Do Not Reinstall Jellyfin Before Reading the Logs
The user reported a working Jellyfin installation that stopped running immediately after an update. Renaming the plugins directory and deleting cache did not recover it. A community reply correctly focused on determining whether the container, permissions, database, plugins, or image update failed before deleting the installation.
Check Container State and Recent Logs
From a terminal, identify the container with docker ps -a | grep -i jellyfin, then inspect recent output with docker logs --tail=200 jellyfin using the actual container name. Docker's container logs reference explains the log command.
Protect the Jellyfin Configuration Before Any Reinstall
Your media files and Jellyfin's configuration/database are separate assets. Back up the persistent configuration mapping before recreating the container. Jellyfin's backup and restore documentation covers what should be protected.
Use the Failure Signature to Choose the Fix
A restarting container points toward a startup/runtime error; a running container with no web UI suggests networking or application initialization; permission errors point toward storage mappings; database or plugin errors require application-level recovery. See the Jellyfin hardware guide and ZimaOS App Store guide before rebuilding from scratch.
