systemd service

Run the panel binary as a native service that restarts on boot and on failure.

Last updated Aug 14, 2026View as Markdown

Overview

In systemd mode the panel runs as the plain nasnet-panel binary managed by a unit file, with no Docker involved. The guided installer writes this unit for you when you pick systemd deployment; this page shows what it produces so you can review it, reproduce it by hand, or debug a running install.

Before you start

  • A systemd-based Linux distribution (systemctl must exist).
  • The nasnet-panel binary in place and a .env file next to it.
  • A reachable database, either PostgreSQL on the host or DB_DRIVER=sqlite.

Steps

  1. Install the binary at /usr/local/nasnet-panel/bin/nasnet-panel and put your .env at /usr/local/nasnet-panel/.env.

  2. Write the unit at /etc/systemd/system/nasnet-panel.service:

    [Unit]
Description=nasnet-panel Backend API
Documentation=https://github.com/nasnet-community/nasnet-panel-linux
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/usr/local/nasnet-panel
EnvironmentFile=/usr/local/nasnet-panel/.env
ExecStart=/usr/local/nasnet-panel/bin/nasnet-panel serve
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
LimitNOFILE=65536

StandardOutput=journal
StandardError=journal
SyslogIdentifier=nasnet-panel

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

    When PostgreSQL runs on the same host, the installer additionally adds the database unit to After= and to a Requires= line, and sets Environment=DB_HOST=localhost.

  3. Reload systemd, then enable and start the service.

    sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable nasnet-panel --now

  4. Confirm it is running and read the logs.

    systemctl is-active nasnet-panel
journalctl -u nasnet-panel -n 50 -f

Reference

Path What it is
/usr/local/nasnet-panel Install directory and working directory
/usr/local/nasnet-panel/bin/nasnet-panel The panel binary
/usr/local/nasnet-panel/.env Environment file loaded by the unit
/etc/systemd/system/nasnet-panel.service The unit file
/usr/local/nasnet-pgsql Install directory for the bundled PostgreSQL, when used
nasnet-postgresql.service The bundled PostgreSQL unit, when used

Troubleshooting

The service starts and immediately dies. Restart=always will keep retrying every five seconds, so watch journalctl -u nasnet-panel -n 50 for the real error. A short JWT_SECRET_KEY (under 32 characters) and an unreachable database are the two most common causes.