Like a skilled craftsperson choosing the right tool, Large Language Models (LLMs) like Gemini aren’t universally brilliant. A chainsaw excels at felling trees, but would utterly ruin a wedding cake. Similarly, LLMs stumble with tasks demanding genuine creativity or life advice – often resorting to imitation – yet they shine when analyzing vast datasets. And for a thorough Plex server checkup, that analytical power is exactly what’s needed.
There are several ways to task an LLM with examining your Plex installation. One approach involves providing basic system information and receiving terminal commands to extract relevant log files, which you then copy and paste into the chat. It functions, and remains relatively secure, preventing direct access to your system. However, it’s a slow, repetitive process that quickly tests your copy-paste endurance.
Instead, a more advanced method emerged: leveraging Google Antigravity. This Google-developed IDE allows LLMs, including Gemini and Claude, to write code for you, guided by simple, natural language prompts. It’s a new frontier in “vibe coding,” where intent drives the process.
I launched Antigravity and posed a straightforward question to Gemini: “Can you give my Plex server a check-up?”
Antigravity isn’t alone in this space. OpenAI’s Codex, along with Claude Code and Cursor, represent similar AI-powered IDEs. Antigravity’s key feature is the ability to grant Gemini access to a designated “workspace” – a directory on your system – allowing it to read files and, crucially, execute terminal commands. Gemini can even formulate an “implementation plan” before taking action, outlining its intended steps.
The level of autonomy is configurable. You can require approval for each command, or, for the more adventurous, enable an “always allow” setting for unrestricted execution. Google wisely recommends the “always approve” option, a precaution I wholeheartedly endorse.
Returning to the Plex checkup, I had previously established a workspace on my Raspberry Pi specifically for Antigravity, utilizing a subdirectory with “git” version control for easy rollback in case of errors. I initiated Antigravity, opened the workspace, and repeated the prompt to Gemini 3 Flash (a faster, more affordable version of Gemini Pro 3): “Can you give my Plex server a check-up?”
Gemini paused momentarily (“Thinking…”) then presented a detailed plan. It would assess my Raspberry Pi’s vital signs – CPU temperature, load, memory usage, storage availability – analyze several Plex logs, probe the Plex database, test transcoding and network performance, and verify the proper mounting and throughput of external storage. A comprehensive Plex physical, in essence.
After reviewing the plan, I clicked “Proceed,” and Gemini sprang into action, a stream of terminal commands appearing as I intermittently clicked “Approve.”
Like a doctor noticing an anomaly during a routine exam, Gemini’s checkup revealed a critical issue. It’s important to acknowledge that this analysis involved granting Gemini full access to my Plex media files, a consideration each user must weigh carefully.
Five minutes later, Gemini delivered its diagnosis, and my eyes widened. The server itself was in “peak athletic condition!” it declared, leaning into the medical metaphor. However, it had detected evidence of a failing SD storage card – a surprising finding, as I believed I had already migrated to a more reliable NVMe module.
Gemini hypothesized that my Raspberry Pi might still be relying on the fragile SD card for bootup tasks. Had I overlooked a crucial step in the migration process, even after investing in new hardware and dedicating a weekend to the installation?
Seeking a second opinion, I launched a new Antigravity instance and summoned Claude Opus 4.5, feeding it Gemini’s prognosis. “Take a look at this Plex checkup report, is it true?” I asked.
Claude (“Thinking…” again) delved into more system logs and returned a reassuring response: my Raspberry Pi wasn’t booting from the old SD card. However, it *was* still accessing the card, triggering I/O errors that cluttered the logs. Gemini had identified warning signs and jumped to a conclusion – fortunately, an incorrect one.
I relayed this information back to Gemini, prompting a reassessment. It confirmed that the Pi was indeed booting from the NVMe drive, and the I/O errors originated from the still-connected SD card.
Gemini’s final Plex diagnosis? A B+. Vitals were good, the system was stable, but the old SD card was a “splinter in the Pi’s toe,” best removed immediately. It also suggested clearing Plex’s transcoder cache as a precautionary measure.
This experience demonstrates the potential of AI-guided Plex checkups, capable of uncovering hidden issues. Give it a try – you might be surprised by what you discover.
