Gemini gave my Plex server a checkup. Its analysis shocked me

Who wants Netflix when you’ve Plex, the media server software program that runs domestically and allows you to stream your personal native video recordsdata? I’ve been internet hosting my very own Plex server on a Raspberry Pi 5 for a couple of years now, and it’s largely run and not using a hitch.

However like taking your automobile to a mechanic even when nothing’s clearly improper with it, you must periodically look underneath Plex’s hood to see if it wants the equal of an oil change. The factor is, I’m no professional relating to streaming video. I do know (roughly) what an MKV video container is, and I understand how to prepare my Plex media libraries, however I’m clueless relating to the ins and outs of video transcoding.

In brief, I need assistance, and—you guessed it—I turned to AI, and particularly I turned to Gemini. (I might have turned to ChatGPT or Claude, too, however for the second I’m a Google AI Professional subscriber.)

Like some other software, LLM fashions like Gemini are good at some issues and horrible at others. A chainsaw is nice for pruning a tree, but it surely’s not the fitting software for chopping a marriage cake. By the identical token, LLMs are likely to suck at life teaching and real inventive writing (they’d slightly simply plagiarize), however they excel at analyzing reams of error logs, and for a Plex checkup, that’s exactly the talent that’s wanted.

Now, there are a couple of methods to let an LLM choose over your Plex set up. A method is to inform it your primary setup (Home windows, Mac, or Linux) and let it feed you terminal instructions to pluck out the right log recordsdata, which you then paste into the chatbox. It really works, and it’s comparatively protected, because you’re not truly letting ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini unfastened in your system. But it surely’s additionally sluggish and tedious—your CTRL-C and CTRL-V fingers will rapidly tire. (Should you do choose sticking with an AI chatbox, I’ve a customized GPT system immediate for you beneath.)

As a substitute, I selected to go cutting-edge. I’ve been enjoying with Google Antigravity, the Google-made IDE (built-in improvement setting) that lets Gemini and different LLMs (together with Claude) do the coding for you, guided by your natural-language prompts. Yep, we’re speaking vibe coding.

Google Antigravity is only one such AI-driven IDE. OpenAI has Codex (together with the just lately launched Codex for macOS), and Claude Code and Cursor are different examples. With Antigravity, you can provide Gemini entry to a “workspace” on the goal system (typically a number of directories that you simply’ve designated), and along with your steerage, it should learn recordsdata inside the workspace and might even—gulp! — execute terminal instructions. Gemini may take into consideration what it desires to do and current you with an “implementation plan” earlier than truly doing it.

The diploma of Gemini’s autonomy in Antigravity is as much as you; for instance, you may have it request your approval earlier than each terminal command, or for those who’re keen to take your palms off the wheel, there’s an “all the time enable” setting that lets Gemini go to city, executing shell instructions at will. Google recommends the safer “all the time approve” setting, and I are likely to agree.

Anyway, again to Plex. I’d beforehand arrange a Plex workspace on my Raspberry Pi for Antigravity’s use. (I take advantage of a selected subdirectory as a staging space full with “git” model management, good for retracing your coding steps in case of a foul-up.) I fired up Antigravity, opened my Plex workspace, and gave Gemini 3 Flash (a quicker and cheaper “common” model of Gemini, versus the pricier high-grade Gemini Professional 3 mannequin) a immediate: Are you able to give my Plex server a check-up?

Additional studying: Plex’s lifetime subscription plan is getting an enormous worth hike

Gemini went quiet for a second (“Considering…”) and got here again with a plan. It could examine my Raspberry Pi’s vitals—CPU temperature and cargo, reminiscence utilization, storage availability—in addition to examine a half-dozen Plex logs, poke on the Plex database, test-drive my server’s transcoding and networking efficiency, after which guarantee my exterior storage drives have been correctly mounted and delivering first rate information throughput. Basically, we’re speaking a full-on Plex bodily.

After wanting over the plan, I clicked the blue Proceed button, and off Gemini went, snippets of terminal instructions flying round as I often clicked the “Approve” button.

(It is a good time to notice that in doing this evaluation, I used to be giving Gemini full entry to all my Plex media recordsdata. For sure, you’ll need to rigorously take into account whether or not you’re comfy with that prospect.)

About 5 minutes later, Gemini got here again with its analysis, and my eyes popped open on the outcomes. It reported that my Plex server itself was A-OK (“peak athletic situation!” it stated, leaning into the check-up metaphor); however like a physician recognizing a worrying check consequence throughout a routine examination, Gemini’s Plex examine had unearthed a important system situation: proof of a failing SD storage card.

Now, this shocked me as a result of I’d already—or so I assumed—migrated from booting my Raspberry Pi from that fragile SD card to a way more strong NVMe storage module. However Gemini discovered scores of I/O errors originating from the previous SD card that I assumed I’d changed. It’s preliminary speculation: my Raspberry Pi may nonetheless be utilizing the flimsy SD card for bootup duties.

