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If a Restreamer Docker container keeps restarting, the restart policy explains why Docker keeps bringing it back—not what made it exit. Capture the container’s state, output, recent events, Restreamer logs, mounts, and image tag before changing anything. Then test with Restreamer’s virtual source to narrow down whether the failure is tied to the input or the deployment.
Capture evidence before changing the container
Collect a timestamped record while the restart loop is happening. Avoid immediately pulling a new image, recreating the container, or changing its restart policy: those actions can alter the evidence or the version you need to diagnose. Docker command options can vary by CLI version, so check the current Docker CLI documentation for exact syntax if a command behaves differently on your host.
- Container output: Save the recent standard output and error, including timestamps if available. Look for the final messages immediately before each exit.
- Current state: Record whether the container is running, restarting, or exited; its exit details; and its restart count.
- Recent events: Review Docker events around the times of the exits. They can help distinguish a process exit from a container or host-level event.
- Deployment details: Save the image name and exact tag, the container’s mounts and environment, and the Compose file or command used to create it.
- Host evidence: Note any contemporaneous messages from the host’s container runtime or resource monitoring. Treat resource exhaustion, permissions, architecture, and hardware compatibility as hypotheses until the host evidence supports them.
Docker’s --restart=always option is documented for restarting Restreamer after a crash or device reboot. It controls restart behavior; it does not identify or repair the underlying failure. See the [Restreamer Linux installation guide](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/installing/linux).
Read the evidence by layer
Docker state, exit details, and events
Start with the container’s exit information and the last output before it stopped. If the process exits repeatedly, compare the messages and timestamps across attempts. Docker events and host messages may provide context that Restreamer’s application log cannot, but an exit status by itself is not enough to establish a root cause.
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Restreamer system and FFmpeg logs
Restreamer’s own troubleshooting guidance starts with a virtual-source test, followed by review of process details and logs. The [Basic Troubleshooting guide](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/knowledge-base/troubleshooting/basic-troubleshooting) describes that sequence. Its [logging settings](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/knowledge-base/manual/system-settings/logging) let you adjust the log level and the number of retained system and FFmpeg log lines.
Datarhei’s [Environment Variables reference](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/api/environment-variables) lists these defaults: CORE_LOG_LEVEL is info, CORE_LOG_MAXLINES is 1000, CORE_FFMPEG_LOG_MAXLINES is 50, and CORE_FFMPEG_LOG_MAXHISTORY is 3. The reference lists silent, error, warn, info, and debug as levels, and says command-line environment values override values in the .env file. These defaults and options are from datarhei’s reference; its publication year is not stated. Confirm them against the documentation for your deployed release before relying on them.
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If existing logs do not capture enough detail, consider increasing logging for a controlled reproduction, then restore the normal setting when you have the evidence. More verbose logging can make diagnosis easier, but it does not itself fix a crash.
Test with a virtual source
Use Restreamer’s virtual test source as an isolation step, following the current [Basic Troubleshooting instructions](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/knowledge-base/troubleshooting/basic-troubleshooting). Compare the result with the failing workload:
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- If the virtual source also fails: Focus on container state, application logs, configuration and data mounts, image provenance, and host evidence. The test narrows the investigation; it does not prove which of those layers is responsible.
- If the virtual source works but the normal input fails: Compare the input and process details with the virtual-source run. Review the relevant FFmpeg messages and any hardware-specific deployment settings. Do not assume a hardware or input fault without supporting log evidence.
Verify persistent configuration and data mounts
The Restreamer Linux installation guide maps host directories to /core/config and /core/data so configuration state and internal filesystem data persist. Compare the mounts on the live container with the paths in the Compose file or command that created it. Check that the host paths are the intended ones and that the container is using the deployment you expect.
A missing or unexpected mount is a configuration discrepancy worth investigating, not automatic proof that it caused the restarts. Preserve the current configuration and data before editing paths or recreating the container. Refer to the [Linux installation guide](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/installing/linux) for the documented mounts.
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Check the image, version, and recent changes
Record the exact image tag currently in use and whether the deployment uses an official or custom image. Restreamer recommends its official Docker images to reduce differences in dependencies and operating systems and for production support; see [Official Recommendations](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/installing/official-recommendations). An image change is a diagnostic lead, not proof that the change caused a restart loop.
Compare the failure’s start time with recent changes: image tag, Restreamer version, host architecture, hardware settings, mounts, and environment values. Change one factor at a time where practical and retain the original details so you can tell whether a change affected the result.
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Be cautious with version-specific downgrade advice
Restreamer’s [Migration page](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/installing/migration) says v2.4 and later switched to FFmpeg 5.1.2 and documents a limited downgrade procedure for problems involving that version change. It also says processes created with the newer version cannot be restored by that procedure. This does not establish that the migration caused a particular restart loop. Before attempting a downgrade, back up configuration and verify the applicable version history and procedure for your deployment.
Match symptoms to the next check
| Evidence | What to check next |
|---|---|
| Container exits, but Restreamer logs do not show a clear application error | Compare Docker state, exit details, events, host messages, and the final container output. Do not infer an application cause from the restart count alone. |
| Application or FFmpeg logs contain a specific error | Use the process details and the relevant Restreamer troubleshooting guidance to investigate that message; compare against a virtual-source test. |
| Container mounts differ from the intended deployment | Compare the live mounts with the Compose file or original command and verify the intended host paths for /core/config and /core/data. |
| The issue began after an image or version change | Record the exact tags and review the release-specific migration guidance before upgrading, recreating, or downgrading. |
| Virtual source works, but the normal workload fails | Compare process and FFmpeg logs, input details, and hardware-specific options; seek evidence before assigning blame to any one factor. |
When to escalate
If the virtual-source test and log review do not resolve the issue, Restreamer’s [Basic Troubleshooting guide](https://docs.datarhei.com/restreamer/knowledge-base/troubleshooting/basic-troubleshooting) recommends opening a GitHub issue with a detailed description and process report attached. Include the exact image tag, deployed version, relevant timestamps, container output and state, process report, mounts, and what happened in the virtual-source test. Remove secrets such as stream keys and credentials before sharing logs or configuration publicly.
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