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The safe way to automate Valheim restarts is to let a process supervisor own the server, send a graceful stop signal equivalent to pressing CTRL+C, wait for the process to exit, and then start it again. On Linux, use a systemd service plus a timer; on Windows, use a service or Task Scheduler wrapper that can deliver a console-control stop; in Docker, use the image’s restart and backup variables. Treat planned maintenance restarts separately from crash recovery, and test one complete stop, start, save, backup, and client reconnection before enabling a recurring schedule.
Iron Gate’s dedicated-server instructions warn that closing the console with the window’s X can leave the server running in the background. A scheduler that merely kills a process can therefore risk an incomplete save or a second copy starting against the same world. The procedures below make the stop phase explicit and verifiable.
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What an automatic Valheim restart must do
A restart is not just a new process launch. A reliable cycle has four distinct phases:
- Announce or choose a maintenance window. Pick a low-use time and record the host timezone.
- Stop gracefully. Iron Gate says to stop the dedicated server by pressing
CTRL+Cin its command window. On Linux, configure the supervisor to sendSIGINT, the signal equivalent used by the service wrapper. - Wait for exit. The scheduler must not launch a second server while the first process is still flushing world data.
- Start and verify. Read the service or container log, confirm the expected world loaded and the listening messages appeared, then connect with a client.
Use a supervisor for this lifecycle. A supervisor also starts the server after a host reboot and can restart it after an abnormal exit. A planned timer, cron entry, or container schedule remains necessary for routine maintenance.
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Choose the right implementation
| Option | Graceful-stop control | Planned schedule | Backup and idle-player features | Updates and logs | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux systemd | KillSignal=SIGINT lets systemd perform a stop-and-wait cycle; TimeoutStopSec limits the wait. |
systemd timer or cron runs systemctl restart. |
Backups and idle checks are separate scripts or jobs; no built-in values are established here. | Journal logs and unit status are integrated. Update logic is external. | Operators who want precise process ownership and lifecycle controls. |
| Windows service or Task Scheduler | A wrapper must send a console-control stop equivalent to CTRL+C, wait for valheim_server.exe to exit, and only then launch it. |
Task Scheduler trigger or the service wrapper’s schedule. | Use separate backup and idle-player logic; built-in behavior depends on the wrapper. | Write dated stdout/stderr logs and alert on a nonzero exit. Updates are external. | Windows hosts already managed with Task Scheduler or service tooling. |
| Docker with community-valheim-tools | The image documents shutdown hooks and container restart handling; inspect its logs to confirm the hook completed. | RESTART_CRON, with optional RESTART_IF_IDLE=true. |
BACKUPS, BACKUPS_CRON, retention settings, and an external backup directory are documented. |
Update checks can be configured and may trigger a restart; container logs show the sequence. | Operators who prefer environment-variable configuration and built-in backup scheduling. |
Whichever option you choose, give it one owner for planned restarts. Do not run a systemd timer, a cron entry, and a container schedule against the same server unless you deliberately coordinate them.
Linux: configure systemd and a maintenance timer
1. Prepare a dedicated account and stable paths
Run the server as a dedicated account rather than as root. Place the copied launch script in a directory that will not move during updates, and keep world data and backups explicit. For example:
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sudo useradd --system --home /opt/valheim --shell /usr/sbin/nologin valheim
sudo install -d -o valheim -g valheim /opt/valheim
sudo install -d -o valheim -g valheim /srv/valheim/worlds
sudo install -d -o valheim -g valheim /srv/valheim/backupsPlace your maintained start_headless_server.sh in /opt/valheim. It should launch the copied Valheim server in the foreground, not fork into the background, and should contain the same world name, password, ports, mods, and -savedir options you use when starting manually. Keeping those options in one script prevents the scheduler and your hand-run command from drifting apart.
2. Create the service unit
Create /etc/systemd/system/valheim.service:
[Unit]
Description=Valheim dedicated server
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=valheim
Group=valheim
WorkingDirectory=/opt/valheim
ExecStart=/opt/valheim/start_headless_server.sh
KillSignal=SIGINT
TimeoutStopSec=120
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=15
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetKillSignal=SIGINT mirrors the official Ctrl+C stop action. systemd waits for the service to stop, subject to TimeoutStopSec, before completing a restart. The 120-second value is an example ceiling; increase it if your world or mod set demonstrably needs longer, rather than allowing an overlapping launch. Restart=on-failure handles an unexpected crash. It does not create a daily maintenance schedule.
