---
title: Plex
description: Install Plex Media Server with Tautulli on your homelab to stream movies and TV shows from anywhere on all your devices.
---


:ellipsis{left=0px width=40rem top=10rem blur=140px zIndex=60}
# Plex

::note
🎯 **Objectives:**

- Install Plex
- Install Tautulli
- Access media from outside your network
::

[Plex](https://www.plex.tv/fr/) is a self-hosted video streaming platform for managing your movie or TV show library and playing them locally or remotely. Plex has apps for TV, Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, allowing you to stream your library just like Netflix.

With *Plex Pass*, you can also organize and play your music content similar to Spotify, the difference being that it’s your content, hosted and streamed from your server.

![picture](/img/serveex/plex.png)

We'll also install [Tautulli](https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-tautulli/), a tool that provides detailed stats about Plex. As always, we'll use linuxserver.io images where possible.

- [More info on the Plex container](https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-plex)
- [More info on the Tautulli container](https://docs.linuxserver.io/images/docker-tautulli/)

::note

You’ll need to create a *Plex.tv* account. You don’t need to expose your Plex service; it will be accessible through the platform. Your Plex server will be manageable directly from your account.
::

## Install Plex
---
Folder structure:
```sh
root
├── docker
│   ├── plex      
│   │   ├── compose.yml
│   │   ├── .env
│   │   ├── config
│   │   └── transcode
│   └── tautulli
│       └── config
└── media
    ├── tvseries
    ├── movies
    └── library
```

Create the `movies`, `tvseries`, and `library` folders in `/media`:

```sh
mkdir -p /media/movies /media/library /media/tvseries
```

Open Dockge in your browser and click `compose`.  
Name the stack `plex` and add the following config:

```yaml
---
services:
  linuxserver_plex:
    image: ghcr.io/linuxserver/plex:amd64-latest
    container_name: plex
    network_mode: host
    environment:

      - PUID=${PUID}
      - PGID=${GUID}
      - TZ=Europe/Paris
      - VERSION=docker
    volumes:

      - /docker/plex/config:/config
      - /docker/plex/transcode:/transcode
      - /media:/media
    restart: unless-stopped
    mem_limit: 4096m
    mem_reservation: 2048m
    devices:

      - /dev/dri:/dev/dri

  tautulli:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/tautulli:latest
    container_name: tautulli
    environment:

      - PUID=${PUID}
      - PGID=${GUID}
      - TZ=Europe/Paris
    volumes:

      - /docker/tautulli/config:/config
    ports:

      - 8181:8181
    restart: unless-stopped
```

::tip
✨ Add the Watchtower label to each container to automate updates:

```yaml
services:
  plex:
    #...
    labels:

      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true

  tautulli:
    #...
    labels:

      - com.centurylinklabs.watchtower.enable=true
```
::

Find your PUID and GUID by running:

```sh
id username
```

Fill in your `.env` file with the retrieved values, for example:

```properties
PUID=1000
GUID=1000
```

Deploy the stack.

The local interface is available at `http://yourserverip:32400/web/index.html`.  
Tautulli is accessible at `http://yourserverip:8181`.

::warning

You must be on your local network during Plex's initial setup. Otherwise, the URL will redirect to your Plex account without detecting your server. A VPN won't help. If you have no choice, [you can handle the setup remotely via SSH tunnel](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200288586-installation/#toc-2).
::

## Configure Plex
---
Plex offers a range of free movies/shows. After creating your account, I recommend disabling everything in the _Online Services_ section to keep your library clean.

Then go to the _Remote Access_ section and manually select a port (we’ll use `1234`). It's best not to use the default port.

![picture](/img/serveex/plex-port.png)

- On your router, forward TCP port `1234` to port `32400` for your server’s IP using [NAT rules](/general/networking/nat).
- Once done, return to Plex to verify that remote access is functional.

::caution

**If it fails:** check your firewall rules and allow port `32400` on your server.
::

- If you have PlexPass and a GPU or iGPU, enable *hardware acceleration* in the _Transcoder_ section.
- In _Settings > Library_, enable _Update my library automatically_.
- In _Manage > Library_, add or edit libraries and point to `/media/movies` for movies and `/media/tvseries` for series.

And that’s it! You now have a working Plex server!

Simply add your media to `/media/movies` and `/media/tvseries` on your server. You can then install the Plex app on your devices and watch your favorite content locally or remotely.

::note

If your media is stored on a network disk (e.g. NAS or external hard drive over the network), refer to the [Samba mount guide](/general/networking/samba) so Plex can access it.
::

## Expose Tautulli with Swag
---
You don’t need to expose Plex, as it's accessible via your Plex account on plex.tv.  

However, you may want to expose Tautulli so you can view stats from a simple URL when you're not home.

