Plex Media Servers are great for storing and accessing all your movies, tv shows, and other media. Unfortunately, Plex Server hardware can be expensive, electricity intensive, or both. To reduce both bills, use a Raspberry Pi for a Plex Server.
Welcome reader.
Follow me on twitter here for similar projects; tweet me for any help with this one!
First please note: This instructable can be done within a day, but a weekend is certainly recommended.
In this instructable I hope to teach you key skills involved with setting up and configuring a Linux Server. The knowledge used here can be applied to almost all PC architectures so if you don't own a Pi (Why not dude?) or it's tied up in another project, any old or unused PC will work. In more detail the main skills taught will be:
In this instructable I hope to teach you key skills involved with setting up and configuring a Linux Server. The knowledge used here can be applied to almost all PC architectures so if you don't own a Pi (Why not dude?) or it's tied up in another project, any old or unused PC will work. In more detail the main skills taught will be:
- Burning an ISO image to an SD for the Pi
- Installing an OS
- Setting up A web server
- Setting up An SQL instance
- Deploying a custom cloud network
- Managing users for the cloud network
- Setting up a SAMBA File sharing network, which will integrate into an established windows based home or office network
- Controlling SAMBA users
- Establishing a static IP whilst using a non-static IP internet connection
- Using Webmin Console to install packages
- Using Command line terminal to install packages
- Carrying out basic commands such as rebooting (terminal)
- Editing system files with Nano terminal based editor
- Permanently mounting hard drives within the Linux file system table via webmin
- Understanding the principal of the Port forwarding function on a home router
- Setting up a web interfaced bit torrent manager
- Being an overall IT nerd.
If you're interested then carry on reading. If not, give it a try; you may discover a new hobby.
As the above list demonstrates there's a lot to learn. I definitely feel this is a weekend project. I've followed this process several times and it takes a couple of days at least. Its good to take long breaks because your eyes may begin to become strained and you may suddenly become unenthusiastic about the whole thing. This instructable offers functions of many different store purchasable products, such as:
- Online cloud services such as Google Cloud
- NAS servers such as this.
The server we'll setup will cost far less than each of these services in the long run and only a fraction of the cost of the combined services. Setting up your own server is not only custom and cheap, its very rewarding. I will be a happy guy if somebody benefits from what this instructable contains or become inspired by what I have done. It took ages to plan and write this instructable. If you learn anything at all or feel this instructable is well written or well documented, please vote for me in the Weekend Projects Contest or the I could make that contest.
I would also like to point out that this is not a comprehensive tutorial on designing a server case. There are details of my case on step 3, however this guide is intended to be a comprehensive software tutorial. So if you get stuck or feel a step isn't too clear, just let me know and i'll be happy to help.
I would also like to point out that this is not a comprehensive tutorial on designing a server case. There are details of my case on step 3, however this guide is intended to be a comprehensive software tutorial. So if you get stuck or feel a step isn't too clear, just let me know and i'll be happy to help.
A few tips: Because this takes more than one day, don't just fall asleep and forget what you were planing on doing next. Instead have a pile f post-it notes. This way before you ZzZzzzz... you can jot down anything that needs doing during the next session. I had loads. All over the walls, floors, chairs, desks - you name it! Okay slight exaggeration, but on a serious note they do help. I did use a full stack. Another tip would be to follow the steps on order. Don't just think 'Hmm I like the sound of my own cloud network lets do that first!' The steps are in such an order that each before is most likely required for the current, if that makes sense. Just stick to the order, it'll make life easier. A final tip: don't be limited to what is taught here. Do Think of this as a base for inspiration. Adding more services such as those listed on the turnkey website is easily done using the search APT function within the Webmin Package manager.
Okay, Confused? Then let's learn...
Caution! This instructable contains 30 steps. Proceed at your own risk.
Plex Media Servers are great for storing and accessing all your movies, tv shows, and other media. Unfortunately, Plex Server hardware can be expensive, electricity intensive, or both. To reduce both bills, use a Raspberry Pi for a Plex Server.
What You Need to Know
Running a Raspberry Pi as a Plex Server does come with several benefits. It won’t take up as much room as a server or a full-size PC. It also will use less electricity, even when idle all day. Best of all, it costs less than most other hardware capable of working as a server.
There are some downsides to be aware of, though. The Raspberry Pi 3 has an ARM processor that just doesn’t have the power to support transcoding. So when you are setting up your videos, you are going to want to choose MKV as your video format. That will usually bypass the need for transcoding. (Just about every Plex player supports MKV without transcoding on the fly, but a few smart TVs might have problems.)
Even then, while you’ll be able to watch standard Blu-ray quality locally, you probably won’t be able to view these videos remotely. And 4K Videos are likely not going to play well either. Also, keep in mind that this is not officially supported, and you’ll need to update the server software manually.
But once you account for those potential pitfalls, the Raspberry Pi does make a competent Plex Media Server.
Getting Started
Compared to using a dedicated full PC or an NVIDIA Shield as a Plex Server, the costs to get started with a Raspberry Pi are relatively low. You’ll need:
- Ethernet Cord (if possible)
- External storage such as USB drive or NAS unit
- Powered USB hub for USB drive
Optionally you might want to consider a case and a heat sink for the Raspberry Pi. You’ll need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to get everything in place, but after that, you can run the Pi headless.
To start with, you will want to set your Raspberry Pi up following the standard steps. The easiest thing to do is get a copy of NOOBS to install the latest version of Raspbian.
Once you have Raspbian installed, you’ll do nearly everything else in the terminal. You don’t need to be familiar with terminal, though; you can copy and paste the commands below.
Configuring The Software
The first thing to do is ensure the Raspberry Pi is fully up to date. So run the following commands:
And provide the root password when prompted. Alternatively, you can use SU and skip all the sudo entries.
After all your updates are finished, you’ll need to install the “apt-transport-https” package. This allows Plex Server from an HTTPS source. Run this command:
The next step is to add the crypto key for the dev2day website (the source of this software):
Run the following command to add the dev2day repository to the package source list:
Now you’ve added the dev2day repository, it’s time to update the package list:
Now, you’re ready to install Plex Media Server. Just type the following command and hit Enter:
After the Plex Server software finishes installing, there are just a few more details to take care of.
Final Details
To avoid any permissions issue, it’s best to make Plex run under the Pi user. Type the following command and hit Enter:
You should see a line that says:
Change the word “plex” to “pi” and then use Ctrl+X to close the file. Choose to save and overwrite the file.
For reliable remote access, you’ll want a static IP. Once the Raspberry Pi has rebooted, open the terminal and run this command:
That’s the current IP address, write that down or type it into a text editor.
Now open the cmdline.txt file with the following command:
At the bottom of the file, type in the following:
Using the IP you wrote down previously. Then use Ctrl+X to close the file and save it.
Now reboot your Raspberry Pi with the following command:
And your Raspberry Pi is now a functioning Plex Server. You’re ready to head to plext.tv/web on any browser to detect and associate the Plex Server to your account. Then you’ll need to configure your Raspberry Pi to recognize an external drive, rip your DVDs, or Blu-Rays, and then name your media files per the Plex guidelines.
Once you have everything in place, you’ll have access to your media collection on just about any device, from your phone to your game console. It’s a great Plex Server option that won’t break the bank.
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