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Run FFmpeg inside a tmux session started on your Oracle Cloud instance, then detach from tmux before closing SSH. The remote process can continue after your local SSH connection ends. Add FFmpeg’s -nostdin option for background use, and reconnect later to inspect the session. This protects against a terminal disconnect—not an instance reboot, process crash, or streaming-network failure.

Keep FFmpeg running with tmux

The key is where the session runs: start tmux on the Oracle Cloud instance, then launch FFmpeg inside that remote session. A local tmux session that merely contains an SSH connection does not preserve the remote process.

  1. Connect to the instance and start a named tmux session:

    ssh OPC_USER@INSTANCE_PUBLIC_IP
    tmux new-session -s ffmpeg-stream

    Replace OPC_USER and INSTANCE_PUBLIC_IP with the instance’s SSH username and public IP. The second command opens a tmux session on the instance.

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  2. Inside tmux, run your actual FFmpeg command with -nostdin among its global options. For example:

    ffmpeg -nostdin -i INPUT -f FLV OUTPUT_URL

    Replace INPUT and OUTPUT_URL with your source and destination. The example is only a pattern; use the options and output format required by your stream.

  3. Detach without stopping FFmpeg: press Ctrl+b, release the keys, then press d. You can now close SSH. The tmux session remains on the instance; its manual describes sessions as persistent through accidental SSH disconnection or intentional detaching (tmux(1) manual).

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  4. When you want to check the stream, SSH into the same instance as the same user, list sessions, and reattach:

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    tmux ls
    tmux attach-session -t ffmpeg-stream

    Inspect FFmpeg’s output and the destination’s stream status. A live tmux session alone does not prove that the destination is receiving a healthy stream.

Why add FFmpeg’s -nostdin option?

tmux preserves the remote terminal session across an SSH disconnection. -nostdin addresses a different issue: FFmpeg’s interaction with standard input. FFmpeg enables standard-input interaction by default unless standard input is itself an input; its documentation says -nostdin disables that interaction (FFmpeg command documentation). The FFmpeg FAQ recommends the option to prevent input checks when running FFmpeg as a background task (FFmpeg FAQ). On Linux and macOS, redirecting standard input from /dev/null is an alternative noted in the FAQ, but tmux remains what gives you a terminal to reattach to.

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Choose a method that fits how you operate

Method Best suited to What it provides What it does not provide by itself
tmux An operator who wants to detach and later return to FFmpeg’s terminal Session persistence through terminal disconnection and the ability to reattach and inspect output Automatic FFmpeg supervision or recovery from an instance failure
systemd service A repeatable or unattended stream that needs managed service state or an intentional restart policy Service execution and configured restart behavior A guarantee that the destination accepts a restarted stream or resumes it without interruption
nohup A one-off background job when terminal reattachment is not needed Runs a command with hangup signals ignored; GNU documents its standard input and output handling A reattachable terminal or a configured service restart policy

Use systemd for an intentionally managed service

Oracle Linux documentation describes service-unit settings such as ExecStart and Restart. Restart behavior depends on why the process exits; clean systemctl stop and systemctl restart operations are not treated as failures for automatic restart (Oracle Linux: Service Management in systemd). Build a unit using the actual FFmpeg binary path, arguments, environment, and credentials for your instance. Because those details vary, do not copy a generic unit as though it were validated for your command.

Use nohup only if you do not need to reattach

nohup can be a lightweight option for a one-off job. Redirect output to a known writable log file, then confirm the process ID and check the stream after disconnecting. GNU’s documentation explains how nohup handles hangup signals and standard input/output (GNU Coreutils: nohup invocation).

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What an SSH disconnect does—and does not—protect against

Closing SSH ends your local connection; it does not necessarily stop a process already running in a remote persistent session. But tmux is not a process supervisor or a host-recovery mechanism. It cannot keep FFmpeg running if the instance reboots or terminates, the process crashes, the host runs out of memory, the source fails, or the instance loses its network path to the destination. A systemd restart policy can manage some process exits, but restarting FFmpeg does not ensure the destination will accept the reconnection or resume the stream without interruption.

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Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Streaming is a separate managed service for ingesting and consuming event data. It is not the mechanism for keeping an FFmpeg process alive on a compute instance after SSH logout (Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Streaming FAQ).

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Troubleshoot a stream that appears to have stopped

  • No tmux session is listed: Confirm that you logged into the same instance and as the same user that started the session. The tmux server and socket are associated with that user and instance.

  • The session exists, but FFmpeg is stopped or suspended: Reattach and inspect the pane for FFmpeg’s output. Check the process status and confirm that -nostdin is present for background operation.

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  • FFmpeg appears to be running, but the destination has no healthy stream: Check the output URL, credentials, source, and the instance’s network path separately. A running process is not proof of successful delivery.

  • The stream fails after a process or instance restart: Check service logs and the configured systemd restart behavior if you use a service. Then verify that the destination accepts a new connection; process restart alone cannot guarantee stream recovery.

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