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To restart a Python process after it exits without paying for a supervisor, a small watchdog can check for it and launch it again. The hard part is identifying the right process: a broad name or command-line match can mistake an unrelated process for the one you want. If your Python program launched the child, track it with subprocess.Popen; for an unattended service, use systemd’s restart policy instead of relying on a custom polling loop.
Choose how to identify the process
There are two different tasks that can look like “check whether Python is running”: checking a child process your script launched, and searching the system for a process that may have been started elsewhere.
| Approach | What it tracks | Best fit | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
subprocess.Popen |
A child launched by the current Python process, through its PID and return state | Your watchdog starts and restarts the worker itself | The parent must retain and manage the child process object |
pgrep or /proc |
Processes selected by name or command line | The target is independent of the watchdog | Loose matches can select the wrong process |
systemd Restart= |
A process managed as a systemd service | An unattended service that should restart after specified exits or failures | Restart behavior depends on the configured policy and exit condition |
systemd WatchdogSec= |
A service that sends periodic liveness notifications | The application can report that it is still responsive | It requires regular watchdog notifications; it is not just a process-existence check |
Python’s subprocess documentation describes the child PID and the poll(), wait(), and communicate() methods for checking or collecting a child’s completion state. For a process your script owns, this is more precise than searching every process on the machine.
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Use Popen when Python starts the worker
Keep the Popen object and poll it. If poll() returns None, the child is still running; if it returns an exit status, the child has ended and can be restarted. A basic loop has this shape:
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import subprocess
import time
command = ["/usr/bin/python3", "/path/to/worker.py"]
while True:
child = subprocess.Popen(command)
exit_status = child.wait()
print(f"Worker exited with status {exit_status}; restarting in 5 seconds")
time.sleep(5)Replace the command with the executable and script path for your setup. This loop restarts after any exit, including a clean exit with status 0. If a normal exit should stop supervision, inspect exit_status and break or handle that status according to your application’s policy. A fixed delay avoids an immediate tight restart loop, but it does not limit repeated failures over longer periods.
Passing an argument list, as above, avoids invoking a shell. Python’s subprocess documentation warns that when you explicitly invoke a shell, your application is responsible for quoting whitespace and shell metacharacters correctly. Do not build shell commands by interpolating untrusted text.
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Use /proc or pgrep only when you do not own the child
If another program starts the target, a watchdog can search for it and launch it when no suitable match is found. A PID check such as whether /proc/<PID> exists answers whether that PID currently has a process entry; by itself it does not establish that the process is the intended Python program. PID values can also be reused after a process exits, so a saved PID is not a durable identity for a separately managed process.
pgrep is often simpler than manually scanning /proc, but its matching behavior matters. By default it matches process names, which Linux limits to 15 characters in /proc/PID/stat. Its -f option matches against the full command line from /proc/PID/cmdline, making a distinctive match possible but not automatically safe. See the pgrep(1) manual for the matching options and limits.
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- Prefer a specific executable path or distinctive command-line argument over a generic name such as
python. - Check what the match returns before using it to trigger a restart; two legitimate processes may share a name or argument.
- Account for the watchdog itself if its command line contains the same search text.
- Do not treat a match as proof of health: it only indicates that a process met the search criteria.
A /proc-based watchdog can demonstrate the restart pattern, but a generic process search is not a robust substitute for managing a known child or configuring a service manager. The exact matching logic must fit the way the target is launched.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.For an unattended service, configure systemd
When the Python program should run as a Linux service, systemd can manage its lifecycle and apply a restart policy. In a unit file, the relevant setting is Restart=; choose its value based on which exit and failure conditions should cause a restart. The official systemd.service(5) manual documents the available restart behavior.
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Systemd’s WatchdogSec= is a different mechanism. It expects the service to send regular sd_notify("WATCHDOG=1") messages; systemd treats missed notifications as a watchdog failure. A program that merely needs to be relaunched after exiting generally needs a restart policy, while a program that must report ongoing liveness needs to implement the notification mechanism too.
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Pick the least fragile option
- Your Python script launches the worker: keep its
Popenobject and inspect the child’s completion directly. - The target is independent and you only need a small example: use a narrow
pgrepor/procmatch, and verify that it cannot select the watchdog or an unrelated process. - The program must run unattended as a service: use systemd’s
Restart=policy for process exits; addWatchdogSec=only if the application can send the required liveness notifications.
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