Linux newb questions: Best way to set up Plex on 12th Gen mini-PC with Proxmox - build and setup log.

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papadage

papadage

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  • #1
    I recently bought a new Synology NAS and am still transitioning my data from my previous two units to it. It's about 30TB used on a 62TB volume. It's running on 1 GB Ethernet for now, but I'll eventually add a faster interface card.

    I have a Cisco SG-300 20-port managed switch set up into two subnets. I plan on buying SFP modules to upgrade the last two ports to 10GBE. One will go to the mini-PC and another to the NAS for faster data access.

    Given all that, I must now contend with how to set up the mini-PC itself. I currently run PLEX on a Windows VM on ESXi on an old Shottle Q6600. I want to move that to the new host, and since ESXi is going away as a viable forward-looking platform, I want to start using Proxmox.

    So, as a total Linux newb, if I want to do that and run more VMs besides, and also take advantage of hardware transcoding in Plex, would my best setup be:

    • Set up Proxmox on bare metal using the ISO to make it easy
    • Set up Plex as a container to simplify the iGPU pass-through once I install the Intel drivers
    • Set up additional VMs or containers as needed

    I am looking at walk-throughs for the above, and will come back with questions as I run into walls, but wanted to make sure my plan is sound.
     
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    koala

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  • #2
    Well, apparently Plex runs great on beefy-enough Synologies, so a first recommendation would be to do that.

    Proxmox is quite easy to set up, and it's "similar" to VMWare stuff as in "web interface to VMs", so if you want a home replacement for that, it's a good option. Perhaps because there aren't many more. There's Cockpit, but it didn't impress me on a POC I did- Proxmox is a much more extensive solution.

    But passthrough is not the most "supported" operation out there. I'm not really sure if an LXC container or a VM will be best there, and how many snags you'll hit. I'll also ask if you really need transcoding...
     
    papadage

    papadage

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  • #3
    I have found walkthroughs of both Proxmox and Plex forum threads detailing pass-through issues for VMs on anything newer than 10th-generation Intel. The 2023+ consensus is that the solution is to use an LXC container, as it works if set up properly.

    I am planning on using this walk-through.


    I plan to use transcoding because my Plex server sends streams over WiFi to multiple devices in the house and streams to some family members, so I want to transcode on the fly to conserve upstream bandwidth.
     
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    koala

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  • #4
    Interesting.

    I run 2 VMs (Kubernetes) vs. 13 LXC containers (everything else), so definitely in favor of LXC. They are very light, they are my default.

    I don't hit there's much more to it. The most difficult bit is storage, and you have already decided on it. ZFS is awesome, but if you are not going to have important data on the Proxmox host, you could go ext4, which is likely going to be lighter on resources. If you want to snapshot VMs or LXCs, though, ZFS might be worthwhile.
     
    papadage

    papadage

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  • #6
    koala said:
    Interesting.

    I run 2 VMs (Kubernetes) vs. 13 LXC containers (everything else), so definitely in favor of LXC. They are very light, they are my default.

    I don't hit there's much more to it. The most difficult bit is storage, and you have already decided on it. ZFS is awesome, but if you are not going to have important data on the Proxmox host, you could go ext4, which is likely going to be lighter on resources. If you want to snapshot VMs or LXCs, though, ZFS might be worthwhile.
    Click to expand...

    Considering how overpowered the host will be for its purpose and having the ability to back up the entire system over 10GBE whenever I want to screw around with it, I may opt to go ZFS just for the heck of it, to play around a little.
     
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    Oddabe19

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  • #8
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding your goal, but why not just install TrueNAS and set Plex up as a built in container? You can also do one click installs of other containers too, as well as a NAS for storage.
    techmikeny.com

    How to Set Up TrueNAS Scale to Host Plex

    If you’ve been thinking about setting up a centralized media server of your own, there’s a good chance you’ve come across Plex, a media server software that allows you to organize, stream, and access your personal media collection across various devices. To set up Plex, you need a reliable...
    techmikeny.com techmikeny.com

    Proxmox is excellent in its own right, I'm just a big fan of the keep it simple method.
     
    papadage

    papadage

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  • #10
    papadage said:
    I am excite. My 10GB SFPs arrived.

    Time to play later.
    Click to expand...

    Oh well.

    The 10 GB NIC I bought for the NAS didn't fit because the bracket was too deep, so the card wouldn't slot in properly. The SFPs were insanely hot in this ancient switch, so I decided to return them and ordered a Synology-branded card and a five-port 10GB switch. The mini-PC has a 2.5GB port, and my desktop has a 10GB port, so I'll plug the NAS, PC, and Linux mini-PC into the switch and uplink to the larger switch.

    In the meantime, I can begin setting up the mini-PC tonight with Proxmox.
     
    malor

    malor

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  • #11
    papadage said:
    The SFPs were insanely hot in this ancient switch
    Click to expand...
    If they're copper SFPs, that's why. They need about 10 watts per end, as I understand it, running 24x7x365. That, plus the incredibly cheap used fiber gear available, was what convinced me to switch. The conversion ended up being cheaper than going copper would have been.

    $75 per port for a quality copper SFP adds up quick. The $8 used Brocade units on eBay made a gigantic difference in total price.
     
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