Service not starting

WriteFreely Installation
1 
sudo systemctl start writefreely

produces no error but …

sudo systemctl status

produces…

● learn-podgajna
    State: degraded
     Jobs: 0 queued
   Failed: 1 units
    Since: Mon 2020-12-07 11:50:58 UTC; 1 day 4h ago
   CGroup: /
           ├─user.slice 
           │ └─user-1001.slice 
           │   ├─session-35.scope 
           │   │ ├─24505 sshd: podgajnaweb [priv]
           │   │ ├─24623 sshd: podgajnaweb@pts/0
           │   │ ├─24624 -bash
           │   │ ├─24625 /usr/lib/openssh/sftp-server
           │   │ ├─24696 sudo systemctl status
           │   │ ├─24697 systemctl status
           │   │ └─24698 pager
           │   └─user@1001.service …
           │     └─init.scope 
           │       ├─24514 /lib/systemd/systemd --user
           │       └─24517 (sd-pam)
           ├─init.scope 
           │ └─1 /sbin/init
           └─system.slice 
             ├─systemd-networkd.service 
             │ └─359 /lib/systemd/systemd-networkd
             ├─systemd-udevd.service 
             │ └─188 /lib/systemd/systemd-udevd
             ├─google-clock-skew-daemon.service 
             │ └─830 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/google_clock_skew_daemon
             ├─cron.service 
             │ └─537 /usr/sbin/cron -f
             ├─system-serial\x2dgetty.slice 
             │ └─serial-getty@ttyS0.service 
             │   └─840 /sbin/agetty -o -p -- \u --keep-baud 115200,38400,9600 ttyS0 vt220
             ├─polkit.service 
             │ └─921 /usr/lib/policykit-1/polkitd --no-debug
             ├─networkd-dispatcher.service 
             │ └─551 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/networkd-dispatcher --run-startup-triggers
             ├─google-network-daemon.service 
             │ └─806 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/google_network_daemon
             ├─multipathd.service 
             │ └─303 /sbin/multipathd -d -s
             ├─accounts-daemon.service 
             │ └─521 /usr/lib/accountsservice/accounts-daemon
             ├─systemd-journald.service 
             │ └─161 /lib/systemd/systemd-journald
             ├─atd.service 
             │ └─560 /usr/sbin/atd -f
             ├─unattended-upgrades.service 
             │ └─932 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/share/unattended-upgrades/unattended-upgrade-shutdown --wait-for-signal
             ├─ssh.service 
             │ └─852 sshd: /usr/sbin/sshd -D [listener] 0 of 10-100 startups
             ├─snapd.service 
             │ └─6497 /usr/lib/snapd/snapd
             ├─mysql.service 
             │ └─12190 /usr/sbin/mysqld
             ├─rsyslog.service 
             │ └─553 /usr/sbin/rsyslogd -n -iNONE
             ├─chrony.service 
             │ ├─1946 /usr/sbin/chronyd -F -1
             │ └─1947 /usr/sbin/chronyd -F -1
             ├─systemd-resolved.service 
             │ └─379 /lib/systemd/systemd-resolved
             ├─dbus.service 
             │ └─540 /usr/bin/dbus-daemon --system --address=systemd: --nofork --nopidfile --systemd-activation --syslog-only
             ├─system-getty.slice 
             │ └─getty@tty1.service 
             │   └─919 /sbin/agetty -o -p -- \u --noclear tty1 linux
             ├─google-accounts-daemon.service 
             │ └─825 /usr/bin/python3 /usr/bin/google_accounts_daemon
             └─systemd-logind.service 
               └─558 /lib/systemd/systemd-logind

and

sudo journalctl -f -u writefreely

produces…

-- Logs begin at Mon 2020-12-07 11:50:59 UTC. --
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: Started writefreely.service.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[24778]: writefreely.service: Changing to the requested working directory failed: No such file or directory
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[24778]: writefreely.service: Failed at step CHDIR spawning /var/www/write.podgajna.com/writefreely: No such file or directory
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=200/CHDIR
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: Stopped writefreely.service.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 08 16:00:44 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: Failed to start writefreely.service.
2

I’m sure something is wrong with my configuration file at

/etc/systemd/system/writefreely.service:

cat /etc/systemd/system/writefreely.service

produces…

#After=syslog.target network.target
# If MySQL is running on the same machine, uncomment the following 
# line to use it, instead. 
After=syslog.target network.target mysql.service

[Service]
Type=simple
StandardOutput=syslog
StandardError=syslog
WorkingDirectory=/var/www/write.podgajna.com
ExecStart=/var/www/write.podgajna.com//writefreely
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
3

I just checked and those folders aren’t there but should they be?

4

I also have this in my DNS:

write.podgajna.com.	A	104.197.131.34
5

There might be something going on in the writefreely.service file.

I am not sure how your folder structure is, but should this:

ExecStart=/var/www/write.podgajna.com//writefreely

Be this instead?

ExecStart=/var/www/write.podgajna.com/writefreely/writefreely

That might explain the “working directory failed: No such file or directory” error. Hope that helps!

6

Something has gone wrong with my installation. Any chance for an interactive session with someone?

7 
sudo systemctl status writefreely.service

produces

sudo systemctl status writefreely.service
● writefreely.service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/writefreely.service; disabled; vendor preset: enabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Sat 2020-12-12 18:56:49 UTC; 6s ago
    Process: 100326 ExecStart=/home/podgajnaweb/writefreely/writefreely (code=exited, status=200/CHDIR)
   Main PID: 100326 (code=exited, status=200/CHDIR)

Dec 12 18:56:49 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Dec 12 18:56:49 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: Stopped writefreely.service.
Dec 12 18:56:49 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Dec 12 18:56:49 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: writefreely.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Dec 12 18:56:49 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: Failed to start writefreely.service.
Dec 12 18:56:56 learn-podgajna systemd[1]: /etc/systemd/system/writefreely.service:4: Assignment outside of section. Ignoring.