Um, say what? Had I fully forgotten emigrate important system recordsdata from the SD card even after investing in a brand new NVMe and spending a weekend putting in it? (Groan.)

Like several apprehensive affected person, I sought out a second opinion. In a brand new Antigravity occasion, I summoned the large weapons—Claude Opus 4.5—and dumped Gemini 3 Flash’s prognosis into the chatbox. “Check out this Plex checkup report, is it true,” I requested?

Clause dove in (“Considering,” once more), peeked into extra system logs, and got here again with a reassuring reply: No, my Raspberry Pi wasn’t booting off the previous SD Card. But it surely was nonetheless checking the cardboard since I’d left it plugged into my system, and people checks have been clogging my logs with I/O errors. In different phrases, Gemini noticed yellow flags within the Pi’s bloodwork and jumped to a dire—and fortunate for me, incorrect—conclusion.

Armed with this data, I took the main points again to Gemini and requested it to reassess. It quickly got here again; sure, my Pi was booting off the NVMe drive, as anticipated, and sure, the still-connected SD card was the supply of all of the I/O errors.

Gemini’s total Plex analysis? B+, it stated (I had requested for a letter grade). Vitals look good, the plumbing’s in good form, however that previous SD card is sort of a splinter within the Pi’s toe, it stated. Yank it on the first alternative. Oh, and possibly clear Plex’s transcoder cache in case of any stray buffering.

So, there you go: a recipe for normal AI-guided Plex checkups, good for recognizing silent Plex server illnesses. Give it a shot—you may uncover one thing surprising, too.

And if you wish to attempt a Plex server once-over utilizing a customized GPT in a chatbox, right here’s that system immediate I promised—and sure, it’s courtesy of Gemini itself, prompted by me:

# Plex Diagnostic Skilled - Customized GPT System Immediate

You're the **Plex Diagnostic Skilled**, a specialised AI assistant designed to assist Plex Media Server customers troubleshoot playback points, server instability, and library corruption with out requiring superior technical data or specialised instruments.

## 🎯 Main Objective
Your mission is to information the consumer by way of a structured diagnostic "checkup" of their Plex server by requesting particular log snippets and decoding the leads to plain English.

---

## 🛠 Interplay Workflow

### Section 1: Surroundings Discovery
First, ask the consumer:
1.  **What platform is Plex operating on?** (e.g., Home windows, Mac, Linux, Docker/Unraid, Synology).
2.  **What's the primary situation?** (e.g., "Buffering," "Server unavailable," "Information not showing").

### Section 2: Log Retrieval Information
Present the consumer with the trail to their logs primarily based on their platform. 

**Widespread Paths:**
- **Home windows**: `%LOCALAPPDATApercentPlex Media ServerLogs`
- **Linux**: `/var/lib/plexmediaserver/Library/Utility Help/Plex Media Server/Logs`
- **Docker**: `[Config Path]/Library/Utility Help/Plex Media Server/Logs`
- **Synology**: `/volume1/Plex/Library/Utility Help/Plex Media Server/Logs`

**Directions for Consumer:**
"Open `Plex Media Server.log`. Scroll to the very backside, copy the final 100 strains, and paste them right here."

### Section 3: The Diagnostic Checkup
As soon as logs are supplied, analyze them for the next "Very important Indicators":

1.  **Heartbeat (Core Stability)**: Seek for `Database corrupt`, `CRITICAL`, or `Error`.
2.  **Circulation (Transcoding)**: Seek for `Velocity =>`.
    -   **Analysis**: If pace > 1.0, the server is wholesome. If pace < 1.0, the {hardware} is struggling.
3.  **Imaginative and prescient (Scanner/Library)**: Seek for `Scanner: Processing listing` and any follow-up `ERROR` strains.
4.  **Distant Connection (Networking)**: Search for `NAT`, `AsyncConnector`, or `ConnectivityTest` failures.

### Section 4: The Physician's Report
Current your findings in a "Reader-Pleasant" format:
1.  **General Grade**: (A to F).
2.  **Doctor's Abstract**: A metaphor-rich abstract (e.g., "Your server coronary heart is robust, however your web is a narrowed artery").
3.  **Prescription**: 3 clear, numbered steps to repair the difficulty.

---

## 🚑 Emergency Protocol (Human-Pleasant Suggestions)
If the logs are too overwhelming or the consumer is misplaced, recommend these "House Cures" first:
-   **Restart the server** (The basic "Have you ever tried turning it on and off once more?").
-   **Analyze the particular file** (Hover over a film > ... > Analyze).
-   **Examine Disk House** (A full drive is the #1 explanation for "Unknown Errors").

## ⚠️ Constraint
**DO NOT** ask the consumer to run complicated terminal instructions until they determine as a "Energy Consumer." Follow file-system paths and copy-pasting textual content.

This story is a part of TechHive’s in-depth protection of the most effective media-streaming units.