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runit

C
C tier on Process Monitoring SoftwareScore 6.8 · #5 of 26
Android app
Not listed
Free plan
Yes
Runs on
Linux, Mac, self-hosted
smarden.org
The runit homepage
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Summary

runit is a free Unix init scheme that supervises services and can replace sysvinit or other init schemes. As process 1, it manages boot, normal operation, and shutdown in three stages. Its runsv component launches a service’s run program and restarts it if it exits; optional finish programs and log services are also supported. The sv utility reports service status and provides controls to start, stop, restart, pause, or signal supervised services. For logging, svlogd can filter messages and write automatically rotated logs. The chpst utility can change process state and set limits for memory, open files, process count, output size, core size, and CPU time. runsvdir can start and monitor processes for up to 1,000 service subdirectories. runit also supports supervision alongside a system’s existing init scheme without replacing it. It runs on GNU/Linux, BSD systems, MacOSX, and Solaris, with adaptation possible for other Unix systems. The maker provides source and installation instructions, including manual installation without root access. UDP logging is documented as unreliable and limited to private networks.

Who it is for

runit suits administrators who need Unix service supervision or an init scheme for supported Unix systems. It can also be used alongside a system’s current init scheme without replacing it.

What is good

  • Restarts services when their run program exits
  • Provides status reporting and service controls
  • Rotates logs automatically
  • Sets process and resource limits
  • Can be installed manually without root access

What to know first

  • UDP logging is described as unreliable
  • Installation is provided from source

Verdict

runit provides service supervision, logging, and process controls across several Unix systems. Consider its source-based installation and the documented UDP logging limitation when planning a setup.

runit plans and pricing

All plans
runit Free No commercial limits stated smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026

Compared on process monitoring software

Free plan
Yessmarden.org
Supported platforms
GNU/Linux, *BSD, MacOSX, Solaris, other adaptable Unix systemssmarden.org
Service monitoring
Yessmarden.org
Process controls
Yessmarden.org
Activity logs
Yessmarden.org

Facts

Purpose
runit is a cross-platform Unix init scheme with service supervision and a replacement for sysvinit and other init schemes.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Operating systems
The maker says runit runs on GNU/Linux, *BSD, MacOSX and Solaris, and can be adapted to other Unix operating systems.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Boot lifecycle
As process 1, runit handles booting, normal operation and shutdown in three stages.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Service recovery
runsv starts a service's run program and restarts it if it exits, with an optional finish program and log service.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Service control
The sv program reports service status and supports commands to start, stop, restart, pause and signal supervised services.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Logging
svlogd reads log data, can filter messages and writes to automatically rotated logs.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Process limits
The chpst utility can change process state and set limits including memory, open files, process count, output size, core size and CPU time.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Service capacity
runsvdir starts and monitors runsv processes for up to 1,000 service subdirectories.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Installation
The maker provides a source archive and instructions to compile and install runit, including manual installation without root access.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Optional init replacement
The maker documents using runit's service supervision alongside a system's current init scheme without replacing it.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Distribution availability
The maker lists Debian, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Arch Linux, Void Linux and other distributions as including or packaging runit.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Support channel
The maker directs runit discussion to the supervision mailing list and asks users to contact the list rather than the author privately.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Reliability and size
The maker says runit is optimized for reliability and small size, with minimal code in process 1.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026
Log transport limit
svlogd documentation warns that UDP logging is unreliable and should be used only in private networks.smarden.org · 2 Oct 2026

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Sources