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If you use an ExecStop command instead, it must be a synchronous stop operation that waits for the server to finish. A command that merely sends a signal and returns immediately can let the start phase race the old process. Do not substitute a forced kill for the graceful signal.
3. Enable and manually test the service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now valheim.service
sudo systemctl status valheim.service
sudo journalctl -u valheim.service -fBefore adding any timer, run a complete manual restart:
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sudo systemctl status valheim.service
sudo journalctl -u valheim.service --since "10 minutes ago"In the journal, look for a clean shutdown followed by world-load and listening messages. Confirm that the old process exited before the new start, connect with a client, and inspect the world and permissions. If the manual cycle fails, automation will only repeat the failure.
4. Add a systemd timer for planned maintenance
Create /etc/systemd/system/valheim-maintenance.service:
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[Unit]
Description=Planned Valheim maintenance restart
[Service]
Type=oneshot
ExecStart=/usr/bin/systemctl restart valheim.serviceThen create /etc/systemd/system/valheim-maintenance.timer:
[Unit]
Description=Daily Valheim maintenance restart
[Timer]
OnCalendar=*-*-* 05:10:00
Persistent=false
Unit=valheim-maintenance.service
[Install]
WantedBy=timers.targetThe example runs at 05:10 in the host’s local timezone. Select a window your players understand, and do not overlap update, migration, or backup jobs. Persistent=false avoids an unexpected catch-up restart immediately after a long outage; choose a catch-up policy deliberately if your operation requires one.
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sudo systemctl enable --now valheim-maintenance.timer
systemctl list-timers valheim-maintenance.timer
systemctl status valheim-maintenance.timerAt the first scheduled run, inspect both units and the journal. Check the service’s process start time, world-load messages, and a real client connection. Record the timer’s timezone so a daylight-saving change does not move the maintenance window without warning.
Docker: schedule restarts with the image settings
The community-valheim-tools image documents environment variables for planned restarts, idle checks, backups, timezone handling, hooks, and update checks. Set them in the container definition rather than typing a one-off command on the host.
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Core variables
TZ: set an explicit timezone. A cron expression without a declared timezone is easy to misread after a host or daylight-saving change.RESTART_CRON: the cron expression for the planned restart, such as10 5 * * *for 05:10 every day in the configured timezone.RESTART_IF_IDLE=true: restart only when no players are connected, if that policy suits your community. Idle-only behavior can postpone maintenance indefinitely on a continuously occupied server, so still monitor whether an update is waiting.BACKUPS=trueandBACKUPS_CRON: enable and schedule the image’s backup process, then set retention deliberately.
Keep the backup destination outside worlds_local. The image documentation warns that a backup directory inside that tree can be recursively included in later backups, growing the backup set and obscuring which copy is authoritative. Mount world data and backups on reliable storage, preferably on different volumes or hosts when the world is important.
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Use pre-shutdown and post-shutdown hooks only for commands that can finish within the image’s documented shutdown window. Read container logs for hook failures; a hook that hangs or exits unsuccessfully can change the timing of the restart. If update checks are enabled, treat the update and restart as one maintenance event: verify the server, world, and mods after the new image or server files are active.
- Set
TZ, oneRESTART_CRONwindow, and the backup variables in the container configuration. - Start the container and confirm the server process remains in the foreground from the container’s perspective.
- Trigger one manual container restart during a maintenance window.
- Check for a graceful shutdown, a new process, world-load messages, and current backup timestamps.
- Connect with a client and confirm the expected world, characters, permissions, and mod behavior.
Windows: use a controlled wrapper, not a forced task kill
Iron Gate specifically warns that closing the console window with X may leave the server running in the background. A Task Scheduler task must therefore own a controlled stop/start sequence. The wrapper or Windows service you select needs to deliver a console-control stop equivalent to Ctrl+C, wait until valheim_server.exe has exited, and then launch your maintained start_headless_server.bat or PowerShell launcher. Do not use taskkill /F as the normal restart path; it is a forced termination, not a graceful save.
Task Scheduler procedure
- Open Task Scheduler and choose Create Task, not the simplified basic-task wizard if you need explicit recovery and logging controls.
- On General, select an account that has access to the Valheim files and world directory. Enable Run whether user is logged on or not when the host is unattended.
- On Triggers, add a daily trigger at a low-use time. Record the selected timezone and account for daylight-saving changes.
- On Actions, launch the wrapper that performs graceful stop, waits for process exit, starts the maintained launch script, and writes dated stdout/stderr logs.
