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If your YouTube stream stops when you disconnect SSH, first identify which process is publishing the video. An FFmpeg command started at an interactive prompt may end with that login session; move it into a systemd service so Ubuntu manages it independently. If NGINX is doing the push, check its service state and logs instead: an SSH disconnect alone does not explain why a system-managed NGINX process stopped.
Find the process that publishes to YouTube
NGINX RTMP may receive a stream and relay it to YouTube, or FFmpeg may publish directly. The fix depends on which process owns the outgoing connection. Before logging out, identify the command and process, but do not expose the stream key when recording or sharing command output.
- FFmpeg publishes directly: If you launched FFmpeg from the SSH prompt, it is tied to the interactive session environment. Run it as a system service rather than relying on the shell to keep it alive.
- NGINX RTMP publishes or relays: NGINX is commonly managed as a system service. Check its unit status and logs; do not assume that closing SSH should stop it.
RTMP describes the transport, not the lifetime of the process. A running process also does not prove YouTube is receiving a healthy stream: an ingest, network, source, or authentication problem can end the live session independently of SSH.
Run an FFmpeg publisher as a systemd service
For a server-owned, long-running publisher on Ubuntu, systemd is the recommended default here: it manages the process outside an interactive shell, can start it at boot, and can attempt recovery after failure. The example below is a template, not a complete FFmpeg command. Replace the bracketed parts with the real input and encoding options for your stream.
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1. Create a unit file
Create /etc/systemd/system/youtube-publisher.service with an editor such as sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/youtube-publisher.service, then add:
[Unit]
Description=YouTube RTMP publisher
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=streamer
WorkingDirectory=/srv/stream
ExecStart=/usr/bin/ffmpeg [your input and encoding options] -f flv [your YouTube ingest URL]
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetUse the actual FFmpeg executable path, input, options, and YouTube ingest URL. Confirm the service account exists and can read the source. Use absolute file paths; a working directory or file available to your SSH user may not be available to streamer. FFmpeg’s documented RTMP example uses FLV output, but the suitable input and encoding arguments depend on your actual source and encoder.
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2. Protect the stream key
Keep the stream key in private configuration accessible only to the service account. Do not place it in a world-readable unit file, source control, or public logs. A restricted environment file or a systemd credential mechanism may be suitable; the exact choice depends on the Ubuntu and systemd versions installed. Avoid sharing an unredacted command line or diagnostic output that contains the key.
3. Load, enable, and inspect the service
- Tell systemd to load the new unit:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload. - Start it now and enable it for future boots:
sudo systemctl enable --now youtube-publisher.service. - Check whether it is running:
systemctl status youtube-publisher.service. - Read recent service output:
journalctl -u youtube-publisher.service. Add-fto follow new log entries while diagnosing.
Restart=on-failure asks systemd to attempt recovery after a failure; it does not restart a service deliberately stopped with systemctl stop. Systemd also applies start-rate limits. If the service repeatedly fails, use the journal to diagnose the cause instead of treating an endless restart loop as a fix. Ubuntu’s Jammy systemd.service documentation recommends Restart=on-failure for long-running services; check the documentation for your Ubuntu release if behavior or available directives differ.
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If NGINX RTMP is the publisher
If NGINX itself pushes the stream, inspect NGINX rather than creating an FFmpeg service for a process that is not responsible for the outgoing connection.
- Check the unit:
systemctl status nginx. - Inspect its recent logs:
journalctl -u nginx. - Validate the configuration before reloading it:
sudo nginx -t. - Only after the configuration test succeeds, reload NGINX using the method appropriate to your service setup.
The RTMP module and its packaging vary by NGINX build. The NGINX package procedure described in the cited vendor documentation applies specifically to NGINX Plus; do not assume it describes an Ubuntu NGINX Open Source installation. The upstream RTMP module is third-party. Check the module and package documentation that matches your installed build before changing configuration.
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Check the destination and stream health
FFmpeg’s RTMP documentation describes the URL components and shows FLV output. Confirm your destination and encoder arguments against the actual command and the current endpoint shown in YouTube Live Control Room. YouTube also supports RTMPS, which it describes as RTMP over TLS/SSL. If you choose RTMPS, use the RTMPS URL supplied in Live Control Room and make sure your encoder supports that endpoint. Changing from RTMP to RTMPS does not make a shell-launched process persist after logout.
If the systemd unit remains active but YouTube ends the live session, treat that as an ingest-health problem rather than an SSH-session problem. Check the FFmpeg or NGINX output, YouTube Live Control Room’s stream health and status, the private stream key, the exact ingest URL, outbound network access, and whether the input is continuously producing data.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDiagnose a stream that still stops
- Before disconnecting: Record which process publishes and how it was launched. Redact the stream key.
- After reconnecting: Check whether that process still exists. If it disappeared, determine whether it was launched in the SSH shell, whether its service failed, or whether it exited on its own.
- Inspect systemd evidence: Run
systemctl status <unit>andjournalctl -u <unit>. Look at the exit status and recent errors; distinguish a failure from an intentional stop. - Check access and paths: Verify that the service account can read the input and that paths are absolute.
- Check private ingest settings: Verify the URL, stream key, input, and codec arguments without publishing secret values. Correct any FFmpeg error reported in the journal.
- For RTMPS: Confirm the endpoint comes from YouTube Live Control Room and that the encoder supports it.
- For NGINX: Run
nginx -tand inspect NGINX logs before changing relay directives.
systemd or a detached terminal session?
| Need | systemd service | tmux or another terminal multiplexer |
|---|---|---|
| Run independently of the SSH shell | Yes; systemd manages the service process. | A detached session can keep an operator’s shell running. |
| Start automatically after reboot | Can be enabled to start at boot. | Does not, by itself, establish a boot-start service. |
| Recovery after a process failure | Can be configured with a restart policy such as Restart=on-failure. |
Does not, by itself, provide the same service lifecycle and failure-restart policy. |
| Operator attaches to an interactive session | Not required for normal service management. | Useful when an operator wants to detach and later reattach. |
| Status and logs | Use systemctl and the journal. |
Inspect the session and its output; management is more operator-centered. |
For a persistent server publisher, use systemd unless you specifically need an operator-managed interactive session. A multiplexer detaches a terminal session; it is not a substitute for configuring service startup and failure recovery.
Or let it run in the cloud
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