How to Install Plex Media Server on Debian 12

Managing your media files can be a challenging task when done manually, and that’s the case when you start using any media organizing application out there. Plex Media Server is a software application that makes it easy to organize and stream your media content. Using Plex, you can enjoy your videos, movies, TV shows, music, and photos anytime, anywhere.

Aside from that, Plex also includes a media library with centralized data and a single access point from any device. It has a server and a desktop application. It is available for most operating systems, including the new Debian 12. Let’s follow this guide to install the Plex media server on Debian 12.

Outline:

• How to Install Plex on Debian 12
  • Method 1: Using the Plex Official Repository
  • Method 2: Using Snap Package Installer
  • Method 3: Using the Deb File
• How to Configure Plex on Debian 12
• How to Uninstall Plex From Debian 12
• Conclusion

How to Install Plex on Debian 12: Step-by-Step Guide

With the Plex Media server, not only can you share the same content on all devices, but you can also share the media with friends and family. Add to that, Plex is free for most of its features, unlike other media organizing software, and it’s worth considering. We will be outlining four approved ways to have Plex running on Debian 12.

To install Plex on Debian 12, follow the methods below:

Method 1: Using the Plex Official Repository

The apt package manager does not provide the Plex Media Server package via the default repository; for this reason, you need to add the Plex repository to install Plex Media Server on Debian using the default package manager.

Step 1: Add the Plex Repository

To add the Plex repository, first add the GPG key to your system for the package validation:

curl https://downloads.plex.tv/plex-keys/PlexSign.key | gpg –dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/plexserver.gpg > /dev/null

Step 2: Add the Repository link to the Sources

Then add the repository link to the sources now:

echo deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/plexserver.gpg] https://downloads.plex.tv/repo/deb public main | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list

Step 3: Update Package List

And then update the apt package list via the command below:

sudo apt update

Step 4: Install Plex Media Server on Debian 12

Next, install Plex Media Server on Debian 12 with the command below:

sudo apt install plexmediaserver

Step 5: Verify Installed Plex

You can also check the version via the command below:

dpkg -l | grep plexmediaserver

That is all from this first method.

Method 2: Using Snap Package Installer

With the Snap application, users can install Plex on Debian 23. Let’s install Plex Media Server on Debian using Snap:

Step 1: Install Plex Media Server

The Plex Media Server can be installed using the impressive Snap package manager. To install Plex Media Server, run:

sudo snap install plexmediaserver

Step 2: Verify the Installed Plex

You can check if the installation was successful by printing the full list of apps installed with Snap on your system:

sudo snap list

Step 3: Launch Plex

To launch it, also find it in the apps:

Method 3: Using the Deb File

Another method is to install Plex Media Server using its .deb file, which you have to download from Plex’s site.

Step 1: Download the Plex Deb File

From Plex’s site, begin by selecting your operating system type and then your distribution to download.

Step 2: Install Plex on Debian 12

Install Plex on Debian 12 via its standard package manager with its deb file:

sudo apt install ./plexmediaserver_1.41.8.9834-071366d65_amd64.deb

Step 3: Verify the Installed Plex

You can also check the version via the command below:

dpkg -l | grep plexmediaserver

How to Configure Plex Media Server on Debian 12

There are a few settings needed to get Plex Media Server to work. Then let us verify the service status for Plex Media Server:

sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver

It is usually active by default but if not, run below:

sudo systemctl enable plexmediaserversudo systemctl start plexmediaserver

If you configure a reverse proxy, you won’t need to open new ports to access Plex remotely.

Then add port 32400 in your firewall; this is the port that’s used to access the Plex server by default:

sudo ufw allow 32400

Now you can reach the Plex Media Server using your device’s IP address and the default port number:

http://<system-ip-address>:32400/web

In the image above, you can see the warning that this application was not running on this IP. Having said that, there isn’t a media library on the system with the IP. So that sign up for your account for Plex:

Now, first configure the server by specifying the server name:

Next, generate the link to your media library with Plex:

And then complete the server setup, and you can also install the client application, Plex Desktop:

Everything from your media library should now be available in Plex:

How to Uninstall Plex From Debian 12

To uninstall Plex Media Server on Debian 12, if you installed it from the Plex repository in the first step, run:

sudo apt remove –autoremove plexmediaserver

Now delete the GPG key files in the keyrings directory:

sudo rm plexmediaserver.gpgsudo rm plexserver.gpg

Now, delete the Plex repository from the sources directory:

sudo rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/plexmediaserver.list

If you want to use the Snap package installer to uninstall Plex Media Server from Debian, then do the following: 

sudo snap remove plexmediaserver

Conclusion

There are 3 ways to install Plex Media Server on Debian 12, namely: Add Plex repository, Install with Snap package, and download and install the .deb file on Debian. The best way to install Plex is to install Plex Media Server on Debian 12, by first updating your package list and installing necessary dependencies like curl and gnupg2. Then, add the Plex repository and its GPG key. Finally, install the Plex Media Server package and start the service. In addition, if the latest version is not present, then go for the .deb file approach.