Systemd Setup

Running mtrack as a system service

Systemd Setup

Running mtrack as a systemd service allows it to start automatically on boot and restart if it crashes.

Generating the Service File

Generate a systemd service file:

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sudo mtrack systemd > /etc/systemd/system/mtrack.service

Configuration File

The service expects your player configuration to be defined in /etc/default/mtrack:

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sudo nano /etc/default/mtrack

Add:

# The configuration for the mtrack player.
MTRACK_CONFIG=/mnt/storage/mtrack.yaml

Service Requirements

The service expects:

  • mtrack to be available at /usr/local/bin/mtrack
  • Configuration file path in /etc/default/mtrack

Starting the Service

Start the service:

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sudo systemctl start mtrack

Enable it to start on boot:

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sudo systemctl enable mtrack

Service Management

Check Status

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sudo systemctl status mtrack

View Logs

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journalctl -u mtrack

Follow logs in real-time:

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journalctl -u mtrack -f

Restart Service

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sudo systemctl restart mtrack

Stop Service

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sudo systemctl stop mtrack

Disable Auto-Start

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sudo systemctl disable mtrack

Troubleshooting

Service Fails to Start

Check the logs:

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journalctl -u mtrack -n 50

Common issues:

  • Configuration file path incorrect
  • mtrack binary not found at /usr/local/bin/mtrack
  • Permission issues accessing audio/MIDI devices
  • Configuration file syntax errors

Permission Issues

Ensure the service user has access to audio devices:

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# Check which user the service runs as
sudo systemctl show mtrack | grep User

# Add user to audio group (replace 'user' with actual username)
sudo usermod -a -G audio user

Device Access

If devices aren’t accessible, you may need udev rules or to run the service as a specific user. Edit the service file:

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sudo systemctl edit mtrack

Add:

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[Service]
User=your-username
Group=audio

Then reload and restart:

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sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart mtrack