# Java.lang.NullPointerException SparkContext: Error initializing SparkContext

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Tags:** es-hadoop\
**Created:** [August 25, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028 "2015-08-25T15:34:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rodrigo\_Rezende](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rodrigo_rezende/32/4389_2.png) [@Rodrigo\_Rezende](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Rodrigo_Rezende)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028/1 "2015-08-25T15:34:41Z")

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Hi,

I'm getting errors using both spark-shell or pyspark. With pyspark I get at launch, but spark-shell only when I try to save to ES.

Here is what I'm getting:

Starting pyspark (Spark 1.4.0) (windows)

$ pyspark --packages org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-spark\_2.10:2.1.0  
AppData\Local\Temp\spark-6a5be2b6-1492-4774-9d97-6ef60d718db0\userFiles-c7f551b1-1ed1-4aa6-8bd1-43c2fff1e76d\org.elasticsearch\_elasticsearch-spark\_2.10-2.1.0.jar  
15/08/25 08:19:35 ERROR SparkContext: Error initializing SparkContext.  
java.lang.NullPointerException  
at java.lang.ProcessBuilder.start(Unknown Source)  
at org.apache.hadoop.util.Shell.runCommand(Shell.java:482)  
at org.apache.hadoop.util.Shell.run(Shell.java:455)  
...  
at py4j.GatewayConnection.run(GatewayConnection.java:207)  
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)  
15/08/25 08:19:35 INFO SparkUI: Stopped Spark web UI at [http://192.168.1.8:4040](http://192.168.1.8:4040)  
15/08/25 08:19:35 INFO MapOutputTrackerMasterEndpoint: MapOutputTrackerMasterEndpoint stopped!  
15/08/25 08:19:35 ERROR SparkContext: Error stopping SparkContext after init error.  
java.lang.NullPointerException  
at org.apache.spark.network.netty.NettyBlockTransferService.close(NettyBlockTransferService.scala:152)  
at org.apache.spark.storage.BlockManager.stop(BlockManager.scala:1214)  
at org.apache.spark.SparkEnv.stop(SparkEnv.scala:96)  
at org.apache.spark.SparkContext.stop(SparkContext.scala:1657)  
at org.apache.spark.SparkContext.(SparkContext.scala:565)  
at org.apache.spark.api.java.JavaSparkContext.(JavaSparkContext.scala:61)  
...  
at py4j.GatewayConnection.run(GatewayConnection.java:207)  
at java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)  
Traceback (most recent call last):  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\bin..\python\pyspark\shell.py", line 43, in   
sc = SparkContext(appName="PySparkShell", pyFiles=add\_files)  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\python\pyspark\context.py", line 113, in **init**  
conf, jsc, profiler\_cls)  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\python\pyspark\context.py", line 165, in \_do\_init  
self.\_jsc = jsc or self.\_initialize\_context(self.\_conf.\_jconf)  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\python\pyspark\context.py", line 219, in \_initialize\_context  
return self.\_jvm.JavaSparkContext(jconf)  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\python\lib\py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip\py4j\java\_gateway.py", line 701, in **call**  
File "[folder]spark-1.4.0-bin-hadoop2.6\python\lib\py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip\py4j\protocol.py", line 300, in get\_return\_value  
py4j.protocol.Py4JJavaError: An error occurred while calling None.org.apache.spark.api.java.JavaSparkContext.  
: java.lang.NullPointerException

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**Author:** ![eliasah](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/eliasah/32/34741_2.png) [@eliasah](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/eliasah)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028/2 "2015-08-25T16:10:36Z")

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This means that Spark couldn't initialize the SparkContext, so maybe you are giving wrong parameters.

How are you launching spark-shell or pyspark?

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**Author:** ![Vaidyanathan\_Radhakr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/47e85d/32.png) [@Vaidyanathan\_Radhakr](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Vaidyanathan_Radhakr)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028/3 "2016-04-21T08:06:53Z")

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Hi eliasah,  
I get the same error. I logged in through Cloudera Hue option

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**Author:** ![Elijah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@Elijah](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Elijah)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028/4 "2016-07-07T19:32:44Z")

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Hi,I get the same error.Did you solve the problem ?

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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:** [July 6, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/java-lang-nullpointerexception-sparkcontext-error-initializing-sparkcontext/28028/5 "2017-07-06T13:24:02Z")

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