::note

We assume you have the subdomain `tautulli.mydomain.com` with a `CNAME` pointing to `mydomain.com` in your [DNS zone](/general/networking/dns). And of course, [unless you use Cloudflare Zero Trust](/serveex/security/cloudflare), your box's port `443` must be forwarded to your server's port `443` in [NAT rules](/general/networking/nat).
::

Go to Dockge and edit SWAG’s compose file by adding Tautulli’s network:

```yaml
services:
  swag:
     container_name: # ...
      # ... 
     networks:              # Attach container to custom network 
      # ...           

      - tautulli            # Name of the declared network

networks:                   # Define the custom network
  # ...
  tautulli:                 # Declared network name
    name: tautulli_default  # Actual external network name
    external: true          # Marks it as externally defined
```

Redeploy the stack and wait for SWAG to be fully operational.

::note

Here we assume the Tautulli network name is `tautulli_default`. You can check the connection by visiting SWAG’s dashboard at `http://yourserverip:81`.
::

Copy and rename the file `tautulli.subdomain.conf.sample` to `tautulli.subdomain.conf`, then edit it:

::tip
✨ **Tip:** Use [File Browser](/serveex/files/file-browser) to navigate and edit files instead of using terminal commands.
::

```sh
sudo cp /docker/swag/config/nginx/proxy-confs/tautulli.subdomain.conf.sample /docker/swag/config/nginx/proxy-confs/tautulli.subdomain.conf
sudo nano /docker/swag/config/nginx/proxy-confs/tautulli.subdomain.conf
```

Ensure the configuration matches the following, and edit it if needed:

```nginx
## Version 2023/05/31
# make sure that your tautulli container is named tautulli
# make sure that your dns has a cname set for tautulli

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    listen [::]:443 ssl;

    server_name tautulli.*;

    include /config/nginx/ssl.conf;

    client_max_body_size 0;

    # enable for ldap auth (requires ldap-location.conf in the location block)
    #include /config/nginx/ldap-server.conf;

    # enable for Authelia (requires authelia-location.conf in the location block)
    #include /config/nginx/authelia-server.conf;

    # enable for Authentik (requires authentik-location.conf in the location block)
    #include /config/nginx/authentik-server.conf;

    location / {
        # enable the next two lines for http auth
        #auth_basic "Restricted";
        #auth_basic_user_file /config/nginx/.htpasswd;

        # enable for ldap auth (requires ldap-server.conf in the server block)
        #include /config/nginx/ldap-location.conf;

        # enable for Authelia (requires authelia-server.conf in the server block)
        #include /config/nginx/authelia-location.conf;

        # enable for Authentik (requires authentik-server.conf in the server block)
        #include /config/nginx/authentik-location.conf;

        include /config/nginx/proxy.conf;
        include /config/nginx/resolver.conf;
        set $upstream_app tautulli;
        set $upstream_port 8181;
        set $upstream_proto http;
        proxy_pass $upstream_proto://$upstream_app:$upstream_port;

    }

    location ~ (/tautulli)?/api {
        include /config/nginx/proxy.conf;
        include /config/nginx/resolver.conf;
        set $upstream_app tautulli;
        set $upstream_port 8181;
        set $upstream_proto http;
        proxy_pass $upstream_proto://$upstream_app:$upstream_port;

    }

    location ~ (/tautulli)?/newsletter {
        include /config/nginx/proxy.conf;
        include /config/nginx/resolver.conf;
        set $upstream_app tautulli;
        set $upstream_port 8181;
        set $upstream_proto http;
        proxy_pass $upstream_proto://$upstream_app:$upstream_port;

    }

    location ~ (/tautulli)?/image {
        include /config/nginx/proxy.conf;
        include /config/nginx/resolver.conf;
        set $upstream_app tautulli;
        set $upstream_port 8181;
        set $upstream_proto http;
        proxy_pass $upstream_proto://$upstream_app:$upstream_port;

    }
}
```

::tip
✨ You can protect this app with Authentik by removing the `#` before `include /config/nginx/authentik-server.conf;` and `include /config/nginx/authentik-location.conf;`. Don’t forget to [create an application and provider in Authentik](/serveex/security/authentik#protecting-an-app-via-reverse-proxy).
::

Press :kbd{value="Ctrl+O"}, then :kbd{value="Enter"} to save, and :kbd{value="Ctrl+X"} to exit.

Wait a few minutes, then open `http://tautulli.mydomain.com` in your browser.

::caution

**If it fails:** check your firewall rules.
::

And you're done!
