The Tool Desk
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Identify what failed before choosing a fix
Check FFmpeg’s logs and, on Linux with systemd, the service status. The distinction matters because an external supervisor can restart an exited process, but it does not repair a connection that is failing while FFmpeg remains alive.
- FFmpeg exited: Configure a process manager to launch it again. A systemd restart policy is one Linux option.
- FFmpeg is running, but the output connection failed: The FIFO pseudo-muxer has output-side recovery options, including
attempt_recovery,recovery_wait_time, andmax_recovery_attempts. - The input source disconnected: Reconnection behavior depends on the input protocol and FFmpeg build. An output-recovery setting does not, by itself, repair an input disconnect.
For a Telugu church sermon stream, the camera or encoder might provide an RTSP source, but the actual source, destination, operating system, and FFmpeg version are not specified here. Do not copy a protocol-specific option without confirming that it applies to your setup.
Check your installed FFmpeg version and options
- Record the installed version: Run
ffmpeg -versionon the host that runs the stream. - Check local help: Use the local FFmpeg and format documentation for the installed build to confirm supported options and their syntax. The FFmpeg project explains that its online documentation tracks the newest revision and recommends checking local documentation when using an older build: FFmpeg Documentation.
- Inspect logs and service status: Determine whether FFmpeg exited, is still running with a stalled output, or lost its input. Record the relevant error without exposing stream credentials.
Do not assume an option shown in current online documentation exists in an older local build.
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Restart FFmpeg after the process exits with systemd
On Linux systems using systemd, a service unit can ask systemd to restart a terminated FFmpeg process. An FFmpeg-user mailing-list post describes one user’s RTSP setup using an input timeout so FFmpeg exits when the source is unreachable, together with Restart=always and RestartSec=5. That is an individual configuration report, not a tested, universal service recipe; your input, command, and systemd setup may need different settings. See the discussion: FFmpeg-user: reconnecting to an RTSP stream after it disappears.
Use these principles when adapting a service for your installation:
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- Put the correct FFmpeg command and input timeout for your source in the service configuration; the appropriate timeout and syntax are protocol- and build-dependent.
- Set a restart policy and a delay appropriate to the host and network. A delay can prevent a rapid restart loop when the underlying fault remains.
- Keep the destination URL and stream key in protected configuration. Do not put credentials in a public script, commit them to a repository, or paste them into logs or support requests.
- Check systemd’s service status and logs after installation, and confirm that a restart does not leave an unwanted duplicate stream at the destination.
Because the operating system, command, protocols, and destination are unknown, a guaranteed copy-and-paste service unit would risk being wrong. Adapt the unit to your local service manager and test it before relying on it for a sermon.
Recover a failed output with FFmpeg’s FIFO muxer
If FFmpeg stays alive but a network output encounters a recoverable failure, FFmpeg’s FIFO pseudo-muxer provides output-side recovery controls. The current FFmpeg Formats Documentation describes attempt_recovery, recovery_wait_time, and max_recovery_attempts. It also notes that some error classes are not retried by default; recover_any_error broadens the errors that may be retried.
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These settings are not a universal auto-reconnect switch. They apply to the output path, and whether they help depends on the output format, error, and locally installed FFmpeg version. Check the local documentation before adding FIFO options to a command. Do not assume they will fix a lost camera or other input source.
Handle input reconnects according to the source protocol
FFmpeg input reconnection is protocol-specific. The FFmpeg-user discussion “ffmpeg doesn’t reconnect when capturing live connections” covers reconnect settings for an HTTP input. Another mailing-list user describes an RTSP timeout followed by a systemd restart. Neither example establishes one set of options for every input protocol.
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For a source that disappears, confirm the protocol, the options supported by your FFmpeg build, and whether the chosen behavior retries in-process or exits so an external supervisor can restart it. If FFmpeg does not exit and its input cannot recover, a process restart policy alone may not trigger.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test recovery without risking the live sermon
- Choose a safe test window and identify the expected input and destination behavior.
- Test an input interruption separately from an output interruption; they exercise different recovery paths.
- Confirm whether FFmpeg remains running or exits, and check the relevant FFmpeg or service-manager logs.
- Verify that the destination resumes and that retries do not create duplicate or unwanted streams.
- Check that repeated failures are visible in logs and that stream credentials are not printed or committed.
This is a recommended validation procedure, not a claim that a particular configuration has been tested. Recovery cannot fix permanent causes such as invalid credentials, a missing device, an unreachable host, or incorrect configuration; resolve the underlying problem as well.
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If your church serves HLS itself
For a church-operated HLS workflow, FFmpeg’s segment muxer can generate an M3U8 playlist, and the documentation describes the live playlist-list flag. Segment boundaries depend on keyframes: the muxer works best with a single constant-frame-rate video, and splitting may not align accurately with intended times unless keyframes line up. See the FFmpeg segment muxer documentation. This describes creating HLS output; it does not establish that a video or social platform accepts HLS as an ingest method.
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