Install Supervisor from the Ubuntu or Debian package repository, define each long-running application in its own file under /etc/supervisor/conf.d/, then apply edits with supervisorctl reread followed by supervisorctl update. Use supervisorctl status and the logs in /var/log/supervisor/ to operate and troubleshoot the processes it controls.
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What Supervisor does
Supervisor is a client/server process-control system for Unix-like operating systems. The background daemon, supervisord, starts configured child programs, watches them, restarts them after crashes, and records their standard output and standard error. The command-line client, supervisorctl, connects to that daemon and provides an interactive, shell-like way to inspect and control the programs.
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Before you install
- Use an Ubuntu or Debian host with an account that can run commands through
sudo. - Know the absolute command that should be run, its working directory, and the Unix user that should own the process.
- Make sure that user can read the application files and write to any directories the application needs.
- Decide where the application’s output should go. Supervisor can write separate stdout and stderr streams to files, while its own daemon log is kept separately.
Using the distribution package is the straightforward route for most Ubuntu and Debian servers because it supplies the expected system service and standard configuration paths. A Python package installation is possible, but you must assemble and maintain your own configuration layout and integration.
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Install Supervisor with APT
-
Refresh the package index:
sudo apt-get update -
Install Supervisor:
sudo apt-get install supervisor -
Check the systemd service:
systemctl status supervisor
The package installs a systemd unit named supervisor.service. On Ubuntu 24.04 it is described as “Supervisor process control system for UNIX.” The status command shows whether the daemon is active and includes recent service messages. If the service is not active, read the displayed error before attempting to manage individual programs; supervisorctl cannot control children until it can connect to a running supervisord.
Confirm the installed version with:
supervisord -vUpstream documentation currently describes Supervisor 4.3.0, but Ubuntu and Debian repositories may carry an older package. The version reported by your host, rather than the upstream documentation version, determines which features and defaults are available.
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Understand the configuration files
The main configuration file is /etc/supervisor/supervisord.conf. The packaged configuration includes every file ending in .conf in /etc/supervisor/conf.d/. The usual convention is one file per application, with one or more sections named [program:name].
Keeping applications in separate files makes changes easier to review and allows you to load one application’s change without rewriting the others. File names are for organization; the name after program: is the identifier used by supervisorctl.
A minimal program definition
Create a file such as /etc/supervisor/conf.d/myapp.conf with a section like this:
[program:myapp]
command=/usr/bin/python3 /srv/myapp/app.py
directory=/srv/myapp
user=www-data
autorestart=unexpected
stdout_logfile=/var/log/myapp/out.log
This illustrative definition starts the Python program from its absolute interpreter path, changes to /srv/myapp before launching it, and drops privileges to www-data. The autorestart=unexpected policy restarts the program when it exits unexpectedly, but does not treat a clean exit as a crash. The stdout stream is written to /var/log/myapp/out.log; configure an additional stderr destination when you need the two streams separated.
Replace every example path, command, and user with values from your server. Supervisor does not create an application directory or repair permissions for you. Create the log directory first and give the configured user permission to write there. If the command is a shell pipeline or relies on shell expansion, express that requirement explicitly in the command rather than assuming an interactive shell will be involved.
Choosing the run user and working directory
Set user= to a named, least-privileged account that can run the application. Running as root may hide permission mistakes, but it gives a compromised process broad access to the host. A non-root account also makes ownership of generated files predictable.
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directory= is important for applications that load relative paths, local modules, templates, or configuration files. Use an absolute path. Likewise, use an absolute executable path in command= so the service does not depend on an interactive user’s PATH.
Load a new or changed configuration safely
Supervisor does not watch conf.d continuously. After creating or editing a file, tell the running daemon to rescan and apply it:
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Ask Supervisor which program definitions changed:
sudo supervisorctl rereadrereadreports added, changed, or removed program groups. It does not start or stop them by itself. -
Apply the reported changes:
sudo supervisorctl updateupdatestarts newly added programs, restarts programs whose definitions changed, and removes programs that were deleted from the configuration. Programs with no configuration change are left alone.
Run the commands in that order every time you edit a program file. Restarting the entire supervisord service is not the normal way to load a routine application change and can interrupt unrelated programs.
Inspect and control programs with supervisorctl
Start by listing all configured programs and their current states:
sudo supervisorctl statusThe output identifies each program and whether it is running, stopped, starting, or repeatedly exiting. Use the exact identifier from the [program:name] section for individual operations:
| Action | Command | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Start | sudo supervisorctl start myapp |
Launches the configured program if it is stopped. |
| Stop | sudo supervisorctl stop myapp |
Requests that the program stop. |
| Restart | sudo supervisorctl restart myapp |
Stops and starts the named program using its current definition. |
| View all states | sudo supervisorctl status |
Shows the state and basic process information for configured programs. |
When several applications are managed together, use status before and after a change so you can see which process was affected. A successful update does not guarantee that an application remains healthy; check its state again after startup.
