Plugin being moved to Deactivated directory

[glensc]

Something fishy is happening with Plex.

I noticed such logs in my system:

Feb 27, 2021 21:55:52.943 [0xa88f9430] WARN - Warning: ex: boost::filesystem::last_write_time: No such file or directory: "/config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-ins/Sub-Zero.bundle/Contents/Code", couldn't check file: "/config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-ins/Sub-Zero.bundle/Contents/Code"

I checked the container, indeed the directory was empty. Ok, I had docker restart, maybe that's fault. Cloned again.

And at some time later, again, the directory is emptied.

Seems it's moved to Plug-in Support/Data/com.plexapp.system/DataItems/Deactivated/com.plexapp.agents.subzero/Sub-Zero.bundle/Sub-Zero.bundle

Why? how to prevent this from happening?

I've kept my plex media server to old version due the new agenda problem:

• Sync does no more work with new Plex Movie agent Taxel/PlexTraktSync#56

so, it's not related to some recent Plex update and plan to kill plugin support?

My current version is this docker image: linuxserver/plex:1.20.3.3437-f1f08d65b-ls119

[glensc]

More details:

$ cd "/config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Data/com.plexapp.system/DataItems"

$ find -name Sub-Zero.bundle -o -name com.plexapp.agents.subzero
./Stage/com.plexapp.agents.subzero
./Deactivated/com.plexapp.agents.subzero
./Deactivated/com.plexapp.agents.subzero/Sub-Zero.bundle
./Deactivated/com.plexapp.agents.subzero/Sub-Zero.bundle/Sub-Zero.bundle
$

[glensc]

Cloned again, this time keeping it root owned, so PMS can't remove it and noticed these logs.

It seems to pull this version:

• 2cc54634

2021-02-27 23:13:43,871 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:356) - Starting automatic update check
2021-02-27 23:13:43,875 (-4fe02ba0) :  DEBUG (runtime:1117) - Created a thread named 'remove_unavailable_agents
'
2021-02-27 23:13:43,880 (-4fe02ba0) :  DEBUG (networking:143) - Requesting 'https://plugins.plex.tv/apps/all.js
on?frameworkVersion=2.6.3&machineIdentifier=&os=Linux&osVersion=5.4.51-
v7l%2B&cpu=armv5tel&serverVersion=1.20.3.3437-f1f08d65b&systemRevision=f1f08d6'
2021-02-27 23:13:44,059 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:495) - No beta plugins.                              2021-02-27 23:13:44,074 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:528) - 'Sub-Zero' plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.subzero
] has an update available  (None => 2cc54634)
2021-02-27 23:13:44,075 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:531) - 'Services' plug-in [com.plexapp.system.service
s] is up to date (62fcf1f)
2021-02-27 23:13:44,076 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:359) - Starting automatic update installation        2021-02-27 23:13:44,077 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (installservice:276) - Performing an update of com.plexapp.agents.$
ubzero
2021-02-27 23:13:44,078 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (installservice:96) - Setting up staging area for com.plexapp.agen$s.subzero at /config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-in Support/Data/com.plexapp.system/Dat$
Items/Stage/com.plexapp.agents.subzero
2021-02-27 23:13:44,079 (-4fe02ba0) :  DEBUG (networking:143) - Requesting 'https://bundle-archive.plex.tv/ple$
inc-agents/Sub-Zero.bundle/archive/2cc54634.zip'
2021-02-27 23:13:45,775 (-4fe02ba0) :  INFO (installservice:236) - Not extracting Sub-Zero.bundle-2cc54634778a$
dd523fc4ce84dbe631e30b5d08a/

... seems it's trying to auto update and fails...?

[glensc]

When I copied the contents from Staged directory as Plugins/Sub-Zero.bundle, it still tries to update and move it:

2021-02-27 23:34:18,312 (-50703ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:495) - No beta plugins.
2021-02-27 23:34:18,343 (-50703ba0) :  INFO (storeservice:528) - 'Sub-Zero' plug-in [com.plexapp.agents.subzero
] has an update available  (2cc5463 => 2cc54634)

[pannal]

How are you installing Sub-Zero? Which version do you use?

[glensc]

@pannal with git clone and master branch, likely 3f47c1b, as the other instructions do not work, there's no install method that I could find from https://app.plex.tv/desktop.

And my second note also indicates that I use the git clone mechanism:

• Plugin being moved to Deactivated directory #762 (comment)

Here's another problem that should be addressed separately, hash length difference triggers re-install: (2cc5463 => 2cc5463), but I'm not sure if that problem is of publishing this bundle or Plex itself, I'm not familiar with the ecosystem.

[glensc]

My install methods is setup that i clone as root to:

• /config/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Plug-ins/Sub-Zero.bundle/

cloning as root is required, otherwise Plex auto-updates, removes from the old location, and fails to enable plugin again, and I'm left without the plugin.

Please indicate what is the correct way of installing, and ensure those instructions are present in README.

[pannal]

Which branch do you checkout? If it's not a develop branch, Plex will auto-upgrade/downgrade.

Try this branch: https://github.com/pannal/Sub-Zero.bundle/tree/develop-2.6

It has a flag set so that Plex doesn't handle it automatically.

[pannal]

Or you can set the flag yourself for the version you desire - it's in Contents/Info.plist PlexPluginDevMode. Then you also don't need to force Plex into submission by checking out as root.

[glensc]

@pannal, I checked out the default branch:

git clone https://github.com/pannal/Sub-Zero.bundle

[glensc]

@pannal do the install instructions in the readme work in any setup anymore?

• https://github.com/pannal/Sub-Zero.bundle#installation

Simply go to the Plex Plugins in your Plex Media Server, search for Sub-Zero and install it.

I don't even have a search option there...

How the plugin must be installed today?

[pannal]

Installation instructions were not up to date, you're right. Fixed that.

Nowadays, as Plex removed most of their Plugin features, you'll have to do a manual installation. If you stay with an official release of Sub-Zero, it will still get auto updates via the plugin repository. For the non-official stuff you need to set the dev flag.

[glensc]

@pannal but the problem reported here is that once auto-update is completed, the plugin is deactivated.

[pannal]

Yeah I have no idea to be honest. You'd need to checkout either the develop-2.6 branch or the master branch and set the Dev flag to skip the auto update.

[glensc]

@pannal thanks for the answer. I've done so for now.

But the issue can be kept open, to be fixed properly in the future.