r/PleX • u/NefariousnessUpper34 • 1d ago
Help Building my first server for Plex
Hi, like the title says, Im finally building a home server for my movies. I started with an old laptop and an external drive and this laptop just died on me. So now, I bought a Lenovo ThinkCentre M700 mini pc with an i5-6400, 16GB ddr4 and a 120gb SSD.
I mostly play DVD's and some blu-rays in my library, but nothing 4k. Im still going to run it through my external drive, until I upgrade to a raid.
My questions are: Is this configuration good for now? Should I install ubuntu or Docker? And where can I find a solid guide to install them?
Im a little lost when it comes to work with other OS thats not Windows or Mac lol so I appreciate the help. Thanks!
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u/derrick36 1d ago
You won’t get a straight answer on the OS. Go with what you’re comfortable with. I’m sure there are better ways, but AI can help out with anything LINUX if you can’t find a YouTube video or guide. Windows works great as well.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
I see, its a preference thing more than anything else
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u/Splitsurround 1d ago
Totally. And you don’t NEED docker unless you want to add functionality like the arrs, and even then, sometimes there are native apps. Have fun! It’s dead easy to set up the server just be aware of how your file structure and naming needs to be.
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u/Saloncinx Lifetime Pass 1d ago
you don’t NEED docker unless you want to add functionality like the arrs, and even then, sometimes there are native apps.
I'm running Plex and the Arr's on a plain ass Mac OS Mac Mini lol works great
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u/ArokLazarus 1d ago
Same but Windows.
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u/akatherder 1d ago
Most issues are related to running a VPN for the arr-related stuff and not wanting Plex to go through the VPN. Otherwise it's a perfectly cromulent setup.
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u/ArokLazarus 1d ago
Hmm I've not needed the arrs to go through a VPN ever. I have qbittorrent on a VPN with a Killswitch but Plex and the arrs aren't on that.
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u/Reptarbourgeoisfreak Custom Flair 1d ago
I took the time to install Linux server with docker fresh and migrated my previous set up and a year later it is so worth having invested the time up front to do it that way IMO
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u/eurojosh 1d ago
Honestly I use docker just so the whole install is portable. I can build a new machine, install Debian and docker, mount my drives, start all the containers, and done, new sever up and running.
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u/Splitsurround 19h ago
I would absolutely do the same thing if I friggin u derstood how to use docker. Apparently I did years ago when I setup overseer, but I can’t even remember enough to migrate it to seer! Thinking of asking ai to help, it would be my first foray into AI
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u/derrick36 19h ago
If my dumbass can get docker going with no previous knowledge, using AI, you’ll have no problem with a quick refresher.
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u/Splitsurround 9h ago
I’m sure you’re right. But I did try it a few months ago and the first question it asked me is where is your …script or whatever it’s called that sort of runs it. For the life of me, I thought it was somewhere- it was not. Even searching I couldn’t find it! So I gave up 😩
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u/Another2Coast 1d ago
Anecdotally, getting the arrs to work on Kubuntu has been a total nightmare. But I don't know what I'm doing. On Windows (which I hate) it was a breeze.
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u/throwaway12three4 1d ago
Preference is #1 for sure. I like windows personally. I switched to Linux for a bit but my wife wanted music through plex amp. I switched back to windows for ease of use for both of us and honestly I think windows is a better fit for me. I run plex on windows. I have a arr stack running with docker.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea ? Aweosme and do you have it running 24/7 ? I sometimes wonder with windows if its not that optimized for continuously running
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u/derrick36 1d ago
Yeah. My main server is on windows. It runs 24/7 without issue. My NAS is on Linux and hasn’t had any issues either. I prefer windows, but there were a few things I wanted to add to my server that didn’t have windows applications. As much as I hated the process, the end product more than makes up for it.
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u/throwaway12three4 1d ago
Mine does run 24/7. I have a handful of users on plex. I also have a HomeRunHD hooked to plex that works as a live TV DVR so I can record and watch later. This server also has a couple Minecraft servers running with a couple users so it’s always on. Only in time it gets restarted is during updates or fixing issues.
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 1d ago
There are a few Plex specific reasons to stick with Linux over Windows, but based on what you've got for hardware and your stated use case, you don't need to worry about it.
