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Run tmux on the VPS, start your verified FFmpeg command inside it, then detach with Ctrl-b followed by d. The tmux session can survive an SSH disconnect while the VPS and tmux server keep running, so you can reconnect later and inspect the process. It does not restart FFmpeg if it exits, restart the VPS after a reboot, or ensure YouTube is receiving a valid stream.
What tmux does—and what it does not
tmux keeps a terminal session running on the remote host after you detach or lose your SSH connection. Reattaching lets you return to the pane and see FFmpeg’s output. The tmux manual describes a session as persistent through an accidental SSH disconnection or intentional detachment: tmux(1) manual.
This protection applies only while the VPS and its tmux server remain running. tmux is not a process supervisor: it does not automatically relaunch an exited FFmpeg process or start the stream after the host reboots. Nor can it fix a rejected stream key, unsupported media settings, or an ingest failure.
Start and detach an FFmpeg stream in tmux
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Connect to the VPS
From your computer, SSH into the VPS using the host and account details provided by your VPS host. Confirm that FFmpeg and tmux are installed and that you are working on the VPS, not in a terminal on your local computer.
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Create a named session
At the VPS shell, run
tmux new -s youtube. This opens a tmux session namedyoutube. -
Start your verified FFmpeg command
Run the command you have already checked for your input, FFmpeg build, output protocol, and the ingest details shown for the specific YouTube stream in Live Control Room. There is no universal FFmpeg command that fits every source and ingest mode. Keep the process output visible so you can identify errors if it stops.
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Detach without ending the remote session
Press Ctrl-b, release the keys, then press d. You should return to the VPS shell with the tmux session detached. You can now close the SSH client; the session remains on the VPS while the VPS and tmux server stay active.
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Reconnect and inspect
SSH into the same VPS and run
tmux attach -t youtube. If FFmpeg is still running, its pane should be visible. If it has exited, read the output, correct the underlying cause, and start it again.What’s actually slowing this PC down?
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Choose protection for the failure you actually have
| Failure or need | What helps | What it does not provide |
|---|---|---|
| SSH client disconnects | tmux preserves the remote terminal session while its server and the VPS remain active. Reattach with tmux attach -t youtube. |
It does not keep a powered-off VPS running. |
| An input connection is interrupted | Some FFmpeg protocol options can attempt reconnection for specified conditions. Select options for the protocol and direction involved. | They do not cover every failure, guarantee output-side RTMP recovery, or relaunch an exited FFmpeg process. |
| FFmpeg exits | Use a deliberately configured service manager such as systemd if the process must be restarted automatically. | A detached tmux session leaves the pane available; it is not itself a restart policy. |
| The VPS reboots or shuts down | Configure and verify a service manager for boot-time startup if the stream should return after a reboot. | A tmux session cannot run while its host is stopped. |
| YouTube rejects the stream or media | Check the stream’s current ingest details and the applicable YouTube protocol guidance. | tmux cannot correct a key, protocol, codec, bitrate, or source-media problem. |
Use FFmpeg reconnect options only for the relevant protocol
FFmpeg documents options including reconnect, reconnect_at_eof, reconnect_on_network_error, reconnect_on_http_error, reconnect_streamed, reconnect_delay_max, reconnect_max_retries, and reconnect_delay_total_max. Their behavior depends on the protocol and the conditions selected; they are not a general-purpose way to revive every failed stream. Check the installed FFmpeg build and the relevant protocol documentation before adding options: FFmpeg Protocols Documentation.
In particular, input reconnection and output recovery are different problems. A retry option for a source connection should not be assumed to recover a failed connection to YouTube. If FFmpeg exits, a supervisor must start a new process; tmux can help you inspect an interactive process, but does not provide that restart behavior.
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Keep YouTube’s ingest protocol and settings straight
Use the ingest address and settings currently shown for the specific stream in YouTube Live Control Room. The YouTube Live Streaming API documentation describes an ingestion address and points creators to YouTube Help for recommended encoder settings; it does not establish one command line for every input, FFmpeg build, or ingest mode.
Do not apply HLS requirements to a generic RTMP command. YouTube’s HLS setup guide specifies HLS over an HTTPS server URL and notes its higher latency because video is sent in segments rather than as a continuous RTMP stream. For HLS, it specifies TS segments lasting 1–4 seconds, no byte-range mode, a rolling playlist with at most five outstanding segments, and HTTPS POST/PUT. It lists H.264 or HEVC video and AAC, AC3, or EAC3 audio support. Apply those requirements only when HLS is the selected ingest protocol, and verify the current instructions for your stream.
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For unattended operation, configure a service manager
If the stream must recover after FFmpeg exits or the VPS reboots, configure a systemd service (or another suitable supervisor) rather than relying on tmux. The service policy determines whether and when a failed process is restarted; boot-time startup must also be configured and checked on the target system. See the systemd.service manual for service lifecycle and restart settings.
tmux and systemd serve different purposes and can coexist: systemd can manage the FFmpeg process, while you use service status and logs to inspect it; tmux remains useful for administrative terminal work. Verify the actual unit policy and boot behavior on your distribution instead of assuming that a service will restart under every failure condition.
Troubleshoot the common failure cases
- You cannot find the session: confirm that you SSHed into the same VPS and account where you created it, then run
tmux attach -t youtube. The session is on the remote host, not your local computer. - The session opens but FFmpeg is gone: read the pane output for the error, check any logs you configured, fix the input or output problem, and restart FFmpeg. tmux preserves the session for inspection; it does not relaunch the process.
- The process remains visible but YouTube is not receiving a usable stream: inspect FFmpeg’s output and confirm the active stream’s key, ingest protocol, address, and media settings in Live Control Room. A running process is not proof that YouTube is accepting valid media.
- An input interruption is not recovering: identify the input protocol and the specific failure condition, then check whether the installed FFmpeg version supports the applicable reconnect option. Do not treat input retries as a fix for all output-side failures.
- The stream is missing after a VPS reboot: tmux alone does not start a session at boot. Configure and test boot-time service startup on the VPS.
- You are using HLS but following RTMP advice: confirm the selected ingest protocol and follow the corresponding YouTube instructions; HLS has its own HTTPS and segmented-media requirements.
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