Running the bot in the background¶

To have a Python (or any other) bot run continuously, automatically restart on failures, and start after server reboot, simply running python main.py is not enough. You need a full‑fledged background service.

Below are three proven methods: from the simple screen to the industrial‑grade systemd. Choose based on your requirements.

Preparing the environment¶

1. Place the bot code, e.g., in /home/user/bot:

   mkdir -p /home/user/bot && cd /home/user/bot
   

2. Create and activate a virtual environment to isolate dependencies:

   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate
   

3. Install dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   # If the file does not exist — install manually, e.g., pip install python-telegram-bot
   

4. Test manual launch:

   python main.py
   

sudo adduser --disabled-login botuser
sudo chown -R botuser:botuser /home/user/bot

Method 1. screen — quick launch (for testing and development)¶

Pros: easiest to get started.
Cons: does not restart after a crash or reboot — not suitable for production.

Installation:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install screen -y

Launch:

screen -S bot  # create a named session
source venv/bin/activate
python main.py

Management:

Method 2. systemd — Linux standard for services (recommended)¶

Pros: autostart, restart on errors, logging, system integration.
Cons: requires writing a config.

1. Create a unit file:
   

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

2. Paste the config (adapt paths and user!):
   

   [Unit]
   Description=Telegram Bot Service
   After=network.target
   StartLimitIntervalSec=30
   StartLimitBurst=5
   
   [Service]
   Type=simple
   User=botuser                 # ← recommended not root!
   Group=botuser
   WorkingDirectory=/home/user/bot
   ExecStart=/home/user/bot/venv/bin/python /home/user/bot/main.py
   Restart=always
   RestartSec=10
   Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"  # so logs aren't buffered
   
   # Security (optional, but recommended)
   NoNewPrivileges=true
   PrivateTmp=true
   ProtectSystem=strict
   ProtectHome=true
   ReadWritePaths=/home/user/bot/data/  # if the bot needs data access
   
   [Install]
   WantedBy=multi-user.target
   

3. Enable the service:
   

   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable bot.service   # autostart on boot
   sudo systemctl start bot.service    # start now
   

4. Check status and logs:
   

   sudo systemctl status bot.service
   journalctl -u bot.service -f --since "1 hour ago"
   

Method 3. PM2 — process manager (for Node.js, but supports Python)¶

Pros: simplicity, built‑in logs, monitoring, web interface.
Cons: requires Node.js, overkill for simple Python bots.

Installation:

# Install Node.js and npm (if not already installed)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Install PM2 globally
sudo npm install -g pm2

Start the Python bot:

cd /home/user/bot
pm2 start main.py --name "my-bot" --interpreter ./venv/bin/python

Useful commands:

Method Comparison¶