# Elasticsearch throwing error

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-throwing-error/109246>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [November 27, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-throwing-error/109246 "2017-11-27T16:05:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![akarsha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@akarsha](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/akarsha)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-throwing-error/109246/1 "2017-11-27T16:05:14Z")

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I am using Elasticsearch 5.1.1 in my VM RedHat 6.8 Santiago. While trying to run elastic search, it is giving me below exception in the logs:

[2017-11-27T10:51:47,743][ERROR][o.e.b.Bootstrap] Exception  
java.lang.RuntimeException: can not run elasticsearch as root  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.initializeNatives(Bootstrap.java:100) ~[elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.setup(Bootstrap.java:176) ~[elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:306) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:121) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.execute(Elasticsearch.java:112) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.cli.SettingCommand.execute(SettingCommand.java:54) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Command.java:96) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:62) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:89) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]  
at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:82) [elasticsearch-5.1.1.jar:5.1.1]

I have run this as a root previouly without any issues, this time i am not sure why am I getting the above. I am using rpm for installation for the ELK stack. Kindly help.

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**Author:** ![jasontedor](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jasontedor/32/66992_2.png) [@jasontedor](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jasontedor)\
**Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:08pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-throwing-error/109246/2 "2017-11-27T16:08:59Z")

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You can not run Elasticsearch as root starting in 5.0.0. You could in 2.x with a special flag, but that flag is removed. In short: stop trying to run as root.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-throwing-error/109246/3 "2017-12-25T16:09:25Z")

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