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Comment by Maursault | Hacker News Reader

How could OP fail to mention media server?

> Running a web server to serve that page and a few other random pages.

Dull. Not just any web server, with Apache 2.4 already installed by default, once httpd.conf is configured, in particular for directory listings and with softlinks to directories with proper permissions, and once the server is started, macOS serves media, i.e. pictures, music and video files that's just sitting in folders on the filesystem, no web development necessary. I never understood the need for dedicated media server software when Apache2 (Web Sharing) has done it so effortlessly since Mac OS X 10.0 Cheetah; it has always just been there.

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They did, they mentioned Plex.

Thanks, missed that, but it drives my point home: with Apache2 behind Web Sharing, Plex, and all software that claims to be a media server, is entirely superfluous and just adds unnecessary work for the user.

It took me a maximum of 5 minutes to download, install, and set up Plex and use it as my home media server.

It would take me hours to figure out how to do all that with Apache.

> It took me a maximum of 5 minutes to download, install, and set up Plex and use it as my home media server.

This is an obvious exaggeration. It would longer just to consolidate media into Plex libraries.

> It would take me hours to figure out how to do all that with Apache.

Wow. Here's a clue

     sudo cp /etc/apache2/httpd.conf /etc/apache2/https.conf.bak

     sudo vi /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
         # hint: learn apache once, use many times

     sudo ln -s /Directories/you/want/apache/to/see /Library/WebServer/Documents/

     sudo apachectl start

Took me less than 10 minutes.

What on Earth are you talking about? There are two folders for “libraries” a TV folder and a Movies folder. I save media into the corresponding folders, point Plex to the folders and Plex takes care of the rest. It’s a ten second process.

Thanks for the script. I have no interest in learning how it works, though, I just want to watch a darn movie…

> I save media into the corresponding folders, point Plex to the folders and Plex takes care of the rest. It’s a ten second process.

Unnecessary step, and if it only takes you 10 seconds, you really have no media to speak of: when it is TB of media, you're fucked.

> Thanks for the script.

Not a script, just a few loose commands.

Have you actually used Plex? It doesn't just serve up directory listings of media files and stream them. It's also not hard to set up.

Plex requires setting up libraries of media, such as a pictures library, a music library, etc., which is annoying to say the least. Whether it is easy is not the point, the fact that it requires installing it and configuring it when Apache2 will functionally do everything Plex can without consolidating files, which leads to duplicates and eating up storage space.

Apache and Plex are nowhere near comparable software, what on earth are you talking about

You are mistaken. Plex is really just a dedicated web server with a bunch of annoying feature creep.

Plex requires me to install Docker (which I use elsewhere so would install anyway) and docker compose -f file with my entire media setup

We could endlessly debate which cognitive model is best but you know, that’s stupid… because there is only one…

…Packaged executables should die off. I want to compose electron state in a machine not some randos config formats and syntax art.

I don’t understand Apache OR Plex (or nginx or Docker, etc). Would prefer logic simply be modeled in open code libs I can list in a dep file and run; but software _products_ whether open like Apache or closed like Plex, with a bunch of opinions on acceptable UX/CX are foisted on me by Apache or Plex devs.

I’m just as sick of learning one asinine tribal jargon after as I am the arguments about which tribal jargon is superior!

Bring on the AI chips that abstract away software. Bleh what a trashy gossip fueled industry.

Apache won't automatically trancode your 4k videos for lower resolution devices

Automatic transcoding is the last thing I'd want wasting processor cycles.

> Whether it is easy is not the point

That's a wrong assumption. For many (most?) users of Plex, that's pretty much the entire point. :)

Try it out yourself, and then see what you reckon it would take to set up Apache to match Plex's functionality. It'll take significant effort, if it's even capable.

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