# Elasticsearch will not start with xpack.security.enabled: true running latest 7.12 version and basic license

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** elastic-stack-security\
**Created:** [April 15, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307 "2021-04-15T20:04:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Reedler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Reedler](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Reedler)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2021, 8:04pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307/1 "2021-04-15T20:04:05Z")

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Output of license  
"type" : "basic",  
Running small 3 node cluster with same elasticsearch.xml configs  
xpack.security.enabled: true

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**Author:** ![AClerk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/aclerk/32/55297_2.png) [@AClerk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/AClerk)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 1:24am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307/2 "2021-04-16T01:24:07Z")

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Did you go over the minimal configurations?

> **[Set up minimal security for Elasticsearch | Elasticsearch Guide \[7.12\] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/security-minimal-setup.html)**

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Reedler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Reedler](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Reedler)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307/3 "2021-04-16T18:50:29Z")

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I can't get that far. As soon as I enable xpack security and try to start elasticsearch, the start fails. Followed documention. Says I need to enable xpack.security.transport.ssl.enabled: even though I have the basic license.

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**Author:** ![leandrojmp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/leandrojmp/32/107231_2.png) [@leandrojmp](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/leandrojmp)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307/4 "2021-04-17T03:46:15Z")

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Did you followed the tutorial on how to encrypt communications between the nodes? If you have more than one node and you are not using the `trial` license, your cluster will only work if you encrypt the communications between the nodes.

Since you stated that you are using the `basic` license, your cluster is failing the [TLS/SSL bootstrap check](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/bootstrap-checks-xpack.html#bootstrap-checks-tls)

Follow this tutorial on how to create the certificates to encrypt the internode communications: [Set up basic security for the Elastic Stack | Elasticsearch Guide [7.12] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/security-basic-setup.html)

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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:** [May 15, 2021, 3:46am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/elasticsearch-will-not-start-with-xpack-security-enabled-true-running-latest-7-12-version-and-basic-license/270307/5 "2021-05-15T03:46:27Z")

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