Linux

On Linux, a restart uses execv to replace the current process image with the app executable. Dart starts again, but the process ID stays the same.

Preserve command-line arguments

The restarted app receives no original command-line arguments unless the runner registers them. If your app needs those arguments, add the header and call below to linux/runner/main.cc, or linux/main.cc in older Flutter projects. Keep the rest of main() unchanged:

#include <restart_app/restart_app_plugin.h>

int main(int argc, char** argv) {
  restart_app_plugin_store_argv(argc, argv);
  // ... rest of main()
}

Flutter’s generated plugin rules link the runner to restart_app_plugin. If you use custom plugin wiring, add that link in linux/CMakeLists.txt after include(flutter/generated_plugins.cmake):

target_link_libraries(${BINARY_NAME} PRIVATE restart_app_plugin)

This setup is optional for apps that do not use command-line arguments.

Failed restarts

A successful response confirms that the request was accepted. If execv fails afterward, the plugin logs a warning and leaves the current app running. Resolve the launch failure before retrying.

Start

Guides

Reference

Preserve command-line arguments

Failed restarts

​Preserve command-line arguments

​Failed restarts

Preserve command-line arguments

Failed restarts