Start play server with init script.

play.conf

# Upstart script for a play application that binds to an unprivileged user.
# put this into a file like /etc/init/play.conf
#
# This could be the foundation for pushing play apps to the server using something like git-deploy
# By calling service play stop in the restart command and play-start in the restart command.
#
# Usage:
#   start play
#   stop play
#   restart play
#
# WARNING: This is still beta, I have not tested the respawning functionality, but it should work. 
#
# http://leon.radley.se

description "PlayFramework 2"
author "Leon Radley <leon@radley.se>"
version "1.0"

env USER=myuser
env GROUP=www-data
env HOME=/home/myuser/app
env APP=myapp
env PORT=9000
env ADDRESS=127.0.0.1
env CONFIG=production.conf
env SBTMEM=256
env EXTRA="-J-Xms128M -J-Xmx512m -J-server"

start on runlevel [2345]
stop on runlevel [06]

respawn
respawn limit 10 5
umask 022
expect daemon

# If you want the upstart script to build play with sbt
pre-start script
    chdir $HOME
    sbt clean compile stage -mem $SBTMEM
end script

exec start-stop-daemon --pidfile ${HOME}/RUNNING_PID --chuid $USER:$GROUP --exec ${HOME}/target/universal/stage/bin/${APP} --background --start -- -Dconfig.resource=$CONFIG -Dhttp.port=$PORT -Dhttp.address=$ADDRESS $EXTRA