Can not restart Nginx, "Job for nginx.service failed because the control process exited with error code."

Question

I have a digitalocean droplet with Ubuntu 16.04 running on it. I am serving mostly static sites from it with Nginx, but it suddenly stopped working.

(As you might understand from this intro, I am quite the beginner at all of this.)

I've tried to restart nginx:

$ sudo service nginx restart
Job for nginx.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See "systemctl status nginx.service" and "journalctl -xe" for details.

systemctl status nginx.service:

$ systemctl status nginx.service
● nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2019-04-25 12:31:46 UTC; 55s ago
     Docs: man:nginx(8)
  Process: 8232 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
  Process: 8221 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/nginx -t -q -g daemon on; master_process on; (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)

journalctl -xe

    $ sudo journalctl -u nginx
    - Logs begin at Thu 2019-03-21 01:07:26 UTC, end at Thu 2019-04-25 12:54:26 UTC. --
Apr 25 10:33:29 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Stopping A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
Apr 25 10:33:29 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Stopped A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
-- Reboot --
Apr 25 10:34:16 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Starting A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
Apr 25 10:34:17 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:17 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:18 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:18 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:18 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:18 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:19 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:19 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:19 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:19 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 10:34:20 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[1242]: nginx: [emerg] still could not bind()
Apr 25 10:34:20 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Control process exited, code=exited status=1
Apr 25 10:34:20 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Apr 25 10:34:20 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Failed to start A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
Apr 25 12:08:48 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Starting A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
Apr 25 12:08:48 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:48 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:49 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:49 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:49 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:49 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:50 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:50 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:50 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:50 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:08:51 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[21464]: nginx: [emerg] still could not bind()
Apr 25 12:08:51 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Control process exited, code=exited status=1
Apr 25 12:08:51 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Apr 25 12:08:51 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Failed to start A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
Apr 25 12:10:24 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Starting A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
Apr 25 12:10:25 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:25 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:25 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:25 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:26 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:26 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:26 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:26 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[25175]: nginx: [emerg] still could not bind()
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Control process exited, code=exited status=1
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: nginx.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Apr 25 12:10:27 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Failed to start A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server.
Apr 25 12:12:59 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe systemd[1]: Starting A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server...
Apr 25 12:12:59 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[30965]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:12:59 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[30965]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:12:59 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[30965]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:12:59 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[30965]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to [::]:80 failed (98: Address already in use)
Apr 25 12:13:00 ubuntu-s-michaelsimsoe nginx[30965]: nginx: [emerg] bind() to 0.0.0.0:80 failed (98: Address already in use)

The following have been done by me before I noticed the errors: * Changed root password * Changed password for user michaels * Changed ownership of website folders (I'm trying to set up webhooks)

Any thoughts on what it might be?

EDIT: some additional information

$ sudo nginx -t
nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

$ ps -A | nginx
nginx: [alert] could not open error log file: open() "/var/log/nginx/error.log" failed (13: Permission denied)
2019/04/25 13:09:32 [warn] 28351#28351: the "user" directive makes sense only if the master process runs with super-user privileges, ignored in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf:1
2019/04/25 13:09:32 [emerg] 28351#28351: BIO_new_file("/etc/letsencrypt/live/huske.michaelsimsoe.no/fullchain.pem") failed (SSL: error:0200100D:system library:fopen:Permission denied:fopen('/etc/letsencrypt/live/huske.michaelsimsoe.no/fullchain.pem','r') error:2006D002:BIO routines:BIO_new_file:system lib)

Before I installed nginx I had som pages served by Apache. I can reach these still.

Solution

Some other process is already running and bound to ports 80/443, thus systemd cannot start nginx. This is almost always because the process was started manually instead of via systemd, or because you tried to start two different web servers at the same time.

To resolve the problem, kill the process yourself before restarting it via systemd.

sudo killall apache2

Comments

[dortegaoh]

Hint: You are currently not seeing messages from other users and the system. Users in groups 'adm', 'systemd-journal' can see all messages.. Run the command again with proper permissions.

[Michael Krøyserth-Simsø]

Thank you @GeraldSchneider. I used sudo to see something all different now. Is it safe to show this log here?

[dortegaoh]

I can't tell you that before seeing it. But you can use journalctl -u nginx to limit the output to nginx related entries.

[Michael Krøyserth-Simsø]

Thanks again. I've added the new information. The time 10:34 is exactly the same as when I received the new root password.

[dortegaoh]

nginx can't start because either itself, or another httpd is already running. Check what is running on port 80 and kill it. You can have only one program listening on a ip/port.

[Michael Krøyserth-Simsø]

Awesome, @GeraldSchneider! Apache was running, I stopped it, and now all is good. Thank you. Have a nice day. Maybe your contribution should be in an answer so I could accept it?

[sanjayparmar]

Please check port number and make sure not conflict with other services.