# Elastic search doesn't start. No errors. No logs. Only one warning "cannot be run as root" **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [December 19, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399 "2016-12-19T07:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tkgauri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@tkgauri](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tkgauri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/1 "2016-12-19T07:18:39Z")
Elasticsearch version: 5.1.1 Plugins installed: [] JVM version: java version "1.8.0\_101" OS version: CentOS release 6.8 (Final) Description of the problem including expected versus actual behavior: Elastic search is not starting. It gives me warning "org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.StartupException: java.lang.RuntimeException: can not run elasticsearch as root". But when I run without root, it gives me long list of errors; some of them are "java.io.FileNotFoundException: permission denied." Steps to reproduce: sudo ./elasticsearch I have lowered the memory limits from config/jvm.options to 100-200mb. But doesn't work. -Xms100m -Xmx200m Provide logs (if relevant): Describe the feature: Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 7:19am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/2 "2016-12-19T07:19:20Z")
How did you install things? ---
**Author:** ![tkgauri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@tkgauri](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tkgauri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 7:20am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/3 "2016-12-19T07:20:11Z")
I downloaded tar.gz from official site and unpacked. I ran bin/elasticsearch to start the process ---
**Author:** ![warkolm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/warkolm/32/39224_2.png) [@warkolm](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/warkolm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 7:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/4 "2016-12-19T07:21:02Z")
Did you look at [https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/bootstrap-checks.html](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/bootstrap-checks.html)? Also it sounds like you might need to chown the directory you extracted ES to. ---
**Author:** ![tkgauri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@tkgauri](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tkgauri)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/5 "2016-12-19T08:06:07Z")
Thank you for your prompt reply. I changed my config according to the "important settings" page; however ran into endless YAML parsing errors. Then commented out everything again as it was shipped with the .tar.gz. and it has started working.! No idea why. I will update here if I find the reason. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![xavierfacq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/xavierfacq/32/8744_2.png) [@xavierfacq](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/xavierfacq)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2016, 9:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/6 "2016-12-19T09:10:16Z")
Did your user have writes to read/write in the datas directory ? Read in the config directory, etc ? On Centos you can add a yum reposity and do the installation running ``` yum install elasticsearch ``` it's pretty easy and packaged (if there is a version 5.x) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 9:10am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elastic-search-doesnt-start-no-errors-no-logs-only-one-warning-cannot-be-run-as-root/69399/7 "2017-01-16T09:10:31Z")
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