Why setup failed?

[Markus Pöhler]

I am trying to setup JIRA in a test environment. I followed all the steps in this article and selected the EXPRESS: https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver0712/evaluation-installation-959313200.html

On my way, after installing jira code with all defaults, jira software complained about application directory already in use and also port 8080/8005 already in use. So I slightly changed the directory from /jira to /jira-sw and also port 8080 to 8081 & 8005 to 8006 for jira software.

The list of requirements explicitly not says that a database setup in advance is required. Another page explains that this is recommended in PRODUCTION purposed setup only.

So right after the so called "EXPRESS" installation the setup fails with database issues, see below.

Any suggestion what to do now?

[tokcum · Accepted solution]

Dear Markus,

from your description I figure you try to install Jira Core first and afterwards Jira Software. Apparently you chose to install Jira Software on its own. Is there a specific reason for that? In general you would install Jira Software as an application into the same Jira instance as opposed to install a separate Jira instance.

Does this make sense to you?

Kind regards,

Tobias

[Markus Pöhler]

Hi, all I did was executing what the quoted installation instruction page says.

https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver0712/evaluation-installation-959313200.html

1 Download the products.

2 Install the products. Chose EXPRESS.

In the exact order as it says, yes. Since our production env is running all those three products as well, I did not leave anything out and installed CORE and SOFTWARE afterwards. Service Desk not (yet).

I do not understand what you mean by "on its own". This kind of decision was not part of the installation routine.

Looks like nobody has ever tried that instruction before...  :-)

How do others install? Are there better instructions?

[tokcum]

When you download all three *.bin files for Jira Core, Jira Software and Jira Service Desk and install them from scratch you get three independently running application servers. So each of the products runs on its own. By default all these products run at the same ports. That's why you get this errors at startup pointing to "address already in use".

Another approach is to install Jira Software from its .bin. This includes Jira Core. After this you install Jira Service Desk as an application (represented by an *.obr file) into the same Jira instance.

I agree the article you used should point out more obviously that you should decide for one of the products and not all at the same time. Better instructions are linked on top of this article though.

[Markus Pöhler]

Ok, then I will give this a try.

Any article you can point me to, that will help to uninstall first what I have done so far?

Thanks

[tokcum]

You are welcome.

I think your Jira Core Installation should be fine. You can install Jira Software and Jira Service Desk on top of that two. So you do not need to uninstall Jira Core.

To revert the Jira Software installation: on Linux you would just delete the install directory which is by default located in /opt/atlassian. There is also a data directory located in /var/atlassian/application-data by default.

The Jira installer has probably created a group and user. Check your local /etc/passwd, shadow and group.

Please be careful not to delete Jira Core related directories by chance. Consider to take a snapshot before cleaning up.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

"Error writing database file" is indeed a bit generic, but it does point you to the main place to look.

When you install a new Jira and select the "express" option, it still needs a database, and hence installs it's own internal one.  This is a simple "h2" memory and disk based database - when Jira starts, it reads a handful of files into its memory, uses that as the database, and writes changes back to the files as it goes.

The error we have here simply means "the operating system is not letting me create/edit the database files".  Start with the obvious checks - is there plenty of free disk space for the database files and do all the directorys have the right ownership and permissions (specifically the contents of <jira home>/database, but check the entire home directory)

[Markus Pöhler]

I am unable to do these checks. No clue what to check for. A shame the installation does not advise us what to check, especially since other pre-checks are listed. I expect an installation/setup routine to do the job... Is there a way to install the software in a way that the software is operational afterwards?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do.

The operating system is telling the installer that there is something wrong with the file access it needs. 

I don't know why you can't check on that though.  If you have access to install software, you should have enough access to look around the OS as well - although it's possible to grant people "write only" in some OS's so that they could install without being able to see what they are doing, it's very rare to do so because it's pretty pointless.

The installer is trying to do the job of installing working software, but your OS is stopping it.  There's no way an installer can force an OS to do something it's not set up to do.  If, for example, the problem is disk space, then a simple analogy is a bucket of water - when it's full, a hosepipe simply can't pour more water in without overflowing - an installer can't use empty disk space that isn't there.

[Markus Pöhler]

Hi, thanks for your replies.

Unfortunately, although I COULD do anything I want on this device, I am not a professional OS round-looker. I could execute the necessary commandy, but I neigher have enough time nor energy to find out how what the required steps are, that someone has forgot to add to the installation routing on atlassian side.

I was hopting to spend some time discovering the software and features itself, not the linux commands to make it running.

I fell like I am going on a tesla test drive but have to use a screw driver first  to fix the motor to make even the engine start... really, no.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Again, this is NOT an installer function.  There's nothing "forgotten" by the installer, it is asking to do something that the operating system is not letting it do.

The installer is trying to do the job of installing working software, but your OS is stopping it.