To restart SRS automatically after its process exits, configure the supervisor that manages it: use a Docker restart policy for a Docker container, or your Linux service manager for a direct host install. That brings back SRS—not necessarily the FFmpeg or OBS publisher, the RTMP connection, or the YouTube live session. Check each part separately after recovery.
First identify what needs to restart
An SRS YouTube streaming setup has distinct components: SRS is the media server, FFmpeg or OBS may publish a stream into it, and YouTube is the destination. Restarting the SRS process does not by itself establish that the publisher reconnected or that YouTube resumed the session. SRS documentation covers Docker deployment and publishing workflows; its RTMP documentation describes the server protocol, not guaranteed end-to-end recovery. See SRS getting started and SRS RTMP documentation.
Choose the recovery method according to how SRS is deployed:
| Deployment | Recovery mechanism | What to decide |
|---|---|---|
| SRS in a standalone Docker container | Docker container restart policy | Whether intentional manual stops should remain stopped, and whether recovery after a Docker daemon or host restart is needed. |
| SRS installed directly on Linux | Host service manager configured to start on boot and restart after failure | Distribution and init system, SRS executable and configuration paths, run user, logs, restart delay and limits. |
| SRS managed by Compose or another orchestrator | Service-level restart behavior for that deployment system | Use the orchestrator’s own version-specific semantics for intentional stops, failed starts and host reboots. |
The command below applies only to a standalone Docker container. The available references do not establish Compose-specific syntax or provide a current official SRS systemd unit, so use the configuration appropriate to your installed deployment rather than treating an example for another setup as official.
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For Docker: set a container restart policy
Docker’s restart policy controls what the daemon does when a container exits. For an always-on SRS container that should come back after a container exit or daemon restart, but should stay stopped after you deliberately stop it, use unless-stopped. Docker’s on-failure policy instead responds to a nonzero exit and does not restart a container just because the daemon restarted. Review the policy behavior in Docker’s docker container run reference.
When creating a container
Add --restart unless-stopped to the Docker run command. This adapts the SRS Docker example; it is illustrative, not tested for every SRS configuration. Keep the image tag, ports, configuration, volumes and environment variables that your working deployment actually needs.
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docker run -d --name srs --restart unless-stopped
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ossrs/srs:5The SRS getting-started page is under its LTS v8 documentation path and shows an SRS 5 image example; that does not mean every SRS release uses identical defaults. Check your image tag and configuration against your deployment: SRS Docker getting started.
For an existing container
Update its policy without recreating it:
docker update --restart unless-stopped <container>Replace <container> with the container name or ID. A container created with --rm cannot be given a restart policy. After changing the setting, inspect the container with docker ps and review its logs or Docker events when diagnosing a restart.
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Start Docker at host boot, too
A container restart policy and Docker’s own boot behavior are related but separate. On Debian and Ubuntu, Docker starts on boot by default according to Docker’s post-installation guide. On other systemd-based distributions, that guide documents enabling both Docker and containerd:
sudo systemctl enable docker.service
sudo systemctl enable containerd.serviceConfirm the instructions for your distribution in Docker’s Linux post-installation steps. Docker recommends restart policies for container lifecycle management and warns against combining them with a host-level process manager that independently starts the same container: Start containers automatically.
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For a direct Linux install: use the host service manager
If SRS runs directly on the host rather than inside Docker, configure the system’s service manager to start SRS at boot and restart it after an abnormal exit. The correct service definition depends on your distribution, SRS installation, executable and configuration paths, and run user. The referenced SRS pages do not provide a verified current systemd unit; do not copy an unverified unit as though SRS endorses it. Preserve service logs so you can investigate the original crash instead of relying on repeated restarts alone.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify the whole path after SRS recovers
A process being marked up is only the first check. Once SRS is running again, confirm that the publisher has reconnected and that the expected stream reaches YouTube. Depending on how the YouTube session was created and the encoder connection’s state, the live session may require operator attention; the cited SRS and Docker references do not establish that it always resumes automatically.
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- Check the SRS container or service state, then inspect its logs for startup errors and the original failure.
- Confirm that FFmpeg or OBS is running and publishing to the correct SRS address, and verify the RTMP connection and stream presence in SRS.
- Check YouTube’s live control room for the stream and session status; take any required action there rather than assuming SRS recovery means the broadcast is live.
If FFmpeg is a separate process, supervise it separately or use a deployment orchestrator that handles both processes. An SRS container policy cannot restart an independently run publisher.
Troubleshoot when the stream still does not return
- The container stays down: Check
docker ps, container logs and Docker events. Confirm it was not created with--rmand that the configured policy matches the behavior you want. - It restarts after a crash but not after reboot: Check whether Docker itself starts at host boot and whether the container policy is appropriate. A container policy cannot help if the Docker daemon is not running.
- SRS is up, but there is no stream: Check the publisher process, its connection to SRS, the RTMP stream and the outgoing path to YouTube. These are separate from the SRS container’s state.
- The container appears up but SRS is not working: An exit-based restart policy does not necessarily detect an application-level failure if the process remains alive. Add health checks or monitoring only after verifying how they behave with your SRS version and deployment.
- Crashes recur: Diagnose the underlying error in logs and fix its cause. Automatic restarts can restore a process, but repeated interruptions still affect the live output.
Docker increases the delay between repeated restart attempts, up to a cap of one minute. A restart policy is recovery behavior, not a guarantee of uninterrupted streaming. See Docker’s restart-policy reference.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a YouTube channel that keeps replaying uploaded recordings, StreamNeo is an alternative to operating and supervising your own SRS setup: upload a video or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, then go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams your upload as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; and it automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly: $9.99 per month. StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and streams to YouTube; it is not a camera encoder. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start the free first day.
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