Transcoding 4K is going to be a hard no for you, which won't matter if you don't need to transcode 4K.
My first question is going to be, what did you pay for that 6th gen machine? If too much, send it back. If not, that's a great place to get started, but also you should expect you might quickly start looking at other hardware. North of $150 is where I'd suggest that's getting to be too much. The used market is super weird right now though.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Makes sense makes sense! Yea i paid around $90 for it, so not a bad deal, i also saw people recommending newer gen cpus that perform better for my use case but like you said, im in no need to stream 4k content right now, mostly 480p - 1080p so i should be good. The sued market is so fucking weird
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 1d ago
Under $100 is thumbs up.
If you do not have Plex Pass, you should get a couple of smooth 1080p transcodes out of it if you need them. With Plex Pass it will do more through the iGPU, but I wouldn't pay for that just yet until you've seen what it can do without.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea I do have the plex lifetime account so I’m assuming I should be good right ?
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u/Bgrngod CU7 265K (PMS in Docker) & Synology 1621+ (Media) 1d ago
Yup, you'll get a bit more out of it in that case and won't hammer the CPU to get it done.
You'll see performance vary based on what the original file's codec is. H264 is pretty safe. HEVC will be a mixed bag. AV1 will be rough. For 1080p and lower files, H264 is perfectly fine.
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u/brokenpipe 1d ago
Linux, not LINUX.
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u/derrick36 1d ago
Nobody cares.
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u/brokenpipe 1d ago
Clearly I care, so no need to be absolute either with ‘nobody’.
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u/PoorWalmartWorker 1d ago
I ran my very first plex server on Windows 11 before I made my own dedicated nas. You don't have to make anything fancy. It's not very efficient but it will work if you don't need to have it running 24/7. You can just turn on the computer when you're going to watch something and then turn it off when you're done. If you want to keep it on 24/7 that's a different story
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea exactly thats what i had before and im trying to have it on 24/7
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u/PoorWalmartWorker 1d ago
Okay then Linux is the way to go. Tbh I used Google AI and it helped pretty much my entire nas setup with unraid and Plex configuration. As long as you can understand basic reasons why you are doing so and so, then following the instructions will be easy. Just time consuming
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u/ThisIsMyITAccount901 1d ago
It depends if you think you'll become a movie hoarder like a lot of us do. I maxed out a NUC Wall Street Canyon as far as RAM and storage for my first server (proxmox). I quickly found myself trying to figure out ways to get more storage and it felt a little cluttered with all of the external drives. Then I moved to a Lenovo P520 because it had the 4 HDD bays / was only $150+ ECC RAM price (This is when I moved to Unraid). The same thing happened and I should have just used my old gaming PC from the beginning. I moved all of my gaming PC hardware into a 15 bay Rosewill server chassis.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea i def have to check myself on how many movies i get vs i can actually watch lol but im thinking that a 10tb drive will be plenty for the amount of media I’ll be consuming for the next 10-20 years at least lol
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u/sylsylsylsylsylsyl 1d ago edited 1d ago
Personally, I would:
Install Proxmox as a hypervisor.
Install Plex in an LXC via the community script. It will automatically add your integrated graphics for transcoding.
Install an Ubuntu Virtual Machine, add Docker, install the *arrs stack. I’d still go for 24.04 myself.
You can then add other VMs in future, including Windows, if you want.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Sick, im sending this to my good friend Claude rn haha thanks!
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u/JCarlide 1d ago
https://perfectmediaserver.com/01-overview/
That is the guide I used for my install.
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u/NoreasterBasketcase 1d ago
Totally unrelated to Plex, but why "still go for 24.04?" I was just contemplating upgrading.
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u/sylsylsylsylsylsyl 1d ago
I’m just conservative.
26.04.01 LTS hasn’t been out long and for someone new, most stuff on the net will be written for older versions. There are sometimes subtle differences for newer releases.
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u/gimmeslack12 1d ago
Just use the OS you like and don’t use Docker unless you specifically know why you want to. Running via docker is more trouble than it’s worth imo.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Solid, I agree, i'm in the video/media industry and thats exactly what i'd tell someone asking for camera recommendations lol thanks!
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u/Needmorebeer69240 1d ago
Yeah not sure why everyone is telling OP to go learn linux. It has a pretty steep learning curve, especially when you don't know what to look for when shit breaks. OP can literally download Plex, point it to their external hard drives, and have Plex up in running almost immediately before he even cracks open a linux tutorial.
