Not able to start elasticsearch post customization to modify default paths

Elastic Search
1

I am getting below error message while starting elasticsearch post configuration path modification.

Jun 27 08:29:46 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=70/SOFTWARE
Jun 27 08:29:46 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 27 08:29:46 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Failed to start Elasticsearch.

2

What dies

journalctl -u elasticsearch

say

3

Thanks Rain for the suggestion, below is the output for your suggested command.

Note:- removed IP address in this error message from safety perspective.

Jun 27 08:12:47 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Starting Elasticsearch...
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: java.lang.RuntimeException: starting java failed with [1]
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: output:
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: [0.000s][error][logging] Error opening log file '/var/log/elasticsear>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: [0.000s][error][logging] Initialization of output 'file=/var/log/elas>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: error:
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:gc*,gc+age=trace,safepoint:file=/var/log/>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOption.flagsFinal(JvmOptio>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOption.findFinalOptions(Jv>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.MachineDependentHeap.determin>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOptionsParser.jvmOptions(J>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOptionsParser.determineJvm>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.ServerCli.startServer(ServerC>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.ServerCli.execute(ServerCli.j>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.common.cli.EnvironmentAwareCommand.execu>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Com>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:54)
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2685]: at org.elasticsearch.launcher.CliToolLauncher.main(CliToolLau>
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=70/SOFTWARE
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 27 08:12:48 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Failed to start Elasticsearch.

4

Looks like a problem? Did you change this from the default ? Permissions ?

I’m not sure if journalctl output is getting cut somehow, pipe to cat and check. Sometimes it decides your terminal is only N chars wide and chomps the rest of the lines.

5

Now, you can see full details .

However, as per today experience, elasticsearch didn't come up post modification of /var/log/elasticsearch path to desired location.

cat journalctl.output_30062025.txt

-- Logs begin at Mon 2025-06-30 06:48:57 UTC, end at Mon 2025-06-30 09:55:27 UTC. --
Jun 30 06:49:04 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Starting Elasticsearch...
Jun 30 06:49:29 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Started Elasticsearch.
Jun 30 09:48:42 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Stopping Elasticsearch...
Jun 30 09:48:43 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Succeeded.
Jun 30 09:48:43 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Stopped Elasticsearch.
Jun 30 09:54:06 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Starting Elasticsearch...
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: java.lang.RuntimeException: starting java failed with [1]
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: output:
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: [0.000s][error][logging] Error opening log file '/var/log/elasticsearch/vfdest.log': No such file or directory
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: [0.000s][error][logging] Initialization of output 'file=/var/log/elasticsearch/vfdest.log' using options 'filecount=32,filesize=64m' failed.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: error:
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:gc*,gc+age=trace,safepoint:file=/var/log/elasticsearch/vfdest.log:utctime,level,pid,tags:filecount=32,filesize=64m', see error log for details.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOption.flagsFinal(JvmOption.java:121)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOption.findFinalOptions(JvmOption.java:88)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.MachineDependentHeap.determineHeapSettings(MachineDependentHeap.java:56)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOptionsParser.jvmOptions(JvmOptionsParser.java:146)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.JvmOptionsParser.determineJvmOptions(JvmOptionsParser.java:98)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.ServerCli.startServer(ServerCli.java:268)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.server.cli.ServerCli.execute(ServerCli.java:111)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.common.cli.EnvironmentAwareCommand.execute(EnvironmentAwareCommand.java:55)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Command.java:101)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:54)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: at org.elasticsearch.launcher.CliToolLauncher.main(CliToolLauncher.java:65)
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=70/SOFTWARE
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: elasticsearch.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd[1]: Failed to start Elasticsearch.

6

Hello @venkat_tammi

As per the error message shared , could be issue with jvm.options files. you should share the elasticsearch.yml , jvm.options file so that anyone will be able to guide you further.

Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: error:
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: Invalid -Xlog option '-Xlog:gc*,gc+age=trace,safepoint:file=/var/log/elasticsearch/vfdest.log:utctime,level,pid,tags:filecount=32,filesize=64m', see error log for details.
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: **Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.**
Jun 30 09:54:07 ip-.eu-central-1.compute.internal systemd-entrypoint[2727]: Error: A fatal exception has occurred. Program will exit.

Thanks!!

7

Thank you Rain and Tortoise for your valuable inputs. Finally, this issue got conclusion after modifying jvm.options and log4j2.properties files to write the logs at desired location.

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