How to Install Plex on Ubuntu

Plex Media Server turns your Ubuntu box into a personal Netflix—movies, TV, music, and photos streamed to phones, TVs, and browsers. Ubuntu does not ship a current Plex package in its default archives; you install from Plex’s official APT repository (repo.plex.tv) or a downloaded .deb (Plex Support — Installation).

This guide covers install Plex on Ubuntu and install Plex on Ubuntu Server: add the repo, install plexmediaserver, verify systemd, open the web UI at http://127.0.0.1:32400/web, configure UFW, fix plex user media permissions, and optional Snap install. Commands below were tested on Ubuntu 25.04.

Tested on: Ubuntu 25.04 (Plucky Puffin); kernel 6.14.0-37-generic; amd64; Plex Media Server 1.43.2.10687-563d026ea.

Quick command summary

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, or newer (25.04 tested) on amd64, arm64, or armhf (Plex publishes builds for each).

• sudo and outbound HTTPS to repo.plex.tv / downloads.plex.tv.

• cURL, gpg, and ca-certificates for the Plex apt repository setup.

• A Plex account (free) for server claim and remote features.

• Organized media before scanning—movies as Movie Name (Year).ext, TV as Show/Season XX/Show s01e01.ext (Plex naming guide).

• Filesystem that supports symlinks/hardlinks (standard ext4/xfs is fine).

• For broader CLI reference beyond the apt and sudo steps below, see the Linux commands.

If apt or sources.list edits depend on your codename, use check Ubuntu version before continuing.

What you are installing

Plex is not the Plex desktop player app—it is the server that hosts libraries and transcodes streams.

Choose an install method

Avoid the legacy downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/debian one-line source if you can—Plex now publishes current builds from https://repo.plex.tv/deb/.

Step 1: Refresh Ubuntu packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install tools for the signed repository:

sudo apt install -y curl gpg ca-certificates

Step 2: Add the official Plex APT repository (recommended)

Import Plex’s signing key (replaces deprecated apt-key):

The example below transfers data with curl over HTTP(S); the curl command is a quick reference for flags and syntax.

curl -fsSL https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-keys/PlexSign.v2.key | \
 sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /usr/share/keyrings/plexmediaserver.gpg

Create the DEB822 source file (Plex repository updating):

printf '%s\n' \
 'Types: deb' \
 'URIs: https://repo.plex.tv/deb/' \
 'Suites: public' \
 'Components: main' \
 "Architectures: $(dpkg --print-architecture)" \
 'Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/plexmediaserver.gpg' | \
 sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.sources > /dev/null

Reload indexes and confirm the candidate:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy plexmediaserver

Example on Ubuntu 25.04:

Get:2 https://repo.plex.tv/deb public InRelease [4,069 B]
Get:6 https://repo.plex.tv/deb public/main amd64 Packages [393 B]
---
plexmediaserver:
 Installed: (none)
 Candidate: 1.43.2.10687-563d026ea
 Version table:
 1.43.2.10687-563d026ea 500
 500 https://repo.plex.tv/deb public/main amd64 Packages

Step 3: Install Plex Media Server

sudo apt install -y plexmediaserver

Relevant installer output:

Setting up plexmediaserver (1.43.2.10687-563d026ea) ...
PlexMediaServer install: PlexMediaServer-1.43.2.10687-563d026ea - Installation successful. Errors: 0, Warnings: 0
Created symlink .../plexmediaserver.service → /usr/lib/systemd/system/plexmediaserver.service

Verify:

Enable or disable the unit at boot with systemctl enable; the systemctl command documents enable --now, symlinks under /etc/systemd/system, and masks.

dpkg -l plexmediaserver
sudo systemctl is-enabled plexmediaserver
sudo systemctl is-active plexmediaserver

ii plexmediaserver 1.43.2.10687-563d026ea amd64 Plex organizes all of your personal media...
enabled
active

Confirm the web listener:

List listening TCP sockets with process names using ss -tlnp; the ss command documents -p, -n, and filtering by port.

ss -tlnp | grep 32400
curl -sI http://127.0.0.1:32400/web | head -8

LISTEN 0 1024 *:32400 *:*
HTTP/1.1 302 Moved Temporarily
X-Plex-Protocol: 1.0
Location: http://127.0.0.1:32400/web/index.html#!/setup/...

A 302 redirect to #!/setup/ means Plex is ready for the first-run wizard.

