Not getting locked out

Reaper always keeps at least one working local admin. The last one cannot be deactivated, and first run creates it before anything else.

A plex.tv outage, a revoked token, or a rebuilt Plex server each breaks Plex sign-in. A rebuild changes the machineIdentifier the ownership check reads. All three happen.

Tip

You already have one. The password you set on first run created your local account. If one ever goes missing, Reaper says so on every start, well before you need it.

Two ways back in

1. The command line.

   It talks to the database directly, so it works while the UI is broken. Run docker compose exec reaper reaper-admin --help for the full command set. Creating an admin and resetting a password both live here.

2. Recovery mode.

   Set REAPER_RECOVERY=true and restart. This has no setting in the UI on purpose: it has to work when the UI is what has locked you out.

What recovery mode gives you

A URL and a separate code. You open /recover and paste the code there. It is single-use and expires in 15 minutes.

The split is deliberate: a code baked into the URL would be recorded verbatim in every reverse proxy's access log, which is no place for the key to your admin account.

Turn recovery back off

Recovery mode is a way in, so it is a way in for anyone who can reach the host. Unset REAPER_RECOVERY and restart once you have a working admin again.