# Not processing input/output unless running as root

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [May 2, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829 "2020-05-02T21:16:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gregorys](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/gregorys/32/67574_2.png) [@gregorys](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gregorys)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829/1 "2020-05-02T21:16:06Z")

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Hi,

OS: Debian 10.3

openjdk version "11.0.7" 2020-04-14  
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 11.0.7+10-post-Debian-3deb10u1)  
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 11.0.7+10-post-Debian-3deb10u1, mixed mode, sharing)

Logstash 6.8.8

I have a simple configuration with an input (file) and an output (file).  
When running under the logstash user, it doesn't seem to process anything, but I don't see any errors when setting the log level to debug or trace.

When running logstash as root, everything works fine.

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**Author:** ![ptamba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@ptamba](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ptamba)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829/2 "2020-05-02T21:30:35Z")

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have you tried running logstash from CLI to see what could be the problem? The only idea that i can think of is that your input is trying to use resources that is only writable / accessible by root. This could be registry path for input, or permission of the input, or permission to write the output

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gregorys](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/gregorys/32/67574_2.png) [@gregorys](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/gregorys)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2020, 10:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829/3 "2020-05-03T10:50:55Z")

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Indeed it's the input file that is not readable by the logstash user.  
I would have expected this to appear in the logs when I run logstash with loglevel debug/trace or from CLI, but couldn't find any error or notification on that.

Thanks

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**Author:** ![abrx](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/abrx/32/43881_2.png) [@abrx](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/abrx)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829/4 "2020-05-06T08:57:47Z")

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Hi,  
Be careful, it sometime happens also when the file is readable by logstash BUT under a `root:root` folder which logstash cannot cross and even spot.  
You can see if logstash started watching a file with the presence / absence of a [sincedb file](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/logstash/current/plugins-inputs-file.html#plugins-inputs-file-sincedb_path) that tracks logstash reading position.

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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:** [June 3, 2020, 8:57am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/not-processing-input-output-unless-running-as-root/230829/5 "2020-06-03T08:57:54Z")

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