Security

bootstart user

VijaySrrie
Builder

Hi,

After rebooting the server when I checked splunk services were not running. So I tried to start the splunk services, but getting the below error

this command can only be run by bootstart user

Tags (1)
0 Karma
1 Solution

nickhills
Ultra Champion

Assuming linux, and you have sudo access and your server should run as splunk.

sudo su splunk -
/opt/splunk/bin splunk start
If my comment helps, please give it a thumbs up!

View solution in original post

0 Karma

VijaySrrie
Builder

/etc/init.d/splunk start used to work running as the root user and we're trying to troubleshoot why it suddenly stopped working?

0 Karma

gfreitas
Builder

I'd recommend you check splunk-launch.conf for the user, su to the user: su <user> and then run /opt/splunk/bin/splunk start and see what error messages it shows (if any) and please note I assumed Splunk is installed under /opt/splunk

0 Karma

VijaySrrie
Builder

Hi,

Issue was fixed 2 days back after restarting the splunk from /opt/splunk/bin
But we always start, stop the splunk services in /etc/init.d location, after rebooting the server and when we tried to start the service in /etc/init.d it was throwing error like "the command can only be run by bootstart user". Then I started the service in /opt/splunk/bin and it got restarted. Now, I am just curious to know why it was not working under /etc/init.d ???

0 Karma

nickhills
Ultra Champion

is your server using systemd?

If my comment helps, please give it a thumbs up!
0 Karma

nickhills
Ultra Champion

Assuming linux, and you have sudo access and your server should run as splunk.

sudo su splunk -
/opt/splunk/bin splunk start
If my comment helps, please give it a thumbs up!
0 Karma

gfreitas
Builder

Check inside splunk-launch.conf for SPLUNK_OS_USER then su to this user and start the Splunk service

0 Karma
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Index This | What travels the world but is also stuck in place?

April 2026 Edition  Hayyy Splunk Education Enthusiasts and the Eternally Curious!   We’re back with this ...

Discover New Use Cases: Unlock Greater Value from Your Existing Splunk Data

Realizing the full potential of your Splunk investment requires more than just understanding current usage; it ...

Continue Your Journey: Join Session 2 of the Data Management and Federation Bootcamp ...

As data volumes continue to grow and environments become more distributed, managing and optimizing data ...