# Error when starting elasticsearch

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [September 23, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026 "2022-09-23T14:41:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![morad\_della3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/morad_della3/32/101241_2.png) [@morad\_della3](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/morad_della3)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/1 "2022-09-23T14:41:50Z")

</div>

I HAVE elastic 8.4.1 in ubuntu 22.04  
and when i make this cmd "discovery.type: single-node" in elasticsearch.yml because i installed elastic ad kibana in the same server i have this error

```auto
[2022-09-23T14:30:10,954][ERROR][o.e.b.Elasticsearch] [elastic] fatal exception while booting Elasticsearch
java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: setting [cluster.initial_master_nodes] is not allowed when [discovery.type] is set to [single-node]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [September 23, 2022, 3:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/2 "2022-09-23T15:49:14Z")

</div>

> [@morad\_della3](#):
>
> `java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: setting [cluster.initial_master_nodes] is not allowed when [discovery.type] is set to [single-node]`

This explains your error, if you have a single-node cluster you need to remove the configuration `cluster.initial_master_nodes` from the `elasticsearch.yml`.

Please share your `elasticsearch.yml` file.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![morad\_della3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/morad_della3/32/101241_2.png) [@morad\_della3](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/morad_della3)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/3 "2022-09-23T15:55:05Z")

</div>

```auto
# ---------------------------------- Cluster -----------------------------------
#
# Use a descriptive name for your cluster:
#
#cluster.name: my-application
#
# ------------------------------------ Node ------------------------------------
#
# Use a descriptive name for the node:
#
#node.name: node-1
#
# Add custom attributes to the node:
#
#node.attr.rack: r1
#
# ----------------------------------- Paths ------------------------------------
#
# Path to directory where to store the data (separate multiple locations by comma):
#
path.data: /var/lib/elasticsearch
#
# Path to log files:
#
path.logs: /var/log/elasticsearch
#
# ----------------------------------- Memory -----------------------------------
#
# Lock the memory on startup:
#
#bootstrap.memory_lock: true
#
# Make sure that the heap size is set to about half the memory available
# on the system and that the owner of the process is allowed to use this
# limit.
#
# Elasticsearch performs poorly when the system is swapping the memory.
# ---------------------------------- Network -----------------------------------
#
# By default Elasticsearch is only accessible on localhost. Set a different
# address here to expose this node on the network:
#
#network.host: 192.168.43.147
network.bind_host: ["127.0.0.1", "192.168.43.147"]
#
# By default Elasticsearch listens for HTTP traffic on the first free port it
# finds starting at 9200. Set a specific HTTP port here:
#
#http.port: 9200
#
# For more information, consult the network module documentation.
#
# --------------------------------- Discovery ----------------------------------
#
# Pass an initial list of hosts to perform discovery when this node is started:
# The default list of hosts is ["127.0.0.1", "[::1]"]
#
#discovery.seed_hosts: ["host1", "host2"]
#
# Bootstrap the cluster using an initial set of master-eligible nodes:
#
#cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["node-1", "node-2"]
#
# For more information, consult the discovery and cluster formation module documentation.
#
# --------------------------------- Readiness ----------------------------------
#
# Enable an unauthenticated TCP readiness endpoint on localhost
#
#readiness.port: 9399
#
# ---------------------------------- Various -----------------------------------
#
# Allow wildcard deletion of indices:
#
#action.destructive_requires_name: false
#----------------------- BEGIN SECURITY AUTO CONFIGURATION -----------------------
#
# The following settings, TLS certificates, and keys have been automatically
# generated to configure Elasticsearch security features on 16-09-2022 16:57:53
#
# --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

# Enable security features
xpack.security.enabled: true

xpack.security.enrollment.enabled: true

# Enable encryption for HTTP API client connections, such as Kibana, Logstash, and Agents
xpack.security.http.ssl:
  enabled: true
  keystore.path: certs/http.p12

# Enable encryption and mutual authentication between cluster nodes
xpack.security.transport.ssl:
  enabled: true
  verification_mode: certificate
  keystore.path: certs/transport.p12
  truststore.path: certs/transport.p12
# Create a new cluster with the current node only
# Additional nodes can still join the cluster later
cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["elastic"]

# Allow HTTP API connections from anywhere
# Connections are encrypted and require user authentication
http.host: 0.0.0.0

# Allow other nodes to join the cluster from anywhere
# Connections are encrypted and mutually authenticated
#transport.host: 0.0.0.0

#----------------------- END SECURITY AUTO CONFIGURATION -------------------------

discovery.type: single-node

```

what's the role of this cluster.initial\_master\_nodes ? what does mean this parameter?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [September 23, 2022, 4:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/4 "2022-09-23T16:36:21Z")

</div>

> [@morad\_della3](#):
>
> `cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["elastic"]`

You need to comment this line.

The setting `cluster.initial_master_nodes` is used to tell the node what are the master nodes it needs to look for while forming a cluster for the first time.

You have `discovery.type` set to `single-node`, which means that you want to form a single node cluster, so the `cluster.initial_master_nodes` cannot be used here because there is no other nodes in your cluster.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![morad\_della3](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/morad_della3/32/101241_2.png) [@morad\_della3](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/morad_della3)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/5 "2022-09-23T20:33:47Z")

</div>

thanks, @leandrojmp for your response it's ok it work but what about this what's it's role ?  
`#cluster.initial_master_nodes: ["node-1", "node-2"]`

---

<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:** [September 23, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/6 "2022-09-23T21:18:21Z")

</div>

From the documentation:

The initial set of master-eligible nodes is defined in the [`cluster.initial_master_nodes` setting](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/important-settings.html#initial_master_nodes).  
`cluster.initial_master_nodes`  
When you start an Elasticsearch cluster for the first time, a [cluster bootstrapping](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/modules-discovery-bootstrap-cluster.html) step determines the set of master-eligible nodes whose votes are counted in the first election.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 21, 2022, 9:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-when-starting-elasticsearch/315026/7 "2022-10-21T21:18:23Z")

</div>

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