Job for nginx.service failed because the control process exited with error code. See "systemctl status nginx.service" and "journalctl -xeu nginx.service" for details. systemd is telling you exactly where to look. This guide shows how to read that output and fix the usual causes when a systemd service fails to start.
Before you start
- Root access and the service name.
Read the status and the journal
systemctl status myapp --no-pager -ljournalctl -u myapp -n 50 --no-pagerThe status shows the Main PID exit code and the last log lines; the journal shows the full error from the program itself. For services with their own log files (Nginx, MySQL), check those too.
Decode the exit status
| Status | Meaning | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
status=1/FAILURE | The program exited with an error | Read its message in the journal |
status=203/EXEC | ExecStart could not be executed | Wrong path, not executable, missing shebang or CRLF line endings |
status=217/USER | The User= account does not exist | Create the user or fix the name |
status=200/CHDIR | WorkingDirectory missing or inaccessible | Create it or fix permissions |
status=226/NAMESPACE | A sandboxing path (ReadWritePaths etc.) does not exist | Create the path or adjust hardening options |
status=9/KILL | Killed, often by the OOM killer | Check dmesg for out-of-memory |
status=143 / 15/TERM | Stopped by a signal, often normal on stop | Check for timeouts |
Test the program's own configuration
Most daemons can check their config without starting:
- Nginx:
nginx -t - Apache:
apachectl configtest - PHP-FPM:
php-fpm8.3 -t - SSH:
sshd -t - HAProxy:
haproxy -c -f /etc/haproxy/haproxy.cfg
Port already in use
bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)Find the other process with ss -ltnp 'sport = :80' and stop it, or change one of the ports.
Run the command by hand
Copy the ExecStart line (see it with systemctl cat myapp) and run it as the service user, in the working directory, with its environment:
sudo -u myapp bash -c 'cd /srv/myapp && set -a && . ./.env && set +a && ./start.sh'Errors that were hidden in the service appear directly in your terminal.
After editing unit files
Always reload systemd, otherwise it keeps using the old version:
systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl restart myappPrefer systemctl edit myapp for changes to packaged services; it creates an override that survives package updates.
Start request repeated too quickly
A service that crashes on start and has Restart=always hits the start limit and stops trying. Fix the underlying error, then clear the counter:
systemctl reset-failed myapp && systemctl start myappAdd RestartSec=5 so restarts are spaced out.
Timeouts
start operation timed out means the service did not report readiness in time (default 90 s). Either startup is slow (database recovery, migrations) or the Type= is wrong: a program that stays in the foreground needs Type=simple, not forking. Raise TimeoutStartSec if startup is legitimately slow.
Systemd failures FAQ
How do I see all failed services?
systemctl --failed lists them.
Why does it work from the shell but not as a service?
Different user, working directory, PATH and environment. Make each explicit in the unit file.
Does a failed service start again after reboot?
If it is enabled, systemd tries again at boot. Fix it so it does not fail again.