If Owncast shows offline after an Ubuntu restart, first identify which part is offline: the Owncast website, the incoming broadcast to Owncast, or a separate stream output to YouTube. They are different services and connections. Check the deployment type, then follow the matching branch below; restarting Owncast alone does not guarantee that an encoder reconnects or that YouTube is receiving a stream.
First identify what is offline
- Owncast website will not load: check whether its server or container started after the reboot.
- The website loads, but its player is offline: check whether the broadcaster is sending video to Owncast.
- Owncast receives video, but YouTube says offline: inspect the separate YouTube publishing path. Owncast being online does not prove that a YouTube output is active.
Owncast uses a web interface and a separate RTMP ingest endpoint. Its manual-installation guide identifies port 8080 for the web interface and port 1935 for RTMP ingest: Owncast manual installation.
Identify how Owncast is installed
Use the startup method that matches the installation. A native systemd service and a Docker container are managed differently; a foreground process you launch manually does not automatically become a boot-time service. Owncast’s manual installation guide points to its system-service setup for boot behavior: manual installation.
- Native installation: check the systemd unit with
systemctland inspect its journal. - Docker installation: check the container’s restart policy, Compose startup, logs, and persistent data mount.
Fix a native systemd service that did not start
- Check the unit’s state: run
sudo systemctl status owncast. This reports the current state of the native service. - Read this boot’s logs: run
sudo journalctl -u owncast -b --no-pager. Look for startup errors, missing files, permission failures, or repeated exits. To follow new log entries while testing, Owncast documentssudo journalctl -u owncast -f. - If the unit is missing or disabled, compare it with Owncast’s documented service setup: the example uses
After=network.target,Restart=always, andRestartSec=5. It also enables the service withsudo systemctl enable --now owncast. Adapt the unit’sWorkingDirectory,ExecStart,User, andGroupto your actual installation rather than copying sample paths unchanged. - Check file access: Owncast recommends a dedicated non-root service user. That account must be able to read the Owncast binary and write to the directory containing Owncast’s
data/. If the unit usesProtectSystem=strict, its writable Owncast directory must also be included inReadWritePaths. - Reload and enable after editing the unit: use
sudo systemctl daemon-reload, thensudo systemctl enable --now owncast. Recheck status and the current-boot journal.
Owncast’s service documentation covers the unit configuration, service user, logs, restart behavior, and writable paths: Owncast system service. A restart policy can relaunch a failed Owncast process, but it cannot by itself make an external broadcaster reconnect.
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If the Owncast website loads but its player is offline
A reachable web page confirms only that the web interface is accessible. It does not establish that an encoder is publishing video. Owncast expects the broadcaster to send video to its /live RTMP endpoint using the Owncast stream key.
- Confirm that the broadcaster or encoder is running after the Ubuntu restart. If it runs on another machine, check that machine and its network connection as well.
- Verify the destination is the Owncast server’s RTMP
/liveendpoint and that the encoder has the correct Owncast stream key. - Check that port
1935is reachable through the server firewall and any cloud security rules. Port8080is for the Owncast web interface, not RTMP ingest. - Watch the Owncast journal while the encoder reconnects. If no publishing attempt appears, investigate the encoder or network route. If the logs indicate a rejected key, compare the key in the encoder with the one configured in Owncast.
Do not include stream keys in screenshots, logs, or support posts. The endpoint and port details are in Owncast’s manual installation guide; service log commands are in its system-service documentation.
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If Owncast receives video but YouTube is offline
Check the separate path that publishes to YouTube. The setup might use a second encoder output, a relay, or another service; Owncast’s installation instructions establish how a broadcaster sends video to Owncast, not how an unspecified installation forwards that video to YouTube. Identify the actual topology before changing settings.
- Confirm in Owncast that video is arriving.
- Identify what is responsible for sending a stream to YouTube, then check that component’s status, destination, and logs.
- Open YouTube Live Control Room and inspect the stream’s settings and status. YouTube uses its own stream key, separate from the Owncast ingest key.
- If you reset the YouTube key in Live Control Room, update the key in the encoder or other component that publishes to YouTube. YouTube’s instructions describe entering the key in the encoder and resetting it in Live Control Room: YouTube Help: Set up your encoder for live streaming.
Fix a Docker deployment that stays down after reboot
Do not use systemctl status owncast as the health check for an Owncast container managed separately by Docker. Check the container’s status and logs with the tools used by your deployment, and verify that its data mount persists across container or host restarts.
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- For a
docker runinstallation, compare the restart policy with Owncast’s documented--restart unless-stoppedexample. - For a Compose installation, follow the Compose workflow and confirm the service is brought up with
docker compose up -d. - Verify the persistent data mount and inspect the container logs for startup or permission errors.
See Owncast container installation for its restart and persistent-storage guidance. Use the instructions for the actual deployment method; a systemd unit recipe does not configure a Docker container.
Use the symptom to choose the next check
| Observation | Next check | What it can indicate |
|---|---|---|
| Owncast website does not load after reboot | Check systemd or container status, startup logs, working directory, and service permissions. | The server may not be running or may lack access to its installation or data. |
| Website loads, but the Owncast player is offline | Check the encoder, Owncast /live destination and key, and RTMP reachability on port 1935. |
The web interface can be reachable while no live feed is arriving. |
| Owncast receives video, but YouTube is offline | Identify the YouTube output topology; inspect the publishing component, Live Control Room, and YouTube key. | Owncast ingest and YouTube output are separate configuration paths. |
| Native service starts and then exits or loops | Read this boot’s journal; verify executable path, user and group, data permissions, and any systemd hardening. | The unit may have a path, access, or write-permission problem. |
| Docker deployment stays down after host restart | Check the container restart policy, Compose startup, persistent data mount, and container logs. | The container may not be configured to restart or may fail while accessing its data. |
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