# Failed to parse /etc/system-release **URL:** \ **Category:** Beats\ **Tags:** metricbeat\ **Created:** [March 10, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977 "2020-03-10T16:22:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martijn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Martijn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Martijn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 4:22pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/1 "2020-03-10T16:22:55Z")
Hi all, I am having an issue with the Metricbeat system module on red hat 6. I am getting the following error: "Error fetching data for metricset system.memory: VMStat: failed to read self process information: 1 error: failed to parse /etc/system-release" Anyone encountered this one before? ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Madden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_madden/32/46640_2.png) [@Michael\_Madden](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Madden)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/2 "2020-03-10T17:00:57Z")
Hello Martijn, Which version of `metricbeat` are you running on your Linux host? Also which revision of RHEL 6.x are you using? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Martijn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Martijn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Martijn)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/3 "2020-03-10T18:46:39Z")
Hi Michael, I am using Red Hat version 6.8. The metricbeat version is 7.6.1 ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Madden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_madden/32/46640_2.png) [@Michael\_Madden](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Madden)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/4 "2020-03-10T21:37:22Z")
Hello Martijn, Could you please include your `metricbeat.yml` file? Please be sure to redact any hosts, usernames, or passwords before you post the file. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Martijn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Martijn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Martijn)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 8:03am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/5 "2020-03-11T08:03:44Z")
Hi Michael, The metricbeat.yml is completely default, aside from the elasticsearch output I configured (hostname, username, password). ``` #========================== Modules configuration ============================ metricbeat.config.modules: # Glob pattern for configuration loading path: ${path.config}/modules.d/*.yml # Set to true to enable config reloading reload.enabled: false # Period on which files under path should be checked for changes #reload.period: 10s #==================== Elasticsearch template setting ========================== setup.template.settings: index.number_of_shards: 1 index.codec: best_compression #_source.enabled: false #-------------------------- Elasticsearch output ------------------------------ output.elasticsearch: # Array of hosts to connect to. hosts: ["working host"] # Protocol - either `http` (default) or `https`. #protocol: "https" # Authentication credentials - either API key or username/password. #api_key: "id:api_key" username: "working username" password: "working password" #================================ Processors ===================================== # Configure processors to enhance or manipulate events generated by the beat. processors: - add_host_metadata: ~ - add_cloud_metadata: ~ - add_docker_metadata: ~ - add_kubernetes_metadata: ~ ``` Thanks, Martijn ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Madden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_madden/32/46640_2.png) [@Michael\_Madden](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Madden)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/6 "2020-03-11T19:40:54Z")
Thanks Martijn, how are you starting `metricbeat`? Are you using `sudo service metricbeat start`? Thanks. Michael ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Madden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_madden/32/46640_2.png) [@Michael\_Madden](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Madden)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/7 "2020-03-12T14:03:56Z")
Hi Martijn, Could you please show the permissions and content for `/etc/system-release`? ```auto cat /etc/system-release ls -l /etc/system-release ls -lL /etc/system-release ``` On a test CentOS 6.10 container, I'm seeing the following. It should be similar for your system. ```auto [root@249fcd6ead4a /]# cat /etc/system-release CentOS release 6.10 (Final) [root@249fcd6ead4a /]# ls -l /etc/system-release lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Oct 6 2018 /etc/system-release -> centos-release [root@249fcd6ead4a /]# ls -lL /etc/system-release -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 28 Jun 26 2018 /etc/system-release ``` Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Martijn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Martijn](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Martijn)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 8:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/8 "2020-03-13T08:56:44Z")
Hi Michael, I am using /etc/init.d/metricbeat start to start Metricbeat. The /etc/system-release does not seem to contain anything. ``` [root@host ~]# cat /etc/system-release [root@host ~]# [root@host ~]# ls -l /etc/system-release lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 14 May 19 2016 /etc/system-release -> redhat-release [root@host ~]# ls -l /etc/redhat-release -rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 Jun 25 2019 /etc/redhat-release ``` Could this be an issue with the OS then? Thanks, Martijn ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Madden](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michael_madden/32/46640_2.png) [@Michael\_Madden](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michael_Madden)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/9 "2020-03-13T21:36:29Z")
Hi Martijn, yes I believe the blank `/etc/system-release` is the issue. Can you look at the contents on other similar RHEL systems? Could you possibly try installing `metricbeat` on a similar system? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/failed-to-parse-etc-system-release/222977/10 "2020-04-10T21:36:36Z")
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