, in call_method
    return await self._call(message['method'], serviceobj, methodobj, params, app=app, io_thread=False)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1078, in _call
    return await self._call_worker(serviceobj, name, *args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1105, in _call_worker
    job,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1036, in run_in_proc
    return await self.run_in_executor(self.__procpool, method, *args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/middlewared/main.py", line 1021, in run_in_executor
    return await loop.run_in_executor(pool, functools.partial(method, *args, **kwargs))
RuntimeError:
Stopped plex due to VNET failure

Sigh.... I must not been kind to someone during the move. I miss my Plex server.

 

[Mark Holtz]

Sigh....

Defect filed for the spaces in mount point: https://redmine.ixsystems.com/issues/84108
Defect filed for the mount point being erased: https://redmine.ixsystems.com/issues/84124

 

[Yorick]

Well done for testing a corner case, finding a bug and reporting it!

The mount point I’m using ... and that is probably most common ... is media/ in the root of the plugin jail. That way, there are no spaces. Also, subdirectories have no spaces: Movies, TV, Music, Photos, etc, instead of “Really Weird Movies”, “Daytime TV”, “Music That My Neighbors Would Hate”.

Good find though!

 

[Nvious1]

I just reloaded my plexpass install this morning cause I broke the plugin forcing an early plex update. Here are the steps I used to setup mine as a straight jail.

Key notes:

• I force my metadata location to be located in a different dataset and mount it as /config. This way I can blow away the jail and still keep all my stuff. Dataset is called apps with a child-dataset called plex.
  • For this setup, you need to either use the media user or I created a plex user and group with uid/gid 972 to match inside the jail. This account hows the plex dataset.
• I mount my media as /storage for path simplicity.
• I build my jail via command lines cause I just don't trust the gui as much.
• This will build you with DHCP and the jail name "plex". Execute commands from the Freenas console.

Code:

#plex iocage jail creation script
echo '{"pkgs":["plexmediaserver-plexpass","ca_root_nss","nano"]}' > /tmp/pkg.json
iocage create -n "plex" -p /tmp/pkg.json -r 11.2-RELEASE vnet="on" bpf="yes" dhcp="on" allow_raw_sockets="1" boot="on"
rm /tmp/pkg.json
iocage exec plex "mkdir /config"
iocage exec plex "mkdir /storage"
iocage fstab -a plex /mnt/media01/apps/plex /config nullfs rw 0 0
iocage fstab -a plex /mnt/media01/media /storage nullfs rw 0 0
iocage exec plex chown -R plex:plex /config
iocage exec plex sysrc "plexmediaserver_plexpass_enable=YES"
iocage exec plex sysrc plexmediaserver_plexpass_support_path="/config"
iocage exec plex service plexmediaserver_plexpass start

 

[Mark Holtz]

I know that on 11.1 and earlier, you did the drive mapping to the media directory and all was well because of a different jail system. With 11.2 and later, we are dealing with IOCage, and that is a slightly different beast.

The problem I see is that, from the GUI, there is no way to change the jail directory name when installing the plug-in. Otherwise, I would have named it just "Plex" instead of "Plex Media Server". Of course, I remember the days of cryptic eight-character file names and three-character extensions, and I'm glad that you can have spaces in file names. As a programmer, you have to anticipate this. Again, corner case.... and something that I have to wait for a fix in U4..... in about two months.....

 

[Mark Holtz]

Since it has been migrated to Jira....

Spaces in mount point of jail causes RuntimeError when starting Jail - https://jira.ixsystems.com/browse/NAS-101248
Changing mount point in jail clears mount point - https://jira.ixsystems.com/browse/NAS-101249

 

[Velcade]

Well done for testing a corner case, finding a bug and reporting it!

The mount point I’m using ... and that is probably most common ... is media/ in the root of the plugin jail. That way, there are no spaces. Also, subdirectories have no spaces: Movies, TV, Music, Photos, etc, instead of “Really Weird Movies”, “Daytime TV”, “Music That My Neighbors Would Hate”.

Good find though!

I found this 'work around' too. Had to rename my 'TV Shows' folder to 'tv' then it worked just fine.

 

[momentarydogma]

So I am totally new to this-- I just installed FreeNAS for the very first time today and I have the exact same issues as the OP does. Same error when I try to set a mount point and I select "Plex Media Server" with the spaces, and when I try to select a space-less alternative, I get the "VNET Failure" error. I don't know enough about all of this to discern from all of your replies whether or not there is a fix for it! Am I just doing something wrong or is this an issue with the Plex plugin? I have followed the FreeNAS Plex tutorial to a tee multiple times now, but the same thing still happens-- and what I really don't understand is that, if the issue is related to spaces in "Plex Media Server", why is he able to use that with no problem on the video?

 

[Mark Holtz]

As far as I can determine, it's not a defect with the Plex PlugIn, but rather a defect with the python script that initiates the jail and starts the plug-in. At this point, all we can do is wait until the U5 release which is probably in July.

 

[technoholic]

Wow, I have been up all night fighting this same Plex plugin problem. Glad to see its not me but hate to think I will be without my Plex server until U5!

 

[Mark Holtz]

Looks like the issue is fixed after all. Plex is working again.

However, I just loaded up my Music library again, and while the Metadata is being read, there is no images. (Sigh)