Preparation

Before You Begin:

Before you begin installing Plex Media Server, it’s strongly recommended that you check that your media collection has been named and organized in a way that Plex will understand. If not, you may notice content isn’t recognized, is mis-matched, or not found at all.

You may already be naming and organizing your media files in a way suitable for Plex. Here are the important things:

• Movies are gathered together in a “Movies” type folder, TV Shows in a “TV Shows” type folder, etc.

• Movies are named as follows:
  [Movie_Name (Release_Year)] e.g. Avatar (2009).mp4

• TV Show episodes are named with the season and episode:
  [Show Name SxxEyy] e.g. Dexter s01e01.mp4

• TV Show episodes are stored in their own folder as follows:
  /TV Shows/Show Name/Season/episodes e.g. /TV Shows/Dexter/Season 01/Dexter s01e01.mp4

• For TV shows, the folder structure is very important. Make sure you have show folders that contain season folders that contain the episodes

Installation

Download the Installer:

The Plex Media Server can be downloaded for free from the Plex Downloads page. There are many platforms available:

• Windows

• macOS

• Linux

• Compatible NAS devices

From the Downloads page, choose the platform or device you need, and download the installer.

• Related Page: Plex Downloads

• Related Page: NAS Devices

Get a Plex (Player) App:

While you’re on the Downloads page, you may wish to download a player app as well. The server includes the browser-based Plex Web App, but you’ll probably want to download an app for other devices. There are many available:

• Desktop PCs: Plex for Windows/macOS/Linux or Plex HTPC

• Mobile Devices: Android, iOS

• Connected Devices: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Smart TVs, game consoles, and more

Related Page: Player Apps and Platforms

Server Installation:

The server is available for many different platforms. Installation is always via an installation package and follows the platform’s usual installation method. For NAS devices, you should follow the manufacturer’s add-on installation procedure.

Note: You’ll need to be sure to run your Plex Media Server on a filesystem that allows symlinks/hardlinks. For the vast majority of users, this isn’t an issue. If you’re running on an unusual filesystem (such as a drive pool or similar), then you should check for support.

Ubuntu:

• Download the .deb package

• sudo dpkg -i plexmediaserver_1.19.4.2935-79e214ead_amd64.deb (replacing the last filename with the name of the package you downloaded)

To setup Plex Media Server, on the same machine you installed the server on, open a browser window, and go to http://127.0.0.1:32400/web.

Note: The Plex Media Server runs as the user “plex” by default. The plex user must have read and execute permissions to your media directories and files! For more details on how to do this, see the Linux Permissions Guide.

For information and support for: Naming and organizing your Movie files