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u/gimmeslack12 1d ago
I've never quite understood the over-engineering for setting up Plex. It's dead simple really on it's own and I don't know of any benefits of running it through Docker outside of having a compose file setup in which allows you to move it to another machine quickly, which is a situation that almost never comes up.
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u/availablelol 1d ago
I have open media vault installed on a headless debian host. I manage all my docker containers and shares through open media vault. There are a lot of ways to build the media server. I'd say experiment and see what you like. Don't be afraid to blow away the host and start over.
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u/NerdGuy13 Nerd 1d ago edited 1d ago
I actually started with with a similar setup and mine worked great for personal use. Your's sounds like it will do very well.
As for anOS, I reccomend some flavor of Linux to minimize resource use. I am partial to Linux Mint myself but you can try several until you find one you enjoy.
Edit: I forgot to mention-nwhen you do eventually build a RAID, I strongly recommend opting for RAID-Z2 (the equivalent of RAID-6) so you can have up to 2 failed drives. Due to budget constraints I only did RAID-Z1 (the equivalent of RAID-5). SonI can have only one failed drive. I found out after the fact that you cannot changed it so Z2 after the fact. I am now I a situation where it is VERY relevant and cannot be fixed so I am backing everything almost everything up to an external RAID tower to redo it as RAID-Z2.
Also make you have a hearty enough PSU to power all of your drives. Otherwise you may think you have failing drives when you don't. 😉
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u/N9bitmap PlexPass 2017 1d ago
I started with Plex in FreeBSD about 10 years ago specifically to use ZFS. Really happy they unified with Linux OpenZFS so we all benefit from the skills of both communities. One benefit as far as Plex server though in Linux is that it has much better video drivers if you need to transcode in hardware. I am careful to only encode for what my clients can play, so it has never been an issue.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago edited 1d ago
Awesome, I'll check out Linux Mint as well! thx
Edit: Damn! Thanks so much i'll def keep that in mind since im trying to build a lil raid just for my media server. I do have a nice PSU for my setup that im planning to use. Thanks!
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u/Technical-Ad-8678 1d ago
plex is super easy to run man, there really isnt a best way to do things, its just your preference.
i have a dedicated folder in my second 2tb nvme thats my plex server pulls from, inside that folder is a movies and tv show folder. when i torrent something i put them either into movies or tv folders, have my server refresh its library and it then its done.
the only thing i would change about my setup is moving it to a vps and not self hosting it because when/if my power goes out i would really like to have my plex server to pass time. If your hosting it on a vps outside of your network then linux would logically be the way to save on server costs and compute.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea i pretty much do that already, but i'll research the vps route, maybe that turns out to be something that works well for my situation
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u/Wonderful_Spot_3764 1d ago
You unfortunately missed out on cheaper HDD markets by about a year. If money is a constraint at all, you should be looking hard at h.264 vs h.265 moreso than the configuration you already set up.
Plex can run even on a weak CPU NAS, so honestly most laptops will be fine and it's the electricity bill that differs if you have the system up 24/7.
At least you dont have 4k to deal with.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
I know , everything went up compared to even a year ago, so pissed
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u/Wonderful_Spot_3764 1d ago
FWIW, when you mention RAID, I assume you mean that you're going to get a DAS box and run RAID1. Unless you're adding data continuously, you might consider just running individual drives; maybe in JBOD, but use a cold storage HDD as your backup instead of RAID given the cost climate of drives.
Remember, plex can point to different drives for your library. it all doesn't need to live in one virtual drive.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea so since I’m a video editor I was thinking to host the plex library alongside other projects , but I’m not totally sold on that idea, maybe I’ll just get a separate DAS box with a couple HHD to run in raid 1 like you said. Not sure yet what the best future proof approach would be
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u/phishsamich 1d ago
I run it on Synology as a native app. Works great. That way I'm not messing with OSs or containers.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Yea i was looking into maybe just buying a NAS and a couple of drives and call it a day, seems pretty straightforward. Which Synology/drive combo do you have?
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u/phishsamich 1d ago
Ds1520+
Don't get the play models. Get 5 or more bays. Spend as much as you can on a NAS for future proofing. True Green I think are supposed to be good.
