How do I create a systemd service for Odoo?

Create /etc/systemd/system/odoo.service with [Unit], [Service], and [Install] sections. Set User=odoo, configure ExecStart pointing to odoo-bin, and add Requires=postgresql.service.

How do I run multiple Odoo instances with systemd?

Use template units (odoo@.service) with %i variable. Each instance gets its own config file. Start with systemctl start odoo@production, odoo@staging, etc.

What resource limits should I set for Odoo?

Set MemoryMax=4G to prevent OOM kills affecting other services, LimitNOFILE=65536 for file descriptors, and Restart=on-failure with RestartSec=5 for automatic recovery.

Odoo Systemd Service Configuration (2026 Guide)

Systemd Service for Odoo

A properly configured systemd service ensures Odoo starts on boot, restarts on failure, and integrates with system logging. This guide covers the complete systemd setup for production Odoo deployments.

Basic Unit File

# /etc/systemd/system/odoo.service
[Unit]
Description=Odoo 19 ERP
Requires=postgresql.service
After=network.target postgresql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
User=odoo
Group=odoo
ExecStart=/opt/odoo/venv/bin/python3 \
  /opt/odoo/odoo-server/odoo-bin \
  --config=/etc/odoo.conf
WorkingDirectory=/opt/odoo
StandardOutput=journal+console
StandardError=journal+console

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Production Hardening

# Enhanced security directives:
[Service]
# Restart on failure
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
StartLimitBurst=5
StartLimitIntervalSec=60

# Resource limits
LimitNOFILE=65536
LimitNPROC=4096
MemoryMax=4G
MemoryHigh=3G
CPUQuota=200%

# Security hardening
PrivateTmp=true
ProtectSystem=strict
ProtectHome=true
NoNewPrivileges=true
ReadWritePaths=/var/log/odoo /opt/odoo/.local
ReadOnlyPaths=/opt/odoo/odoo-server

Environment Variables

# Pass secrets via environment file
# /etc/odoo/odoo.env (chmod 600)
DB_PASSWORD=secure_database_password
ADMIN_PASSWD=secure_admin_password

# Reference in unit file:
[Service]
EnvironmentFile=/etc/odoo/odoo.env

# Or inline:
Environment="ODOO_RC=/etc/odoo.conf"
Environment="PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1"

Logging with Journald

# View Odoo logs
journalctl -u odoo.service -f
journalctl -u odoo.service --since "1 hour ago"
journalctl -u odoo.service -p err

# Or use Odoo's logfile directive in odoo.conf:
# logfile = /var/log/odoo/odoo.log
# logrotate = True

# Combined approach:
# logfile for persistent logs
# journald for systemctl status output

Multi-Instance Setup

# Template unit for multiple instances:
# /etc/systemd/system/[email protected]
[Unit]
Description=Odoo 19 Instance %i
Requires=postgresql.service
After=network.target postgresql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
User=odoo
Group=odoo
ExecStart=/opt/odoo/venv/bin/python3 \
  /opt/odoo/odoo-server/odoo-bin \
  --config=/etc/odoo/odoo-%i.conf
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# Usage:
# systemctl start odoo@production
# systemctl start odoo@staging
# Each uses /etc/odoo/odoo-production.conf etc.

Common Commands

# Enable and start
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable odoo
sudo systemctl start odoo

# Check status
sudo systemctl status odoo

# Reload config without restart (SIGHUP)
sudo systemctl reload odoo

# Stop gracefully
sudo systemctl stop odoo

# View resource usage
systemd-cgtop

DeployMonkey

DeployMonkey manages Odoo services automatically with proper systemd configuration, auto-restart, resource limits, and log management built in.

Odoo Systemd Service Configuration: Complete Guide