Step 4: Install from a .deb file (alternative)

When you prefer a manual package (Plex Support — Ubuntu):

1. Download the latest 64-bit .deb from plex.tv/media-server-downloads or resolve the URL from Plex’s API:

curl -sL https://plex.tv/api/downloads/5.json | python3 -c "
import json, sys
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
for r in data['computer']['Linux']['releases']:
 if r.get('distro') == 'debian' and r['url'].endswith('.deb'):
 print(r['url']); break
"

2. Download and install with wget / apt:

wget -O /tmp/plexmediaserver.deb 'https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-media-server-new/1.43.2.10687-563d026ea/debian/plexmediaserver_1.43.2.10687-563d026ea_amd64.deb'
sudo apt install -y /tmp/plexmediaserver.deb

Tested download size: ~84 MB. Use sudo apt install ./file.deb—not dpkg -i file.deb -y (dpkg does not take -y, and apt install fixes dependencies automatically).

To enable future upgrades after a manual .deb, still add the Step 2 repository.

Step 5: Install via Snap (optional)

sudo snap install plexmediaserver

Snap stable on Ubuntu matched the deb version in tests (1.43.2.10687-563d026ea, publisher plexinc). Manage at http://localhost:32400/manage per Snapcraft. Pick either Snap or deb/apt—not both on the same host.

Step 6: Complete Plex Web setup

Ubuntu Desktop

Open a browser on the same machine:

http://127.0.0.1:32400/web

Ubuntu Server (headless)

From your workstation, tunnel Plex’s localhost port (Plex Support — SSH tunnel):

Forward a local port through SSH with -L; the ssh command covers tunnel syntax, bind addresses, and keeping the session open.

ssh -L 8888:127.0.0.1:32400 username@SERVER_IP

Then browse:

http://127.0.0.1:8888/web

Wizard steps

1. Sign in with your Plex account (create one if needed).
2. Name the server (e.g. ubuntu-plex).
3. Choose whether to enable remote access (Plex relay) or stay LAN-only.
4. Add libraries (Movies, TV Shows, Music, Photos) or skip and add later under Settings → Manage → Libraries.
5. Click Finish—Plex begins scanning attached folders.

LAN access from another device

On the same network, use the server’s IP:

http://192.168.1.50:32400/web

Replace with your server’s address (ip -4 addr show).

Step 7: Grant Plex access to media folders

Plex runs as user plex. It needs read + execute on every directory in the path to your files:

id plex

uid=993(plex) gid=977(plex) groups=977(plex),44(video),991(render)

ACL approach (keeps your user as owner):

sudo apt install -y acl
sudo setfacl -R -m u:plex:rx /media/movies
sudo setfacl -d -m u:plex:rx /media/movies
sudo -u plex test -r /media/movies && echo "plex can read media"

Ownership approach (dedicated Plex disk):

Ownership changes in this section use chown command syntax.

sudo chown -R plex:plex /media/movies
sudo systemctl restart plexmediaserver

Without correct permissions, libraries stay empty even when paths look right in the UI.

Step 8: Firewall (Ubuntu Server)

If UFW is enabled, allow SSH first, then Plex:

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 32400/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

To Action From
-- ------ ----
OpenSSH ALLOW Anywhere
32400/tcp ALLOW Anywhere

Reload is automatic on rule add. Remote Plex clients on your LAN can now reach port 32400 directly.

Manage, update, and remove

Service control (systemd):

sudo systemctl start plexmediaserver
sudo systemctl stop plexmediaserver
sudo systemctl restart plexmediaserver

Update (with Plex repo configured):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install --only-upgrade plexmediaserver -y
dpkg-query -W -f='${Version}\n' plexmediaserver

Remove package, keep library data:

sudo apt remove plexmediaserver

Metadata remains under /var/lib/plexmediaserver/.

Full removal:

sudo apt purge plexmediaserver
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/plexmediaserver
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.sources
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/plexmediaserver.gpg

See also removing software on Ubuntu for Snap vs apt vs manual cleanup paths.

Troubleshooting

References

• Plex Support — Installation
• Plex Downloads
• Install plexmediaserver Snap (Ubuntu)
• , ,

Summary

The reliable way to install Plex on Ubuntu is Plex’s official repo.plex.tv APT repository: import PlexSign.v2.key, add the DEB822 plexmediaserver.sources file, run sudo apt install -y plexmediaserver, then open http://127.0.0.1:32400/web. On Ubuntu Server, tunnel with ssh -L 8888:127.0.0.1:32400 for first-time setup.

Tested install: 1.43.2.10687-563d026ea, service enabled/active, port 32400 listening, web UI returning 302 to the setup wizard. Grant the plex user read access to media, open 32400/tcp in UFW for LAN clients, and use apt upgrade for updates.