To restart SRS after a crash, configure the supervisor for the way you run it: use a Docker restart policy for an SRS container, or a host service manager for a direct Linux installation. That only recovers the SRS server process. It does not guarantee that a separate FFmpeg or OBS publisher reconnects, or that YouTube resumes the same live session. Check all three parts after recovery.
First identify what needs to restart
An SRS YouTube stream involves separate components: SRS is the media server, an encoder or publisher such as FFmpeg or OBS sends video to SRS, and SRS forwards the stream toward YouTube. A restart rule for SRS supervises only the SRS process or container. If the publisher, Docker Engine, network path, or YouTube session fails, SRS restarting alone may not restore the broadcast.
The SRS getting-started guide shows Docker deployment and FFmpeg/OBS publishing examples. Its RTMP documentation describes the protocol path, but neither establishes end-to-end automatic recovery for every deployment. Confirm the image tag and configuration for the SRS version you actually run: the getting-started reference is under the v8 LTS documentation path and shows an SRS 5 image example, while the RTMP reference is under the v6 documentation path.
Choose recovery for your deployment
| Deployment | Recovery mechanism | What to decide |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone Docker container | Set a Docker restart policy, such as unless-stopped. |
Whether a deliberate manual stop should stay stopped, and whether recovery after daemon or host restart matters. |
| SRS installed directly on Linux | Use the host’s service manager with restart-on-failure behavior and boot enablement. | Distribution and init system, binary and config paths, run user, logs, restart delay, and restart limits. The sources cited here do not provide a current official SRS systemd unit. |
| Compose or another orchestrator | Configure restart behavior in that deployment system. | Use the relevant Compose or orchestrator version’s semantics. Syntax and behavior vary; no orchestrator-specific configuration is established here. |
Set an automatic restart policy for Docker
New standalone container
Add --restart unless-stopped to the working SRS Docker command. The example below adapts the SRS Docker example; it is not a universal command. Keep the image tag, config, volumes, ports, and environment variables required by your installation.
#1 Best Overall
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docker run -d --name srs --restart unless-stopped
-p 1935:1935 -p 1985:1985 -p 8080:8080
ossrs/srs:5Docker’s unless-stopped policy restarts a container after it exits and when the daemon restarts, unless an operator deliberately stopped it. Docker’s on-failure policy instead responds to an error exit (nonzero status); it does not by itself restart a container just because the daemon restarted. Repeated restart attempts have a growing delay capped at one minute.
Existing container
To change an existing container’s policy, run:
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. Do not have a separate host-level process manager independently start the same container. Docker recommends restart policies for container lifecycle and warns against combining them with host-level process managers, which can conflict.
Rank #2
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Verify Docker and host boot behavior
- Check the container: run
docker psand look for its status, includingRestartingorUp. - Inspect the policy and recent events: use Docker’s container inspection and event tools to confirm the configured policy and see whether exits or restarts occurred.
- Review logs: run
docker logs <container>and look for the original failure as well as startup errors after restart. - Enable Docker at boot if needed: Docker’s Linux post-installation guide says Debian and Ubuntu start Docker on boot by default. On other systemd-based distributions, it documents enabling
docker.serviceandcontainerd.service.
A container restart policy and starting Docker at host boot are related but distinct. Check both if recovery after a machine reboot is required.
Run SRS directly on a Linux host
For a non-container installation, configure the installed system service manager to start SRS at boot and restart it after an abnormal exit. Use the executable and configuration paths for your installation, run it as the intended service user, and retain logs for diagnosis. Service-manager details depend on the Linux distribution and init system. The cited SRS and Docker pages do not provide a verified, current SRS-specific systemd unit, so treat any locally written unit as a generic systemd configuration to validate against your installed SRS version—not as official SRS configuration.
Rank #3
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Avoid layering two independent supervisors over the same process. Choose a clear owner for SRS lifecycle management, then test both an abnormal exit and a host reboot during a maintenance window.
Check the publisher and YouTube after SRS returns
- Confirm SRS is running: inspect container status or the host service status, then review SRS logs for successful startup.
- Confirm the publisher is connected: check the FFmpeg or OBS process and its logs. If it stopped, configure it to reconnect or supervise it separately; an SRS restart policy does not manage a separate publisher.
- Confirm the RTMP path: verify the publisher is sending to the expected SRS endpoint and that SRS shows the incoming stream.
- Confirm delivery to YouTube: inspect the outgoing connection and YouTube Live Control Room. The session may need operator attention depending on how it was created and the encoder connection state; automatic session recovery is not established by the SRS and Docker references.
If SRS remains alive but stops accepting or forwarding the expected stream, an exit-based restart policy may not notice. Add a health check or monitoring-based recovery only after confirming that it detects the failure mode and behaves correctly with your SRS version and deployment.
Rank #4
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Troubleshoot a stream that did not come back
| Symptom | Likely check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Container is stopped and stays stopped | Check its restart policy, whether it was deliberately stopped, and whether it was created with --rm. |
Set the intended policy with docker update --restart unless-stopped <container>, or recreate a container that uses --rm. |
| Container keeps restarting | Read container logs and Docker events; check the SRS configuration, image, ports, and mounted files. | Fix the startup or runtime error instead of relying on repeated restarts. |
| Container runs, but SRS has no incoming stream | Check whether FFmpeg or OBS is running, reconnecting, and targeting the correct SRS endpoint. | Recover or supervise the publisher separately, then verify the incoming stream in SRS. |
| SRS receives video, but YouTube is not live | Check SRS’s outgoing connection and YouTube Live Control Room. | Resolve the destination connection or handle any session action YouTube requires. |
| Recovery works after a process crash but not a host reboot | Check whether Docker or the direct-host service is enabled at boot. | Enable the appropriate boot service for the host; for Docker on applicable systemd distributions, check both Docker and containerd. |
| SRS appears healthy but forwarding has stopped | An exit-only policy may not detect an application-level failure. | Investigate monitoring or health checks appropriate to your version rather than assuming the container must exit. |
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is a continuously looping YouTube channel rather than operating an SRS server, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; it streams what you uploaded at any quality up to 4K 60fps for one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded video streams to YouTube, not camera broadcasts. See plans and details, or start your free day.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Up max to 1080P@60fps HDMI Video
- H.265, H.264 high/main/baseline profile video code and AAC/MP3 audio code
- RTMP/RTMPS/SRT/RTSP/UDP/HTTP/Multicast/Unicast Protocols
- Support text and image OSD management
Sources
- SRS — Getting Started: Docker
- Docker: docker container run
- Docker: Start containers automatically
- Docker: Linux post-installation steps
- SRS: RTMP
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