If you're using Laravel's Reverb WebSocket server, managing it efficiently is key, especially in production environments. In this post, I’ll show you how to configure and run the Reverb WebSocket server in the background using systemd. This approach ensures your WebSocket server starts with the system and restarts automatically in case of failure.
Step 1: Create the systemd Service File
First, create a service file. This file tells systemd how to manage the server process.
Run the following command to create and edit the service file:
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/reverb.service
Now, add the following configuration to the file:
[Unit]
Description=Laravel Reverb WebSocket Server
After=network.target
[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/bin/php /var/www/example.test/artisan reverb:start --port=6001 --host=0.0.0.0
Restart=always
User=www-data
Group=www-data
WorkingDirectory=/var/www/example.test
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
Breaking Down the Parameters
-
[Unit]:
- Description: Describes the service for your reference.
- After=network.target: Ensures the service starts only after the network is up.
-
[Service]:
- ExecStart: Specifies the command to start the Reverb server. Update the path (/var/www/example.test) to match your Laravel installation directory.
- Restart=always: Automatically restarts the service on failure.
-
User/Group: Runs the service as the
www-datauser and group, which is typical for web servers. - WorkingDirectory: Sets the working directory for the command, ensuring Laravel's environment is loaded correctly.
-
[Install]:
- WantedBy=multi-user.target: Ensures the service starts in the standard multi-user mode.
Step 2: Reload systemd and Enable the Service
Once the service file is created, reload systemd to pick up the changes:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
Next, enable the service so it starts automatically on boot:
sudo systemctl enable reverb.service
Step 3: Start the Service
To start the service manually for the first time, use:
sudo systemctl start reverb.service
This will launch the Reverb WebSocket server in the background.
Step 4: Check the Service Status
To verify that the service is running correctly, use:
sudo systemctl status reverb.service
This command provides detailed output about the current state of the service, including whether it’s active, running, or if there are errors.
Additional Commands
Stopping the Service
If you need to stop the service, run:
sudo systemctl stop reverb.service
This immediately halts the WebSocket server without removing it from startup.
Restarting the Service
If you’ve made changes to the service or the Laravel application, restart it using:
sudo systemctl restart reverb.service
This stops the current service instance and starts a new one.
For a deeper understanding of systemd service configuration, read this post.
Top comments (1)
Nice! This is a good, concise walkthrough. Do you have experience using Pusher? Is it worth it to switch to Reverb?