# Booting up logstash for the first time

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [October 10, 2025, 9:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581 "2025-10-10T09:22:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hayatve](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/hayatve/32/145323_2.png) [@hayatve](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hayatve)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 9:22am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581/1 "2025-10-10T09:22:41Z")

</div>

Hello, I’m trying to setup the ELK-Stack on my laptop. Elasticsearch and Kibana is running through the browser. I can’t figure out to setup logstash properly tho.I run into the same error, which is:

```auto
"Using bundled JDK: C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\jdk\bin\java.exe"
Sending Logstash logs to C:/elkstack/logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64/logstash-9.1.4/logs which is now configured via log4j2.properties
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,432][INFO][logstash.runner] Log4j configuration path used is: C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\config\log4j2.properties
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,441][INFO][logstash.runner] Starting Logstash {"logstash.version"=>"9.1.4", "jruby.version"=>"jruby 9.4.13.0 (3.1.4) 2025-06-10 9938a3461f OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 21.0.8+9-LTS on 21.0.8+9-LTS +indy +jit [x86_64-mswin32]"}
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,449][INFO][logstash.runner] JVM bootstrap flags: [-Xms1g, -Xmx1g, -Djava.awt.headless=true, -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8, -Djruby.compile.invokedynamic=true, -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError, -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/urandom, -Dlog4j2.isThreadContextMapInheritable=true, -Djruby.regexp.interruptible=true, -Djdk.io.File.enableADS=true, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.file=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.parser=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.tree=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.security=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.nio.channels=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.management/sun.management=ALL-UNNAMED, -Dio.netty.allocator.maxOrder=11]
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,512][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-string-length` configured to `200000000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,512][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-number-length` configured to `10000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,512][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-nesting-depth` configured to `1000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:06:42,565][WARN][logstash.config.source.multilocal] Ignoring the 'pipelines.yml' file because command line options are specified
[2025-10-10T11:06:45,647][INFO][logstash.config.source.local.configpathloader] No config files found in path {:path=>"C:/elkstack/logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64/logstash-9.1.4/logstash.conf"}
[2025-10-10T11:06:45,649][ERROR][logstash.config.sourceloader] No configuration found in the configured sources.
[2025-10-10T11:06:45,784][INFO][logstash.agent] Successfully started Logstash API endpoint {:port=>9600, :ssl_enabled=>false}
[2025-10-10T11:06:45,800][INFO][logstash.runner] Logstash shut down.
[2025-10-10T11:06:45,835][FATAL][org.logstash.Logstash] Logstash stopped processing because of an error: (SystemExit) exit
org.jruby.exceptions.SystemExit: (SystemExit) exit
        at org.jruby.RubyKernel.exit(org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:924) ~[jruby.jar:?]
        at org.jruby.RubyKernel.exit(org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:883) ~[jruby.jar:?]
        at C_3a_.elkstack.logstash_minus_9_dot_1_dot_4_minus_windows_minus_x86_64.logstash_minus_9_dot_1_dot_4.lib.bootstrap.environment.<main>(C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\lib\bootstrap\environment.rb:90) ~[?:?]
PS C:\elkstack> cd .\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\bin\
PS C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\bin> logstash -f logstash.conf
"Using bundled JDK: C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\jdk\bin\java.exe"
Sending Logstash logs to C:/elkstack/logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64/logstash-9.1.4/logs which is now configured via log4j2.properties
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,668][INFO][logstash.runner] Log4j configuration path used is: C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\config\log4j2.properties
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,679][INFO][logstash.runner] Starting Logstash {"logstash.version"=>"9.1.4", "jruby.version"=>"jruby 9.4.13.0 (3.1.4) 2025-06-10 9938a3461f OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM 21.0.8+9-LTS on 21.0.8+9-LTS +indy +jit [x86_64-mswin32]"}
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,679][INFO][logstash.runner] JVM bootstrap flags: [-Xms1g, -Xmx1g, -Djava.awt.headless=true, -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8, -Djruby.compile.invokedynamic=true, -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError, -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/urandom, -Dlog4j2.isThreadContextMapInheritable=true, -Djruby.regexp.interruptible=true, -Djdk.io.File.enableADS=true, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.file=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.parser=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.tree=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-exports=jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.security=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.io=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/java.nio.channels=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED, --add-opens=java.management/sun.management=ALL-UNNAMED, -Dio.netty.allocator.maxOrder=11]
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,762][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-string-length` configured to `200000000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,762][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-number-length` configured to `10000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,762][INFO][org.logstash.jackson.StreamReadConstraintsUtil] Jackson default value override `logstash.jackson.stream-read-constraints.max-nesting-depth` configured to `1000` (logstash default)
[2025-10-10T11:14:01,807][WARN][logstash.config.source.multilocal] Ignoring the 'pipelines.yml' file because command line options are specified
[2025-10-10T11:14:04,654][INFO][logstash.config.source.local.configpathloader] No config files found in path {:path=>"C:/elkstack/logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64/logstash-9.1.4/logstash.conf"}
[2025-10-10T11:14:04,656][ERROR][logstash.config.sourceloader] No configuration found in the configured sources.
[2025-10-10T11:14:04,790][INFO][logstash.agent] Successfully started Logstash API endpoint {:port=>9600, :ssl_enabled=>false}
[2025-10-10T11:14:04,814][INFO][logstash.runner] Logstash shut down.
[2025-10-10T11:14:04,841][FATAL][org.logstash.Logstash] Logstash stopped processing because of an error: (SystemExit) exit
org.jruby.exceptions.SystemExit: (SystemExit) exit
        at org.jruby.RubyKernel.exit(org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:924) ~[jruby.jar:?]
        at org.jruby.RubyKernel.exit(org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:883) ~[jruby.jar:?]
        at C_3a_.elkstack.logstash_minus_9_dot_1_dot_4_minus_windows_minus_x86_64.logstash_minus_9_dot_1_dot_4.lib.bootstrap.environment.<main>(C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\lib\bootstrap\environment.rb:90) ~[?:?]

