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Overview

plexctl

A robust Plex CLI and TUI written in Go

plexctl logo

plexctl is designed for users who want a powerful, terminal-based way to interact with their Plex Media Server. Whether you prefer a rich interactive interface (TUI) or quick command-line actions, plexctl has you covered.

Demo

plexctl TUI Demo

Key Features

  • 🚀 Interactive TUI: Navigate libraries, browse media, and manage sessions in a full-screen terminal app.
  • 🔍 Fuzzy Search: Instantly find movies, shows, or episodes with global fuzzy search.
  • 🎬 Integrated Playback: Launch media directly in mpv with full control.
  • ⚙️ Deep Configuration: Manage library visibility, custom icons, and theme preferences.
  • 🛠️ Power-User CLI: Scriptable commands for status, reindexing, and metadata retrieval.
  • 🎨 Theme Support: Multiple color schemes and icon sets (Emoji, Nerd Fonts, ASCII).

Getting Started

Installation

Download the latest binary for your platform from the GitHub Releases  page.

Manual Installation (macOS/Linux)

If you download the binary directly, you will need to make it executable and move it to your path:

# Rename the downloaded binary (example for macOS ARM)
mv plexctl_Darwin_arm64 plexctl
 
# Make it executable
chmod +x plexctl
 
# Move to a directory in your PATH (optional)
sudo mv plexctl /usr/local/bin/

If you have Go installed:

go install github.com/ygelfand/plexctl@latest

Prerequisites

You must have mpv installed for media playback:

  • macOS: brew install mpv
  • Linux: sudo apt install mpv or sudo pacman -S mpv
  • Windows: Download from mpv.io 

Usage

Simply run plexctl to launch the interactive TUI. On first run, it will guide you through authentication and server selection.

# Launch TUI
plexctl
 
# Search via CLI
plexctl search find "Matrix"
 
# Check index status
plexctl search status
 
# Play media via CLI
plexctl play 12345
 
# Play in terminal video mode
plexctl play 12345 --tct

Check out the CLI Reference for a full list of commands.

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