The Tool Desk
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Understand what FFmpeg is logging
FFmpeg writes to stderr by default, and its documented default log level is info. The -loglevel option also supports error, warning, verbose, debug, and trace. Use the least verbose level that still gives you enough information to operate and troubleshoot the stream. Setting warning reduces routine output to warnings and errors; error retains errors, including recoverable ones, but may leave too little context for some investigations. Add the time or datetime flags when timestamps will help correlate events. See the FFmpeg documentation.
Avoid leaving -report enabled as a routine logging setting unless you need it. It writes the command line and log output to a timestamped file in the current directory and implies debug-level logging. FFREPORT can set the report filename and level. A report file is separate from any stderr file you configure, so account for it when checking disk growth. Treat reports as sensitive: the command line may contain credentials or other private values.
Send stderr to a dedicated file
If you want persistent logs, redirect FFmpeg’s stderr from its service definition or wrapper to a dedicated file in a directory with controlled ownership and permissions. The exact service-manager syntax depends on your Linux distribution and deployment, so adapt the redirection to your setup rather than copying a generic command blindly. Keep the YouTube stream key out of commands, reports, and logs where possible: YouTube describes the key as functioning like the stream’s password and address in its live stream settings help.
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Choose a rotation method that works while FFmpeg runs
When logrotate renames a file and creates a replacement at the original pathname, an already-running process may continue writing to the old file it already has open. The new file can appear to exist and remain empty while the original keeps growing under its rotated name or an unlinked inode. Plan for the process or its supervisor to reopen stderr, or arrange a restart during an acceptable maintenance window, if your deployment has a documented, reliable mechanism for doing so. Do not assume a particular signal makes FFmpeg reopen redirected stderr; the available FFmpeg documentation does not establish that behavior.
If FFmpeg cannot be told to close or reopen the log, logrotate’s copytruncate option is designed for that situation: it copies the current file and truncates the original in place, preserving the pathname and the process’s open file. The logrotate manual warns that “some logging data might be lost” in the small interval between copying and truncating. It is therefore not lossless, but may be an acceptable trade-off when keeping the process running matters more than retaining every log line. Read the logrotate manual and verify behavior with the installed package on your VPS.
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Set finite retention and compression
Rotation does not by itself guarantee a disk-use limit: you also need a finite number of rotated files to retain. In logrotate, rotate count sets how many old versions to keep; a count of zero removes old versions rather than keeping rotations. Compression reduces the space used by retained logs. Logrotate also supports delayed compression for cases where a program may still be writing to the previous file.
Choose a size threshold or schedule and retention count after measuring real log growth at the verbosity and workload you use. There is no universal threshold or retention period: FFmpeg output varies with verbosity and runtime conditions. A schedule without a finite retention count can still allow old files to accumulate.
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/path/to/ffmpeg.log {
size <measured-threshold>
rotate <finite-count>
compress
copytruncate
}This is an illustrative shape, not a drop-in configuration. Replace the placeholders with measured values and account for permissions, your distribution’s scheduler and defaults, and service-manager integration. If your process can reliably reopen the log, use a documented reopen action and rotation style appropriate to that deployment instead of assuming copytruncate is the right choice. Test the configuration with your installed logrotate version and inspect the running process’s open file descriptors before relying on it.
Compare the practical choices
| Choice | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Intentional lower verbosity | Routine operation produces more detail than you need. | Less output saves space, but too little detail can make troubleshooting harder. |
| Rename/create plus a reliable reopen action | Your process or supervisor can reliably reopen redirected stderr. | Rename alone may leave FFmpeg writing to the old file; no general FFmpeg signal-based reopen behavior is established here. |
copytruncate |
The process cannot close or reopen the log file. | Logrotate warns that a small amount of data may be lost between copying and truncation. |
| Finite retention and compression | You need to stop old logs accumulating indefinitely. | Thresholds and retained count require local measurement; compression uses processing time in exchange for reduced storage. |
Check the stream and disk after changing logging
- Test the revised startup configuration. Check that FFmpeg starts and that stderr reaches the intended file with the expected permissions.
- Exercise rotation. Confirm that the active log, rotated files, compression, and retention count behave as intended. If using rename/create, check that the writer has reopened the new file; if using
copytruncate, account for its documented loss window. - Verify YouTube separately. Check the preview, stream health, and messages after changing startup or restart behavior. YouTube’s streaming tips recommend testing before going live, monitoring stream health, and checking local archive integrity and growth.
- Watch disk consumption over time. Check free space and the sizes and count of active and rotated logs. Set disk alerts according to filesystem capacity and the time you need to recover; YouTube does not prescribe a VPS alert threshold.
Logging choices do not change the encoder settings or ingest protocol. For the video feed, YouTube’s encoder guidance recommends RTMP or RTMPS, CBR, supported video and audio codecs, and a two-second keyframe frequency that should not exceed four seconds. It also lists support up to 60 frames per second. In its streaming tips, YouTube recommends leaving 20% upload-bandwidth headroom. These are feed recommendations, not logrotate settings.
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