```

the **logstash.conf file** is under the config folder and it looks like this:

```auto
input{
    stdin{}
}
output{
    elasticsearch{
        hosts => ["localhost:9200"]
        index => "indexforlogstash"
        username => "elastic"
        password => " *****"
    }
}

```

I would highly appreciate support, thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rios](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rios/32/95745_2.png) [@Rios](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rios)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 9:43am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581/2 "2025-10-10T09:43:24Z")

</div>

> [2025-10-10T11:06:45,649][ERROR][logstash.config.sourceloader] No configuration found in the configured sources.

LS cannot see any .conf file/directory.

How did you started LS? As a services or a command?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![grumo35](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/grumo35/32/59451_2.png) [@grumo35](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/grumo35)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 1:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581/3 "2025-10-10T13:24:53Z")

</div>

Hi @Rios

> [@hayatve](#):
>
> PS C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86\_64\logstash-9.1.4\bin\> logstash -f logstash.conf

@hayatve

I do believe you need to specify the full path of your logstash.conf file it shouldnt be in the bin directory of your logstash files 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rios](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rios/32/95745_2.png) [@Rios](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rios)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2025, 2:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/booting-up-logstash-for-the-first-time/382581/4 "2025-10-10T14:30:50Z")

</div>

Many thanks grumo, I have focused on the error.

LS has assumed that .conf file is logstash-9.1.4/logstash.conf:  
`[2025-10-10T11:06:45,647][INFO][logstash.config.source.local.configpathloader] No config files found in path {:path=>"C:/elkstack/logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64/logstash-9.1.4/logstash.conf"}`

Should be something like this:  
`C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\bin\logstash.bat -f C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\conf.d\logstash.conf --path.settings C:\elkstack\logstash-9.1.4-windows-x86_64\logstash-9.1.4\config`  
Correct the path to logstash.conf

You can use the command prompt as well.