SKYHOUSE.dev Journal

Plex Media Server updates on Linux don't arrive via apt upgrade — they require a manual download and dpkg install. To eliminate the need to remember this process, two new scripts were added: one to perform the update, and one to check daily and send a Telegram alert when a new version is available.

1. plex-update

A self-contained update script installed at /usr/local/bin/plex-update. Must be run as root.

• Queries the official Plex downloads API (plex.tv/api/downloads/5.json) for the latest public release.
• Compares against the installed version via dpkg-query and exits cleanly if already up to date.
• Downloads the .deb package to a temp directory, verifies the SHA1 checksum, and installs with dpkg.
• Cleans up the temp file automatically on exit.

Usage: sudo plex-update

2. plex-check

A lightweight version-check script installed at /usr/local/bin/plex-check. Requires no root access.

• Queries the same Plex API and compares against the installed version.
• If an update is available, sends a Telegram notification (via telegram_notify.sh) with the current and available version numbers and a reminder to run sudo plex-update.
• Silent on success — no notification if Plex is already current.

3. Cron Job

Added to the user crontab to run nightly at 4:00am, after backups complete:

0 4 * * * /usr/local/bin/plex-check >> /var/log/plex-check.log 2>&1

Note: the pre-existing /usr/local/bin/plexupdate (mrworf/plexupdate project) was found to be non-functional — its plexupdate-core dependency was missing. The new scripts replace it entirely.