# Logstash 5.1.2 not working with Java 8

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-5-1-2-not-working-with-java-8/72201>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [January 19, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-5-1-2-not-working-with-java-8/72201 "2017-01-19T17:49:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mohsin106](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/mohsin106/32/65203_2.png) [@mohsin106](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mohsin106)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-5-1-2-not-working-with-java-8/72201/1 "2017-01-19T17:49:27Z")

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Hi, I'm new to elastic and was trying to get Logstash working on my RHEL 6.8 server. The Java I have installed is (openjdk version "1.8.0\_111") however when I try running the "/usr/share/logstash/bin/logstash -e 'input { stdin { } } output { stdout {} }'" as instructed to do so in the "getting started" documentation I get the following error message:

/etc/logstash # /usr/share/logstash/bin/logstash -e 'input { stdin { } } output { stdout {} }'  
NameError: cannot link Java class org.apache.logging.log4j.Level needs Java 7 (java.lang.UnsupportedClassVersionError: org/apache/logging/log4j/Level : Unsupported major.minor version 51.0)  
get\_proxy\_or\_package\_under\_package at org/jruby/javasupport/JavaUtilities.java:54  
method\_missing at file:/usr/share/logstash/vendor/jruby/lib/jruby.jar!/jruby/java/java\_package\_module\_template.rb:14  
Logging at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/logging/logger.rb:6  
LogStash at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/logging/logger.rb:5  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/logging/logger.rb:4  
require at org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:1040  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/util/loggable.rb:1  
require at org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:1040  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/util/loggable.rb:2  
require at org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:1040  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/settings.rb:1  
require at org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:1040  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/logstash-core/lib/logstash/settings.rb:2  
require at org/jruby/RubyKernel.java:1040  
(root) at /usr/share/logstash/lib/bootstrap/environment.rb:70

I was able to successfully install ElasticSearch and Kibana but just need a little direction on getting Logstash to work.

Thanks!  
Mo

2/21/2017

So I was able to fix this issue. I had to basically point my JAVA\_HOME variable in my .bash\_profile to to point to JAVA version 6 or higher

export JAVA\_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/jre-1.6.0/

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<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:** [February 16, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-5-1-2-not-working-with-java-8/72201/2 "2017-02-16T17:49:32Z")

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