---
type: reference
description: "Plex Media Server is a **containerized media server on Dankserver**: a podman"
tags:
  - dankserver
  - plex
timestamp: 2026-09-15
---

# Plex

Plex Media Server is a **containerized media server on Dankserver**: a podman
quadlet (`plex.service`) under the systemd **user** generator, generated from
`dankserver/plex/quadlet/plex.container`. It shares the host with a second live
media server, [[Jellyfin]] (`jellyfin.service`, listening on 8096); both serve
from the same read-only Entropy Volume mount.

**Host:** Dankserver — **Ports:** 32400/tcp (PMS web + API), 32400 is the
only port PMS needs for client streaming; LAN clients connect directly,
public traffic can be fronted by Caddy like every other vhost.

## Facts

| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Runtime | podman quadlet, `plex.service` (user manager) — migrated from the native `plexmediaserver.service` OS-package unit (2026-09) |
| Image | `lscr.io/linuxserver/plex:1.43.4.10903-e5521bd8c-ls325` (pinned; verified == the ghcr `latest` manifest digest at pin time) |
| Data root | `/var/lib/plexmediaserver` bind-mounted **in place** as `/config` (RW) — the migration moved zero bytes |
| Media | `/mnt/entropy` mounted at the same absolute path **read-only** — every library path in the PMS database stayed valid, zero re-scan |
| Identity | fleet rootless model — container root maps to the `dank` user (1000:1000); the deployer chowns the data root on first cutover |
| Port | `32400/tcp` published on `0.0.0.0` — zero client reconfiguration |
| Network | `dankserver_appnet`, alias `plex`; Tautulli reaches it at `http://plex:32400` |
| GPU | none by decision — CPU decode only; the two R9700s stay dedicated to [[frank-archon]] |
| Deploy | `./scripts/deploy.sh dankserver --service plex` |
| Docs | https://support.plex.tv |

## Why in-place bind mounts

The migration moved zero bytes: the container bind-mounts the native data
root where it already lived, and the media archive re-mounts at
`/mnt/entropy` inside the container, so every absolute library path in the
PMS database keeps resolving. The one metadata change: rootless podman
cannot map the real host uid 997, so the fleet model applies — container
root runs as the `dank` user, and the deployer adopts the data root with
`chown -R 1000:1000` on first cutover (rollback chowns it back).

## Cutover & rollback

- First deploy stops and **masks** `plexmediaserver.service` (never
  `disable` — on these hosts `disable` deletes the unit file), chowns
  `/var/lib/plexmediaserver` to `1000:1000`, then starts the quadlet; the
  deployer blocks until `/identity` answers on 32400.
- Rollback lever while masked: `systemctl --user stop plex.service && sudo
  chown -R 997:984 /var/lib/plexmediaserver && sudo systemctl unmask
  plexmediaserver.service && sudo systemctl start plexmediaserver.service`
  (ownership-only churn — zero bytes ever moved).
- Decommission (`sudo apt-get -y purge plexmediaserver`) only after explicit
  operator sign-off.

## Integration points

- **Caddy:** Plex is exempt from the Anubis bot challenge
  (plain-HTTP legacy clients cannot solve JS challenges) —
  [[Anubis]] "Exempt by construction".
- **Tautulli** ([[Tautulli]]) is the companion: it polls PMS on the appnet
  for statistics and notifications and makes no sense without Plex.
- **Auth wall:** if a public vhost is ever pointed at Plex, put the
  Authentik outpost + Anubis chain in front of it like every other guarded
  vhost ([[Authentik]], [[Caddy]]); direct `:32400` exposure to the LAN is
  unauthenticated by design (Plex owns its own auth via claim tokens).

## Gotchas

1. **Do not benchmark on it blind.** Transcoding is CPU-only now but still
   contends with the LLM fleet's host-RAM expert streaming; stop the service
   before benchmark runs, per the Benchmarking Policy.
2. **Updates are commit-driven, not apt.** The OS package is retired at
   cutover; upgrading PMS means pinning a new `-ls` tag in the unit file and
   redeploying — never run `:latest`.
3. The claim token is the identity of this server; document it in the host
   `.env`, never in this repo (secret rules apply). The token lives in
   `Preferences.xml` inside the RW data bind, preserved by the migration.
4. **Cold container boot is slow.** PMS pre-binds 32400 and empty-replies
   while the HTTP layer finishes loading; the first boot of a years-old
   library took ~10 minutes (2026-09 cutover). The deployer gate now allows
   600 s before failing; later boots are much faster (warm page cache).