Ths might be a silly question, but asking those is how i learn sometimes. I’m trying to install my first Linux distro to set up a Plex server and one of the few things I know is you need a wired internet connection. My intended server location is across the house from my router, and there isnt much room there to set up temporarily. It would be possible, just a removed and a half. Is it instead possible to connect my SSD via SATA to USB to a laptop, install Ubuntu and wireless adapter drivers on it while connected to ethernet, then put the SSD in the server to boot? Or do I need to do all this through my intended setup?

Thanks for the help, just trying to make my first Linux install as painless as possible.

EDIT: Thank you all for your responses, I’m going to respond as I can since I’m at work. I The number one thing I learned is that I need to do more research. I recognize only a handful of these acronyms lol

  • WhyAUsername_1@lemmy.world
    7·
    6 months ago

    Off topic. Can I suggest you to also explore Jellyfin instead of Plex? Just give it a shot before you pay to Plex folks is all I am asking. Use whichever you find better.

    • Hazmatastic@lemm.eeOP
      1·
      6 months ago

      I don’t mind suggestions at all, is there a reason to prefer one over the other? Is there Plex controversy? I just went with it because I had a buddy who used it years ago and I remember it being effective

      • WhyAUsername_1@lemmy.world
        5·
        6 months ago

        I went with jellyfin because it’s free and open-source. I have never used Plex, but there are few issues with Plex that I had noted as cons

        1. Your authentication happens through Plex servers and not locally
        2. Alongside your own content, Plex pushes other content as well , etc etc.

        However, there is one con in Jellyfin, the clients are not as polished as it is for Plex.

        • ScottE@lemm.ee
          2·
          6 months ago

          Neither of these points are entirely correct.

          While remote authentication is the default, you can configure Plex to not require any sort of auth at all for local users. That’s how mine is setup, and we can watch content around the house even when our ISP is offline.

          I also don’t get ads or anything else pushing other content - I only ever see my own. You just have to not show those things in the sidebar. So again, the defaults can be changed.

          Definitely worth trying Jellyfin if it works for a particular case. I’ve tried Jellyfin, Emby, and Plex - but only found the latter to be reliable enough for OTA DVR via an HDHomeRun which is our primary use case.

          • lemmyvore@feddit.nlEnglish
            1·
            6 months ago

            If you don’t authenticate through Plex don’t you lose profile support? Meaning no personalized preferences, no watch list, no parental controls etc.

            For me that would make it unusable.

            • ScottE@lemm.ee
              1·
              6 months ago

              Profiles work fine, but you might have to set things up initially with working Internet. No idea about watch lists or parental controls though - we don’t use them.

      • TeddE@lemmy.world
        4·
        6 months ago

        Yes, at the beginning of the pandemic it was discovered that Plex Inc had been tracking, reporting home, and selling user watching habits to advertisers. Basically the exact thing many Plex users were trying to get away from.

        This inspired many developers (who were otherwise stuck at home due to said pandemic) to fork Emby and thus Jellyfin was born.

      • Diplomjodler@lemmy.world
        3·
        6 months ago

        Jellyfin is free and open source. To me that’s always the preferred option. Plus, it works very nicely. Haven’t used Plex in a very long time but when I tried it, I didn’t like it.