CouchDB fails to start: Failed to open arguments file "/opt/couchdb/bin/../etc/vm.args": Permission denied

[matthiasunt]

Description

Just updated to CouchDB 3.1.0 and running into the following error when I try to start CouchDB:

Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: Started Apache CouchDB.
Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps couchdb[14274]: Failed to open arguments file "/opt/couchdb/bin/../etc/vm.args": Permission denied
Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps couchdb[14274]: Usage: erl [-version] [-sname NAME | -name NAME] [-noshell] [-noinput] [-env VAR VALUE] [-compile file ...] [-smp [auto|enable]] [-make] [-man [manopts] MANPAGE] [-x] [-emu_args] [-start_epmd BOOLEAN] [-args_file FILENAME] [+A THREADS] [+a SIZE] [+B[c|d|i]] [+c [BOOLEAN]] [+C MODE] [+h HEAP_SIZE_OPTION] [+K BOOLEAN] [+l] [+M<SUBSWITCH> <ARGUMENT>] [+P MAX_PROCS] [+Q MAX_PORTS] [+R COMPAT_REL] [+r] [+rg READER_GROUPS_LIMIT] [+s SCHEDULER_OPTION] [+S NO_SCHEDULERS:NO_SCHEDULERS_ONLINE] [+SP PERCENTAGE_SCHEDULERS:PERCENTAGE_SCHEDULERS_ONLINE] [+T LEVEL] [+V] [+v] [+W<i|w|e>] [+z MISC_OPTION] [args ...]
Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: couchdb.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: couchdb.service: Unit entered failed state.
Jun 10 15:48:49 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: couchdb.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 10 15:48:50 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: couchdb.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduling restart.
Jun 10 15:48:50 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: Stopped Apache CouchDB.
Jun 10 15:48:50 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: couchdb.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Jun 10 15:48:50 ubuntu-crapps systemd[1]: Failed to start Apache CouchDB.

Your Environment

• CouchDB version used: 3.1.0
• Operating system and version: Ubuntu 16.04

Update

I fixed the issue by fixing my couchdb's directory security rules as described here.

[matthiasunt]

Fixed by fixing my access permissions.

[janl]

@matthiasunt can you share the steps you took, for folks who come after you?

[janl]

@matthiasunt ping

[matthiasunt]

@janl updated the issue's description

[bebor]

i get the same error:

Failed to open arguments file "/etc/couchdb/vm.args" at "/usr/lib/couchdb": Permission denied

while the permissions seems to be fine to me:
in /etc/:

$ ls -l | rg couch
drw-r--r--  2 couchdb couchdb   4096 Jul 11 17:10 couchdb

in /etc/couchdb:

$ ls -l
total 40
-rw-r--r-- 1 couchdb couchdb 26671 May  9 14:28 default.ini
-rw-r--r-- 1 couchdb couchdb  4292 Jun  9 15:08 local.ini
-rw-r--r-- 1 couchdb couchdb  3413 May  9 14:28 vm.args

im starting the service like so:

sudo systemctl start couchdb

i am on archlinux, and installed the couchdb according to docs (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/CouchDB)

any sugestions what else i should check, or what i am missing?
thanks