Run the Core as a service

1. Install the Core at /usr/local/bin/synnax. See Set up Synnax Enterprise.

2. Install the service with the flags for the Core:

   sudo synnax service install --listen=synnax.example.com:9090 --auto-cert \
     --license-file=/etc/synnax/license.lic

   Change --listen to the name that clients use to reach the Core. For a different certificate, see Set up TLS.

3. Get the license key for the computer from the portal. Put the .lic file at /etc/synnax/license.lic, readable by the synnax user:

   sudo cp synnax.lic /etc/synnax/license.lic
   sudo chown root:synnax /etc/synnax/license.lic
   sudo chmod 640 /etc/synnax/license.lic

4. Start the service:

   sudo synnax service start

5. Check that the Core started:

   journalctl -u synnax -f -a

   Wait for Synnax is running and available at.

The install creates the synnax system user, which runs the Core, and the systemd unit /etc/systemd/system/synnax.service. It writes the flags to /etc/synnax/config.yaml, which only root and the synnax user can read. The Core keeps its data in /var/lib/synnax/data, its certificates in /var/lib/synnax/certs, and its log in /var/lib/synnax/logs/synnax.log. The service starts when the computer boots, unless you install it with --auto-start=false. When the Core stops, systemd starts it again after 5 seconds, except after an error that only you can fix, such as a config value that is not valid. Then systemctl status synnax shows the service as failed. The unit lets the Core keep many channel files open, and lets Arc automations on the embedded Driver run on a real-time thread.

To change a flag, edit config.yaml, then run sudo synnax service stop and sudo synnax service start. For EtherCAT devices, run sudo systemctl edit synnax and add these lines:

[Service]
AmbientCapabilities=CAP_NET_RAW

A unit that you wrote yourself also works with synnax update, if its name is synnax.

The Windows installer installs the Core as a service by default, so you can skip this step if you used it.

1. In PowerShell as an administrator, install the service with the flags for the Core:

   synnax service install --listen=synnax.example.com:9090 --auto-cert `
     --license-file=C:\ProgramData\Synnax\license.lic

2. Start the service:

   synnax service start

3. Check that it runs:

   synnax service status

The service is named SynnaxCore, with the display name “Synnax Core”. It keeps its settings in C:\ProgramData\Synnax\config.yaml, its data in C:\ProgramData\Synnax\data, and its log in C:\ProgramData\Synnax\logs\synnax.log. When the Core crashes, Windows restarts it after 5 seconds, then 30 seconds, then 60 seconds. A Core that stops with an error does not restart.

To change a setting, edit config.yaml, then run synnax service stop and synnax service start. Running synnax service install again does not change config.yaml when it exists. For each service command, see the CLI reference.

Start the container with a restart policy:

docker run -d --name synnax --restart unless-stopped \
  --stop-signal SIGINT --stop-timeout 30 --mac-address 02:5a:00:00:00:01 \
  --ulimit rtprio=99 -p 9090:9090 -v synnax-data:/synnax/synnax-data \
  -v synnax-certs:/usr/local/synnax/certs \
  synnaxlabs/synnax --listen=synnax.example.com:9090 --auto-cert

Docker starts the container when the Docker daemon starts and after a crash. --stop-signal SIGINT lets the Core shut down cleanly on docker stop, and --stop-timeout 30 gives it time to finish. The license is bound to the --mac-address, so keep the same address when you recreate or upgrade the container. The Core stores a key that you activate from the Console in the synnax-data volume. To give the key at start instead, add -e SYNNAX_LICENSE_KEY="$(cat synnax.lic)". --ulimit rtprio=99 lets Arc automations on the embedded Driver run on a real-time thread. The Core runs as a non-root user in the container, so --cap-add SYS_NICE does not do this.