- On Settings, allow the task to be started on demand and configure a failure action or alert for a nonzero exit. Do not configure overlapping instances.
- Run the task manually once. Confirm the old process exits, the new process starts, the log contains a clean shutdown and world load, and a client can reconnect.
If your chosen wrapper cannot send a console-control event and wait for exit, it is not suitable for unattended restarts. Use a Windows service wrapper that exposes those controls or keep the restart manual; a forced process termination is more likely to leave a world in an uncertain state.
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Save cadence, backups, and the save directory
Automatic saves and graceful shutdown protect different failure windows. A restart should remain graceful even when autosaves are frequent.
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|---|---|---|
-saveinterval 1800 |
1,800 seconds (30 minutes), documented by Iron Gate AB in 2024 | Interval between automatic world saves; configurable. |
-backups 4 |
Four automatic backups | Number of automatic backup copies retained by the server; configurable. |
-backupshort 7200 |
7,200 seconds (2 hours) | Short backup interval; configurable. |
-backuplong 43200 |
43,200 seconds (12 hours) | Long backup interval; configurable. |
These are documented defaults, not a guarantee that every installation has identical files or timing. Keep a separate operational backup in addition to the server’s rolling copies when the world matters, and test that you can identify and restore a known-good copy.
On Linux, Iron Gate documents the default save location as ~/.config/unity3d/IronGate/Valheim. The -savedir option lets you place worlds, permission files, and related data elsewhere. Use an explicit directory in your launch script so systemd, Docker mounts, backup jobs, and human operators all reference the same data.
Updating without turning maintenance into downtime chaos
Do not combine an update, a restart, and a backup for the first time during a busy play period. Schedule them as one maintenance event, and leave enough time to inspect logs and roll back the changed server or mod files if the world does not load.
- Finish or pause external backup jobs before the stop begins; never copy a world while a forced process termination is still writing it.
- Keep the launch script, world name, save directory, ports, password, and mod configuration under version control or in a documented, reproducible location.
- After an update, check for mod-load errors, world-load completion, listening sockets, and a client connection. A process that is technically running can still be unusable because a mod or permission file failed.
- Do not let an update checker and a separate timer restart the same instance simultaneously. Pick one maintenance owner.
Verification checklist for every new schedule
- Run one manual restart before enabling recurrence.
- Confirm the stop signal is graceful and the process exits before a start is attempted.
- Confirm the service or container reports healthy and running.
- Read logs for clean shutdown, world load, and listening or server-connected messages.
- Connect a client and verify the expected world, characters, permissions, and mods.
- Check that a new world-file or backup timestamp exists in the intended storage location.
- Record the timezone and exact schedule, including how daylight-saving changes are handled.
- Only simulate a failure in a maintenance window when you have a rollback plan; otherwise rely on staged restarts and log monitoring.
Troubleshooting common restart failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| A second server starts or the port is already in use. | The stop command returned before the original process exited, or closing the console left a background process. | Inspect the process list and logs, stop the orphan gracefully, increase the supervisor’s stop timeout if justified, and ensure the launcher stays in the foreground. |
| The service is running but the wrong world appears. | The scheduled launcher uses different world or -savedir arguments than the manual launcher. |
Move all launch options into one maintained script and compare its account, working directory, and save path with the expected installation. |
| Backups grow rapidly or contain nested backup trees. | The backup destination is inside Docker’s worlds_local directory. |
Move backups to a separate mounted directory and set retention explicitly. |
| The timer runs at an unexpected local time. | The host timezone or daylight-saving rule differs from the operator’s assumption. | Set Docker’s TZ or document the systemd/Windows host timezone, then inspect the next-run time before enabling recurrence. |
| A crash restarts the server, but the daily restart never occurs. | Restart=on-failure (or a container restart policy) handles crashes only; no planned timer is active. |
Enable and inspect the separate maintenance timer or RESTART_CRON configuration. |
| The process starts after an update but clients cannot join. | A mod, permission file, port, or world-load step failed even though the process remained alive. | Read the complete startup log, compare the launch script with the last known-good version, and roll back the changed component before reopening the server. |
Operational rule of thumb
Use systemd when you need the clearest Linux process lifecycle and journal visibility, Docker when you want documented restart, idle-player, backup, and timezone variables in one image, and Windows Task Scheduler or a service wrapper when the host is Windows. In all three cases, the non-negotiable sequence is the same: graceful stop, confirmed exit, start, log inspection, client reconnection, and backup verification. A schedule is only safe after that sequence has succeeded manually.
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