Plex web GUI redirects to 'app.plex.tv' - how to disable ?

[Andy McClements]

Hi, I just installed Plex for the first time into a jail. That's all simple enough and I was able to quickly connect to the server over my LAN on port 32400.

But.. I was taken aback to be redirected to a login page at 'app.plex.tv'.

As I have no intention of letting Plex have any of my personal data or metadata, I need to disable this feature and use Plex locally without a signin to their internet services.

Can someone please point me toward the relevent config files and documentation to allow me to do this ?

There is no man page for plex...

TIA..

 

[Jailer]

This would be better answered on the Plex forum.

https://forums.plex.tv

 

[Andy McClements]

Possibly, but I don't use that forum, as I've not used Plex before, and may never use it.

I do wish to use Plex on Freenas, so I think asking a question here is reasonable.

So, anyone know where I can find the config files and docs ??

 

[garm]

Docs are here...
https://support.plex.tv/articles/

 

[Andy McClements]

I had a quick look at the server-related articles linked, but they all seem to assume there is access via the web gui, which I cannot access due to the login redirect.

I really need to know how to manage the server at the shell level, as this is a Unix server there should be configuration file controlling its behaviour, I'm assuming it should be possible to make some edits to these to disable the login redirect.

 

[danb35]

but I don't use that forum

Perhaps you should start. If there's a way to do what you're wanting to do, you're much more likely to find it there than here.

which I cannot access

No, you refuse to access--that's an important distinction.

I really need to know how to manage the server at the shell level

I won't say it isn't possible, but it isn't something I've ever seen discussed. There is a Preferences.xml file, but I don't know if you can do what you're wanting to do there (or at all). If you want a system that will operate completely independently of plex.tv, this may not be the system for you.

 

[garm]

Now I spent 5 minutes searching Plex.tv and there is no indication that you can use it without a plex.tv account

 

[danb35]

there is no indication that you can use it without a plex.tv account

As of a few months ago, you could: https://www.familybrown.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=fester112:jails_plex#initial_plex_setup

That doesn't mean you can use it without making any connection to anything on plex.tv, because it connects there to initially try to set up the account. But once you've opted out of that, AFAIK, plex.tv isn't involved in your regular use of PMS. There has been talk, however, of telemetrics being sent to Plex, and you may or may not be able to opt out of that.

 

[garm]

cool, on the level of Microsoft changing the window close button to accept Windows 10 upgrades...

 

[danb35]

It's not like a plex.tv account costs anything. But if you don't want anyone else having any idea what you're doing with your media server, a piece of closed-source commercial software may not be the best choice.

 

[Andy McClements]

Closed source ?

I'm out. Bye.

 

[danb35]

You're surprised that Plex is closed-source? If that were a deal-breaker, it would seem like something you'd investigate before installing it. But yes, it is and always has been. FreeNAS is Free Software, but many of the available plugins are not.

 

[Andy McClements]

Surprised ? Not really, more like disappointed to find a system with the supposed 'integrity' of FreeNAS having anything to do with undocumented blobs such as Plex. Not my cup of tea at all.. I'm an old timer I guess.

 

[danb35]

Plex is far from undocumented (Asigra is another story...), but both, along with some of the other plugins, remain closed-source. There's never been any claim made that all (or even any, though many are) of the plugins are free software. But I believe Emby is open-source (edit: it is, though there's still a "phone-home" feature), so that would be another option for a media server.

I don't think "exclusive F/OSS" has been nearly as strong of a thing in the FreeBSD ecosystem as with Linux--the impact of RMS and the FSF are much stronger with the latter.

 

[ere109]

Andy, did you ever find an answer to your original question, or just get flack? I've noticed that same issue, over the last few updates: you type your local IP for plex, but it automatically redirects to you to the Plex website, which then links back to your server. I suspect that, if you didn't have an internet connection, the IP would resolve and work. There's definitely a piece of code that makes the switch - not sure if there's an opt-out, but I, too, would love to know if you find an answer.

 

[garm]

@danb35 already told us how to do that

 

[danb35]

@danb35 already told us how to do that

That depends on what exactly "that" is. If it's "set up Plex without ever touching app.plex.tv," no, I didn't, and I don't know that it's possible (though @ere109 can certainly test his theory). If it's "set up and use Plex without having an account on plex.tv," yes, as of a few months ago at least, it was possible, and the screen shots at the wiki link show how.

 

[Andy McClements]

Andy, did you ever find an answer to your original question, or just get flack? .

Lol.. no I did not.

To me, Plex, and several other popular media server platforms seem of dubious trustworthiness, on account of being closed source, and their tendency to covertly 'phone home', with unknown data.

I've put my 'media server' project on hold for now until I can find a solution. I may end up with a workaround, such as running Plex (or whatever) on an isolated VLAN, and using a 'strawman' registration email dedicated to that purpose. I take the same approach with an Amazon FireTV stick, for similar reasons.

 

[danb35]

Plex, and several other popular media server platforms seem of dubious trustworthiness, on account of being closed source, and their tendency to covertly 'phone home', with unknown data.

As I pointed out above, Emby is open-source (GPL2), though I can't speak to its outside communications.

 

[ere109]

I believe I did find a solution - although problematic. As suggested, if the plex server doesn't have an outgoing connection, then the local IP is the only way to access it. I disabled the external route, and I'm currently accessing Plex through my local IP. If you ONLY watch your media from home, that works. However, if you want to be able to watch media while sitting on a bus, or otherwise away from your local network, this doesn't work. But I'll keep playing with it.
Note: without external connection, you can't download album info, etc. But, you could do your inital setup, download movie and album information, then disable the outgoing connection - close the loop.