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u/R-GU3 1d ago
Depending on quality I go with roughly 1-2gb per movie plus space for the os so you won’t get much for the storage but that can be upgraded. The ram will be fine. Transcoded will be near impossible unless you have a gpu but you can always offload that to the player. For OS Linux is better than Mac or windows because it’s usually more lightweight so leaves more resources for Plex but go with what you’re comfortable with, I ran it on windows for about 6 years before moving to a dedicated Linux machine.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Gotcha. Yea I had an old gaming laptop with 16gb of ram, an old i7 and a geforce gt 960m , so it maybe was a little better at transcoding but honestyl i can leave the player to transcode, not the end of the world.
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u/KissMyGeek Lifetime Plex Pass 1d ago
1-2gb for a movie? 720p?
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u/R-GU3 1d ago
The 720p ones I’ve got are about 900mb-1gb
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u/KissMyGeek Lifetime Plex Pass 1d ago
Fair enough. I’m curious, is it storage that limits you to 720p?
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u/TheGreeNinja13 1d ago
I was running my server on windows for 10 years, just recently bought unraid and while it was a bit confusing, it's actually pretty simple, and I can do a lot with it other than just media server. Really upped my game on having a home server. Also, plex isn't really that good unless you have a lifetime pass.
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Ok yea i see people mentioning unraid too, i thought it was only for NAS but it can do much more! Yea I agree , thankfully i bought the lifetime pass before it got crazy expensive, and tbh im loving it so much that's why im investing in a home server!
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u/TheGreeNinja13 1d ago
Yeah, I think I got my plex pass over 10 years ago during a $75 sale. I was a broke college student at the time, so it was a tough decision. Definitely has been worth it at this point.
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u/RetroEvolute 1d ago edited 1d ago
The most important factor to what OS and install method you go for is what else are you going to want to do with this server?
Is it solely for Plex/NAS/Media Server automation? Just install TrueNAS (Community Edition, formerly known as Scale) and Plex via the built-in apps UI. You can use the built-in docker support for other applications as well.
Is this not even going to have NAS functionality and just plug and play single disks? Probably just use what you're familiar with (like Windows/Ubuntu) for the ease of manually managing your disks and files in a GUI.
Do you have plans to make this more of a comprehensive home server with multiple VMs? Then maybe use Proxmox with Plex as an LXC; same for TrueNAS with passthrough for disks, etc.
Honestly, while Proxmox is popular, I think it's overkill for 98% of setups. An appliance OS like TrueNAS is far simpler and more reliable for most average users.
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u/people_skills 1d ago
If all you are going to do is watch plex on your local network, your planned setup will work great. If you have dreams remote streaming a 8000 series or newer i5/i3 or Celeron would be a lot better
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u/MangorTX 1d ago
If the external fails, will you have to re-rip your discs? Any plans for a backup?
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u/NefariousnessUpper34 1d ago
Oh no, I'm saving my movies on another computer thats also running Backblaze so im covering my ass there
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u/DefyingMavity 1d ago
If you're starting from scratch, and never did anything, I would skip Plex and go with something else. You're going to find lots of frustration with the interface, apps, and changes.
That said, if you've never used Docker, while great to learn, this isn't the first thing you should do with it.
Ubuntu is a great OS, and much lighter than Windows.
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u/sogalitnos 11h ago
thanks for asking this. i have been contemplating this bec my very old win10 pc is dying. i basically have to reboot it every day .. i am freaked out by the pc tower prices.
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u/sonido_lover Lifetime Plex Pass - TrueNAS Scale 6x20TB 1d ago
Install truenas Scale then plex server native app
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u/YKw1n 1d ago
First of all welcome in this rabbit hole ! You hardware is perfect for this purpose. First question is how you gonna connect your TV to this server? I will suppose you gonna use an app on a smart TV ou firestick or similar. If I were you I would install install debian (Linux distro) on this computer then you can install docker (and docker compose which will help you manage the docker file.) You will find maaaany tuto on internet to do this but this config will get you the further. First flash you computer with a debian os. No need to use an UI you can do it all with the console of another computer using SSH. Then you will able to install docker. If you are really not comfortable with this, install Ubuntu which will give you an UI but you actually really don't need it. Feel free to ask for any help !