# Error starting Elasticsearch '/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log': Permission denied **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [February 9, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-starting-elasticsearch-var-log-elasticsearch-gc-log-permission-denied/218475 "2020-02-09T16:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ecofintech](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ecofintech/32/61026_2.png) [@ecofintech](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ecofintech)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-starting-elasticsearch-var-log-elasticsearch-gc-log-permission-denied/218475/1 "2020-02-09T16:27:56Z")
Hello to everyone in the Elastic community. I am having a problem with Elasticsearch after last upgrade to 7.5.2 and installing a plugin. It stopped working and I cannot fix the issue. it seems a problems with permissions with the gc.log file, but I changed them and still no working. So I am thinking the problem is with Java in some way that I cannot understand. Steps: `sudo apt install elasticsearch` `sudo /bin/systemctl daemon-reload` `sudo /bin/systemctl enable elasticsearch.service` `sudo systemctl start elasticsearch.service` This start service resturns: `Job for elasticsearch.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See "systemctl status elasticsearch.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.` The journalctl log returns: ```auto Feb 09 17:09:01 server audit[2195]: USER_CMD pid=2195 uid=1000 auid=1000 ses=1 subj==unconfined msg='cwd="/home/ecofintech" cmd=73797374656D63746C20737461727420656C61737469637365617263682E73657276696365 terminal=pts/0 res=success' Feb 09 17:09:01 server audit[2195]: CRED_REFR pid=2195 uid=0 auid=1000 ses=1 subj==unconfined msg='op=PAM:setcred grantors=pam_permit acct="root" exe="/usr/bin/sudo" hostname=? addr=? terminal=/dev/pts/0 res=success' Feb 09 17:09:01 server sudo[2195]: ecofintech : TTY=pts/0 ; PWD=/home/ecofintech ; USER=root ; COMMAND=/bin/systemctl start elasticsearch.service Feb 09 17:09:01 server audit[2195]: USER_START pid=2195 uid=0 auid=1000 ses=1 subj==unconfined msg='op=PAM:session_open grantors=pam_permit,pam_unix,pam_tmpdir acct="root" exe="/usr/bin/sudo" hostname=? addr=? terminal=/dev/pts/0 res=success' Feb 09 17:09:01 server sudo[2195]: pam_unix(sudo:session): session opened for user root by ecofintech(uid=0) Feb 09 17:09:01 server systemd[1]: Starting Elasticsearch... -- Subject: A start job for unit elasticsearch.service has begun execution -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: https://www.debian.org/support -- -- A start job for unit elasticsearch.service has begun execution. -- -- The job identifier is 480. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: starting java failed with [1] Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: output: Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: [0.000s][error][logging] Error opening log file '/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log': Permission denied Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: [0.000s][error][logging] Initialization of output 'file=/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log' using options 'filecount=32,filesize=64m' failed. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: error: Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM warning: Option UseConcMarkSweepGC was deprecated in version 9.0 and will likely be removed in a future release. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:gc*,gc+age=trace,safepoint:file=/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log:utctime,pid,tags:filecount=32,filesize=64m', see error log for details. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.flagsFinal(JvmErgonomics.java:118) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.finalJvmOptions(JvmErgonomics.java:86) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.choose(JvmErgonomics.java:59) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmOptionsParser.main(JvmOptionsParser.java:92) Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE -- Subject: Unit process exited -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: https://www.debian.org/support -- -- An ExecStart= process belonging to unit elasticsearch.service has exited. -- -- The process' exit code is 'exited' and its exit status is 1. Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'. -- Subject: Unit failed -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: https://www.debian.org/support -- -- The unit elasticsearch.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'exit-code'. Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: Failed to start Elasticsearch. -- Subject: A start job for unit elasticsearch.service has failed -- Defined-By: systemd -- Support: https://www.debian.org/support -- -- A start job for unit elasticsearch.service has finished with a failure. ``` And `sudo systemctl -l status elasticsearch.service`returns: ```auto ● elasticsearch.service - Elasticsearch Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/elasticsearch.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled) Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/elasticsearch.service.d └─override.conf Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sun 2020-02-09 17:09:02 CET; 2min 48s ago Docs: http://www.elastic.co Process: 2199 ExecStart=/usr/share/elasticsearch/bin/elasticsearch -p ${PID_DIR}/elasticsearch.pid --quiet (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE) Main PID: 2199 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:gc*,gc+age=trace,safepoint:file=/var/log/elasticsearch/gc.log:utctime,pid,tags:filecount=32,filesize=64m', see error log for details. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit. Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.flagsFinal(JvmErgonomics.java:118) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.finalJvmOptions(JvmErgonomics.java:86) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmErgonomics.choose(JvmErgonomics.java:59) Feb 09 17:09:02 server elasticsearch[2199]: at org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmOptionsParser.main(JvmOptionsParser.java:92) Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'. Feb 09 17:09:02 server systemd[1]: Failed to start Elasticsearch. ``` Thanks ---
**Author:** ![fallenreaper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/fallenreaper/32/62407_2.png) [@fallenreaper](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/fallenreaper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-starting-elasticsearch-var-log-elasticsearch-gc-log-permission-denied/218475/2 "2020-02-10T23:05:51Z")
Can you explain your user/group access? i believe that elasticsearch runs a process with the same name. So since it is a permissions issue, i would think that the running user doesnt have access to that file? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-starting-elasticsearch-var-log-elasticsearch-gc-log-permission-denied/218475/3 "2020-03-09T23:06:00Z")
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