This blog post will give you a step by step guide on how to install Plex Media Server on a Qnap NAS.
A NAS (Network Attached Storage) is one of the preferred ways to install your Plex Media Server, they run custom operating systems based on Linux and perhaps not as intuitive as Mac and Windows, so install isn’t always as straightforward. I personally have been running Plex on my Qnap TS-253A for at least three years and it has been really stable and functional.
You can install Plex automatically through the Qnap App Store or manually as a .qpkg file.
Table of Contents
Automated update
This options is the easiest and the quickest, I initially installed my Plex media server in this way. However you are not going to be able to update your Plex with new software releases unless QNAP updates the version that is stored in their App Store.
It isn’t uncommon for an update to fail in this way.
Steps:
- Login into your Qnap admin page through your Web Browser
- Open App Center
- Search for Plex
- Click the + Install button
- Once completed you can now open your Plex Media server.
At the time of writing the version available at the App Center is V1.16.6 (2019/10/29).
Plex released version 1.19.5.3112-b23ab3896 on July 20th 2020 you can find information about Plex releases in the Plex announcements forum
The automated updated isn’t available with the newest released features. I’ll now show you how you can update your Plex manually.
These are some of the features released with this version:
New
- (Intro Detection) Find any intros in the first half of an episode
- (Linux) Add service customization notes to Debian and Redhat service file
- (QNAP) Add PlexData share to provide easy access to logs & make/restore backups
- (Translations) Added Portuguese translations.
- GnuTLS was upgraded to 3.6.14
Manual update
Navigate to Plex’s download page and pick media server and pick Qnap as a platform from the pick list.
Download the correct package based on your processor, in my case I have a Intel CPU.
If you are not sure which processor you have follow these steps:
- Log into the Qnap admin page on your browser
- Open the control panel and navigate to System –> Hardware –> System Status
- Under system information you should find the CPU listed.
Once you have download the .qpkg file we need to upload it and install it.
Open the App centre in your Qnap admin page, and look for the plus button install manually.
Now click browse and look for where your file was downloaded to and then click Install.
And that should be it!
Hope your update went well
Keep it digital!
