Permissions issue: cannot start jellyfin.service after changing JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR

[alexauran]

Jellyfin 10.10.3

Clean install on debian 12 in a proxmox VM using repo

I'm having trouble changing JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR.  I want it in a sub-folder in my user's (micro) home folder:

/home/micro/.databases/jellyfin

Here are all of my commands from a clean install.

Code:

sudo apt install -y extrepo
sudo extrepo enable jellyfin
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y jellyfin

#verified jellyfin runs correctly through web; welcome/setup screen is accessible

sudo systemctl stop jellyfin
sudo usermod -aG micro jellyfin
sudo mkdir -pv /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin
sudo chown -Rv jellyfin:jellyfin /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin
sudo chmod -Rv 775 /home/micro/.databases
sudo chmod -Rv 775 /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin
sudo sed -i 's@/var/lib/jellyfin@/home/micro/.databases/jellyfin@g' /etc/default/jellyfin

#I have edited JELLYFIN_DATA_DIR using sed -i and manually; both files are identical
sudo systemctl start jellyfin
sudo systemctl status jellyfin

I expect the jellyfin.service to start and store the metadata in /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin.  What I got was:

Code:

× jellyfin.service - Jellyfin Media Server
    Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/jellyfin.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/jellyfin.service.d
            └─jellyfin.service.conf
    Active: failed (Result: signal) since Tue 2025-01-07 00:51:36 CST; 2min 32s ago
  Duration: 184ms
    Process: 2809 ExecStart=/usr/bin/jellyfin $JELLYFIN_WEB_OPT $JELLYFIN_FFMPEG_OPT $JELLYFIN_SERVICE_OPT $JELLYFIN_NOWEBAPP_OPT $JELLYFIN_ADDITIONAL_OPTS (code=killed, signal=ABRT)
  Main PID: 2809 (code=killed, signal=ABRT)
        CPU: 155ms

Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: jellyfin.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: Stopped jellyfin.service - Jellyfin Media Server.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: jellyfin.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: jellyfin.service: Failed with result 'signal'.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: Failed to start jellyfin.service - Jellyfin Media Server.

Code:

micro@debian:~$ sudo journalctl -xeu jellyfin.service
░░ Subject: Automatic restarting of a unit has been scheduled
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ Automatic restarting of the unit jellyfin.service has been scheduled, as the result for
░░ the configured Restart= setting for the unit.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: Stopped jellyfin.service - Jellyfin Media Server.
░░ Subject: A stop job for unit jellyfin.service has finished
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ A stop job for unit jellyfin.service has finished.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 1242 and the job result is done.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: jellyfin.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: jellyfin.service: Failed with result 'signal'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ The unit jellyfin.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'signal'.
Jan 07 00:51:36 debian systemd[1]: Failed to start jellyfin.service - Jellyfin Media Server.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit jellyfin.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://www.debian.org/support
░░
░░ A start job for unit jellyfin.service has finished with a failure.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 1242 and the job result is failed.

Code:

micro@debian:~/.databases$ stat /home/micro/.databases
  File: /home/micro/.databases
  Size: 4096            Blocks: 8          IO Block: 4096  directory
Device: 8,1    Inode: 1438999    Links: 3
Access: (0775/drwxrwxr-x)  Uid: (  102/jellyfin)  Gid: (  109/jellyfin)
Access: 2025-01-07 04:12:57.416128083 -0600
Modify: 2025-01-07 00:25:29.895040310 -0600
Change: 2025-01-07 00:26:34.643406271 -0600
Birth: 2025-01-07 00:25:29.895040310 -0600
micro@debian:~/.databases$ stat /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin
  File: /home/micro/.databases/jellyfin
  Size: 4096            Blocks: 8          IO Block: 4096  directory
Device: 8,1    Inode: 1439010    Links: 6
Access: (0775/drwxrwxr-x)  Uid: (  102/jellyfin)  Gid: (  109/jellyfin)
Access: 2025-01-07 00:54:03.724870806 -0600
Modify: 2025-01-07 00:59:47.799622262 -0600
Change: 2025-01-07 00:59:47.799622262 -0600
Birth: 2025-01-07 00:25:29.895040310 -0600
micro@debian:~/.databases$ id jellyfin
uid=102(jellyfin) gid=109(jellyfin) groups=109(jellyfin),44(video),105(render),1000(micro)

It runs from the new data directory if I edit /lib/systemd/system/jellyfin.service to:
User = root
Group = root

Any ideas?  I've been at it for hours, thanks!