+- Jellyfin Forum (https://forum.jellyfin.org)
+-- Forum: Support (https://forum.jellyfin.org/f-support)
+--- Forum: Troubleshooting (https://forum.jellyfin.org/f-troubleshooting)
+--- Thread: SOLVED: Error in XML persists after reinstall on Ubuntu (/t-solved-error-in-xml-persists-after-reinstall-on-ubuntu)
Error in XML persists after reinstall on Ubuntu - Celeborn - 2025-05-19
I am new to Jellyfin and networking in general. Jellyfin has run successfully for me for over a year now. Then my Ubuntu install crashed because the partition ran out of space. When I got it up again, Jellyfin wouldn't start. Here is the error message it shows:
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Arguments: ["/usr/lib/jellyfin/bin/jellyfin.dll"]
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Operating system: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Architecture: X64
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: 64-Bit Process: True
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: User Interactive: True
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Processor count: 6
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Program data path: /home/[user]/.local/share/jellyfin
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Log directory path: /home/[user]/.local/share/jellyfin/log
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Config directory path: /home/[user]/.config/jellyfin
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Cache path: /home/[user]/.cache/jellyfin
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Temp directory path: /tmp/jellyfin
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Web resources path: /usr/lib/jellyfin/bin/jellyfin-web
[12:06:27] [INF] [1] Main: Application directory: /usr/lib/jellyfin/bin/
[12:06:27] [FTL] [1] Main: Unhandled Exception
System.InvalidOperationException: There is an error in XML document (0, 0).
---> System.Xml.XmlException: Root element is missing.
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowWithoutLineInfo(String res)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseDocumentContent()
at System.Xml.XmlReader.MoveToContent()
at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderMigrationOptions.Read4_MigrationOptions()
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Void** arguments, Signature sig, Boolean isConstructor)
at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeWithNoArgs(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events)
at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader)
at Emby.Server.Implementations.Serialization.MyXmlSerializer.DeserializeFromStream(Type type, Stream stream)
at Emby.Server.Implementations.Serialization.MyXmlSerializer.DeserializeFromFile(Type type, String file)
at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner.RunPreStartup(ServerApplicationPaths appPaths, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory)
at Jellyfin.Server.Program.StartApp(StartupOptions options)
at Jellyfin.Server.Program.<Main>(String[] args)
Unhandled exception. System.InvalidOperationException: There is an error in XML document (0, 0).
---> System.Xml.XmlException: Root element is missing.
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Throw(Exception e)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ThrowWithoutLineInfo(String res)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.ParseDocumentContent()
at System.Xml.XmlReader.MoveToContent()
at Microsoft.Xml.Serialization.GeneratedAssembly.XmlSerializationReaderMigrationOptions.Read4_MigrationOptions()
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Void** arguments, Signature sig, Boolean isConstructor)
at System.Reflection.MethodBaseInvoker.InvokeWithNoArgs(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr)
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader, String encodingStyle, XmlDeserializationEvents events)
at System.Xml.Serialization.XmlSerializer.Deserialize(XmlReader xmlReader)
at Emby.Server.Implementations.Serialization.MyXmlSerializer.DeserializeFromStream(Type type, Stream stream)
at Emby.Server.Implementations.Serialization.MyXmlSerializer.DeserializeFromFile(Type type, String file)
at Jellyfin.Server.Migrations.MigrationRunner.RunPreStartup(ServerApplicationPaths appPaths, ILoggerFactory loggerFactory)
at Jellyfin.Server.Program.StartApp(StartupOptions options)
at Jellyfin.Server.Program.<Main>(String[] args)
Aborted (core dumped)
Following others' advice in previous threads, I first deleted various xml documents in /etc/jellyfin/. When that did not work, I tried removing the jellyfin.db file to see if that was corrupted. I then (as far as I know) completely removed Jellyfin from my system with apt purge jellyfin*, as well as the following command:
rm -rf /var/lib/jellyfin /var/cache/jellyfin /etc/jellyfin /usr/share/jellyfin /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/jellyfin.service /etc/systemd/system/jellyfin.service.d /etc/default/jellyfin /usr/lib/systemd/system/jellyfin.service
I then reinstalled jellyfin with apt install jellyfin. When I tried to run jellyfin again, the same error occurred. I'm now completely lost and considering reinstalling the entire operating system. (Media files are held in separate hard drives, so I assume I'd be able to rig it up again with a fresh OS install.)
Any ideas would be very helpful. Thank you in advance.
RE: Error in XML persists after reinstall on Ubuntu - bitmap - 2025-05-19
This should let you know where the files exist: https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/administration/configuration/#configuration-directory
Fairly certain all the XML files would be in the config dir. If you truly want to start over, uninstall Jellyfin, delete these files, reinstall. NOTE: This will OBVIOUSLY result in data loss, though only your Jellyfin data.
RE: Error in XML persists after reinstall on Ubuntu - Celeborn - 2025-05-19
Thank you, bitmap! I found the XML files in $HOME/.config/jellyfin and deleted them. Everything works again.