Deadlock Guard

Add VMs and containers that use the same hardware to a group. When you click Start in Unraid, Deadlock Guard stops the others in that group first to prevent hardware passthrough deadlocks.

It works through Unraid’s VMs, Docker and Dashboard controls, and supported Unraid API clients such as nzb360. Stopping a VM or container never starts another.

Install

Beta · Unraid 7.3.x.

For testing local builds, follow the build instructions and temporary installation guide.

After the first installation, reboot Unraid when safe to activate VM protection. Then open Settings → Deadlock Guard and check the integration status. See the setup guide for activation and update details.

Use it

1. Open Settings → Deadlock Guard and add a group.
2. Select the VMs and containers that use the same hardware.
3. Choose whether the group applies to WebUI, API, or both, then save.
4. Use your usual Start control. Deadlock Guard handles the stop/start sequence.

Progress appears when another group member needs to stop. Ordinary actions stay quiet. You can close the browser while a handoff runs and check Recent handoffs later.

The user guide covers timeouts, overlapping groups, console controls and API behavior.

Know the limits

• GPU/PCI driver binding remains your responsibility. Deadlock Guard coordinates starts and stops; it cannot fix a device that fails to release.
• Containers use normal Docker Stop behavior, including forced termination after the group timeout. VM force-stop is optional and off by default.
• Direct Docker commands and automatic starts bypass handoffs. Direct starts of grouped VMs are blocked by the VM safety gate. This is not system-wide exclusivity.
• If a handoff fails, anything already stopped stays stopped.

See coverage and API details before relying on protection outside the WebUI.

Get help

To report a bug, open Settings → Deadlock Guard → Troubleshooting, check Enable debug logging, and reproduce the problem. Click Download debug logs before rebooting and attach the downloaded file to the report. Disable debug logging when finished. See the troubleshooting guide if you cannot collect logs.

Have an idea? Request a feature and describe the problem it would solve.

Development · Architecture · Host validation · Releasing

MIT license · Guilherme Haschel