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Find logs and diagnose startup failures
Supervisor’s own daemon log is /var/log/supervisor/supervisord.log. Read it when the service itself fails to start, cannot parse a configuration file, or cannot communicate with a child process. Application output is written to the paths configured by stdout_logfile and any stderr setting you add.
A practical troubleshooting sequence is:
-
Check the daemon:
systemctl status supervisor -
Check every program state:
sudo supervisorctl status -
Read the Supervisor log and the program’s configured stdout/stderr files.
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If you edited configuration, run
sudo supervisorctl rereadand thensudo supervisorctl update; do not assume that saving the file applied it. -
Run the configured command manually as the same Unix user, from the configured directory, to expose missing files, permissions, environment assumptions, or an invalid interpreter path.
When a program is shown as repeatedly exiting
An autorestart=unexpected policy will restart a process that exits with an unexpected status. If the command immediately exits every time, Supervisor can report a rapid sequence of starts and failures. Check the child log for the first error, then verify the command, working directory, user permissions, required files, and listening-port conflicts. Fix the underlying problem before repeatedly issuing restart.
When Supervisor reports an unknown program
An “unknown” name usually means the file was not included, the section name differs from the name you typed, or the daemon has not re-read the file. Confirm that the file is in /etc/supervisor/conf.d/ and ends in .conf, then run sudo supervisorctl reread followed by sudo supervisorctl update. Use the exact spelling from [program:name].
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Inspect systemctl status supervisor and /var/log/supervisor/supervisord.log first. A syntax error, an inaccessible log path, or a referenced executable that does not exist can prevent a definition from starting. Correct the file and reload the definitions. If the service cannot connect at all, resolve the daemon-level error before troubleshooting an individual application.
What happens after a reboot
The APT installation supplies the supervisor.service systemd unit, which is the service that launches supervisord. Verify its state with systemctl status supervisor after installation and after a reboot. Once the daemon is running, its configured programs are the units Supervisor manages; inspect them with sudo supervisorctl status. If a process does not return after a reboot, check the service state first, then the program definition and logs rather than assuming the application itself is at fault.
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Optional HTTP control interface
Supervisor can expose an HTTP control interface through an [inet_http_server] block. Treat it as an administrative console, not as a public status page. Bind it to localhost so it is reachable only from the server unless you have a separately secured access design, and configure credentials.
The configuration can contain plaintext credentials. Restrict permissions on the configuration files so untrusted users cannot read them, and avoid exposing the listener on a public network interface. If remote administration is required, reach the localhost-bound interface through an authenticated, encrypted management path rather than opening the control port directly to the internet.
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APT package versus a Python-package installation
Both approaches can provide Supervisor, but they place responsibility in different areas. For a conventional Ubuntu or Debian server, the distribution package is generally simpler because it follows the operating system’s service and path conventions.
| Consideration | APT package | Python-package installation |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | Install with apt-get update and apt-get install supervisor. |
Requires building your own configuration layout and service integration. |
| Configuration conventions | Uses /etc/supervisor/supervisord.conf and the included /etc/supervisor/conf.d/ directory. |
Paths and startup arrangement depend on how you create them. |
| Operating-system integration | Provides the supervisor.service systemd unit and distro-standard locations. |
You must arrange equivalent service startup and file locations. |
| Upgrade path | Updates follow the Ubuntu or Debian package repositories. | Updates follow your Python-package and deployment process, separately from the distro service. |
Choose the Python route only when you have a reason to control the Python package independently and are prepared to maintain the missing integration yourself. Mixing an ad-hoc Python installation with the distribution service can make it unclear which executable and configuration a reboot will use.
Version and path checks
Check the actual installed release with supervisord -v. Upstream documentation is for Supervisor 4.3.0, while distro packages can lag. Keep that distinction in deployment notes so a configuration copied from newer documentation is validated against the version on the host.
The conventional packaged path is /etc/supervisor/supervisord.conf. Older Supervisor versions have also been documented as searching that location, but behavior can vary with packaging and installation method. If a command appears to use a different file, inspect the service definition and the invocation on your host instead of assuming that every installation has identical paths.
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-
Install the package and verify
supervisor.serviceis active. -
Create one clearly named
.conffile per application in/etc/supervisor/conf.d/. -
Use absolute paths for
command=,directory=, log files, and other filesystem values. -
Run each process as the least-privileged account that can perform its work.
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Create log directories and set ownership before starting the program.
-
Apply definitions with
sudo supervisorctl reread, thensudo supervisorctl update. -
Confirm the result with
sudo supervisorctl statusand read the relevant logs. -
For later edits, repeat the reread/update sequence and restart only the named program when necessary.
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Following this sequence keeps daemon-level failures, configuration mistakes, and application failures distinct. That separation makes Supervisor predictable: systemd starts the supervisor daemon, the daemon applies the program definitions, and supervisorctl gives you the operational controls.
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