# Restarting elastic search not working

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [February 11, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532 "2016-02-11T17:46:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mc1392](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@mc1392](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/mc1392)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532/1 "2016-02-11T17:46:53Z")

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I try to restart ES, doesnt work. This is what I get:

```
ubuntu@ip-10-0-0-230:~$ ./elasticsearch-2.0.0/bin/elasticsearch start
ERROR: Parameter [start]does not start with --
ubuntu@ip-10-0-0-230:~$ ./elasticsearch-2.0.0/bin/elasticsearch --restart
ERROR: Parameter [restart] needs value

```

How am I supposed to restart?

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**Author:** ![nik9000](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nik9000/32/44947_2.png) [@nik9000](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nik9000)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 6:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532/2 "2016-02-11T18:00:36Z")

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On Ubuntu I'd install Elasticsearch using the [repositories](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/setup-repositories.html) and then you can use the init script or systemd for the restart. If you use the zip or tar then you are responsible for killing elasticearch. You can just `kill` it.

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**Author:** ![Suny](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/suny/32/22082_2.png) [@Suny](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Suny)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 9:05am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532/3 "2016-06-20T09:05:20Z")

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I'm having the same issue with elasticsearch 2.3.3 on Debian 8. When asked for help (/usr/share/elasticsearch/bin/elasticsearch --help), the script claims that "elasticsearch start" is valid, but when I try it, I get that error message,

ERROR: Parameter [start]does not start with --

I like to be able to start elasticsearch like this, to be able to troubleshoot issues with the init script. On this node, the init script dies without logging anything.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nik9000](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/nik9000/32/44947_2.png) [@nik9000](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/nik9000)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532/4 "2016-06-20T13:29:06Z")

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You can run `/usr/share/elasticsearch/bin/elasticsearch` without anything and it should run Elasticsearch in the foreground. It isn't likely to have the right paths configured but it should start.

Usually when Elasticsearch doesn't start with the init script and doesn't log anything it is because you have a version of Java that can't load Elasticsearch - like 1.6. At least that is the first thing I check.

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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 5, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/restarting-elastic-search-not-working/41532/5 "2017-07-05T22:42:16Z")

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