In this post we’ll talk about how you can install Plex Media Server on CentOS 8 & CentOS 7 Linux System. Plex is an open-source client-server media server created to enable you stream your Videos, Audio and Photos from your Tablet, Mobile device or PC using public internet or local network connection. Plex runs on Windos, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD operating systems.

You can extend the features of Plex using readily available plugins. Some of the Premium features you can unlock with subscription are:

  • Mobile Sync – Enjoy your media offline on Android and iOS devices.
  • Live TV & DVR – Connect a tuner and antenna to record free OTA broadcasts
  • Parental Controls – Set up managed user accounts to create custom access restrictions
  • Webhooks – Connect your media server to your home automation system
  • Server Dashboard – See the play history, bandwidth, and top users on your media server
  • Premium Music Magic – Sweet Fades, Loudness Leveling, Lyrics, and more
  • Premium Photos – Take advantage of auto-tagging and Places to easily sort and discover memories with friends and family.

The Plex software suite comprises of two main components. The Plex Media Server and the Client application installatable on Linux, Windows, macOS and Android devices.

Install Plex Media Server on CentOS 8 / CentOS 7

The Plex media server packages are not available on the CentOS 8 AppStream or official CentOS 7 repositories, We’ll add the repository manually.

sudo tee  /etc/yum.repos.d/plex.repo<<EOF
[Plex]
name=Plex
baseurl=https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/rpm/$basearch/
enabled=1
gpgkey=https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-keys/PlexSign.key
gpgcheck=1
EOF

You can confirm if repository is configured correctly by viewing the contents in the file.

$ cat /etc/yum.repos.d/plex.repo

After adding the repository, proceed to Install Plex Media Server on CentOS 8.

sudo yum -y install plexmediaserver

After installation, ensure the service is started and enabled.

sudo systemctl enable --now plexmediaserver

Confirm if the service is in running state:

$ systemctl status plexmediaserver.service

See Screenshot below.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-01-1024×232.png5e522f2ddb58a.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

Open required firewall ports.

$ firewall-cmd --get-default-zone 
public
$ sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=plex --permanent --zone=public
$ sudo firewall-cmd --reload
$ sudo firewall-cmd --list-all --zone=public

Access Plex Media Server Web Console

Access Plex Media Server on your Server URL, port 32400, e.g 192.168.100.110:32400/web.

If Plex is installed on a remote server, setup SSH tunnel for initial configuration:

ssh [email protected] -L 32400:localhost:32400

Then you can then access Plex web interface on localhost port 32400.

You need to sign in with gmail, facebook account or email to continue.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-02-1024×593.png5e522f2e48b3d.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

You can optionally choose a premium package that works for you.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-03.png5e522f2e69b0a.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

Give your server a friendly name.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-04.png5e522f2f5f2b9.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

Add Media Library – Music, Videos, Tv Shows, Photos e.t.c.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-05.png5e522f2fad724.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

Finish the setup and start enjoying Plex Media Server.

<img alt="" data-ezsrc="https://kirelos.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/echo/install-plex-media-server-centos-8-centos-7-06-min-1024×522.png5e522f30279cf.jpg" data-ez ezimgfmt="rs rscb8 src ng ngcb8 srcset" src="data:image/svg xml,”>

In our next guide, we’ll cover configuration of Nginx as reverse Proxy for Plex with Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.

Other guides:

How To Install Kodi Media Server on Fedora

How to Install Plex Media Server on Ubuntu 18.04 and Arch Linux

Koel – Setup Music Streaming Server on Ubuntu / Debian/ CentOS

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