Steps to Create a systemd Service for Your Python Script (+venv)

1. Create a systemd Service Unit File:

   Create a service unit file for your Python script. This file defines how the service is run and managed. Place the file in /etc/systemd/system/ with a .service extension, for example, myscript.service.

   sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/myscript.service

2. Define the Service Unit File:

   Add the following content to the service unit file. Adjust the paths and parameters according to your setup:

   [Unit]
   Description=My Python Script Service
   After=network.target
    
   [Service]
   Type=simple
   User=root
   WorkingDirectory=/path/to/your/script
   ExecStart=/path/to/venv/bin/python /path/to/your/script/main.py
   Restart=on-failure
    
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target
   • Description: A short description of the service.
   • After: Specifies the order in which services should be started (optional).
   • User: The user under which the script will run.
   • WorkingDirectory: The directory where the script is located.
   • ExecStart: The command to start your Python script, using the Python interpreter from your virtual environment.
   • Restart: Specifies the restart policy (e.g., restart on failure).

3. Reload systemd to Apply the Changes:

   After creating or modifying the service unit file, reload systemd to recognize the new or updated service.

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload

4. Start the Service:

   Start the service using systemctl:

   sudo systemctl start myscript.service

5. Enable the Service to Start on Boot:

   To ensure that the service starts automatically on boot, enable it:

   sudo systemctl enable myscript.service

6. Check the Status of the Service:

   To check the status of the service and see if it's running correctly:

   sudo systemctl status myscript.service

7. View Logs for Debugging:

   To view logs for the service, which can be useful for debugging:

   sudo journalctl -u myscript.service

By following these steps, you can effectively manage your Python script as a service using systemd.