How to fix ElasticSearch docker AccessDeniedException[/usr/share/elasticsearch/data/nodes];”,

Problem:

You are trying to start a dockerized ElasticSearch instance but you see an error log like

lasticsearch1    | {"type": "server", "timestamp": "2020-04-18T01:17:27,564Z", "level": "ERROR", "component": "o.e.b.ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler", "cluster.name": "docker-cluster", "node.name": "elasticsearch1", "message": "uncaught exception in thread [main]", 
elasticsearch1    | "stacktrace": ["org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.StartupException: ElasticsearchException[failed to bind service]; nested: AccessDeniedException[/usr/share/elasticsearch/data/nodes];",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:174) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.execute(Elasticsearch.java:161) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.cli.EnvironmentAwareCommand.execute(EnvironmentAwareCommand.java:86) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Command.java:125) ~[elasticsearch-cli-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:90) ~[elasticsearch-cli-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:126) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:92) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "Caused by: org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchException: failed to bind service",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:615) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:257) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap$5.<init>(Bootstrap.java:221) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.setup(Bootstrap.java:221) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:349) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:170) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "... 6 more",
elasticsearch1    | "Caused by: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: /usr/share/elasticsearch/data/nodes",
elasticsearch1    | "at sun.nio.fs.UnixException.translateToIOException(UnixException.java:90) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at sun.nio.fs.UnixException.rethrowAsIOException(UnixException.java:111) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at sun.nio.fs.UnixException.rethrowAsIOException(UnixException.java:116) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at sun.nio.fs.UnixFileSystemProvider.createDirectory(UnixFileSystemProvider.java:389) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at java.nio.file.Files.createDirectory(Files.java:693) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at java.nio.file.Files.createAndCheckIsDirectory(Files.java:800) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | "at java.nio.file.Files.createDirectories(Files.java:786) ~[?:?]",
elasticsearch1    | uncaught exception in thread [main]
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment.lambda$new$0(NodeEnvironment.java:274) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment$NodeLock.<init>(NodeEnvironment.java:211) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment.<init>(NodeEnvironment.java:271) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:277) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:257) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap$5.<init>(Bootstrap.java:221) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.setup(Bootstrap.java:221) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:349) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:170) ~[elasticsearch-7.6.2.jar:7.6.2]",
elasticsearch1    | "... 6 more"] }
elasticsearch1    | ElasticsearchException[failed to bind service]; nested: AccessDeniedException[/usr/share/elasticsearch/data/nodes];
elasticsearch1    | Likely root cause: java.nio.file.AccessDeniedException: /usr/share/elasticsearch/data/nodes
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/sun.nio.fs.UnixException.translateToIOException(UnixException.java:90)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/sun.nio.fs.UnixException.rethrowAsIOException(UnixException.java:111)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/sun.nio.fs.UnixException.rethrowAsIOException(UnixException.java:116)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/sun.nio.fs.UnixFileSystemProvider.createDirectory(UnixFileSystemProvider.java:389)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/java.nio.file.Files.createDirectory(Files.java:693)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/java.nio.file.Files.createAndCheckIsDirectory(Files.java:800)
elasticsearch1    |     at java.base/java.nio.file.Files.createDirectories(Files.java:786)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment.lambda$new$0(NodeEnvironment.java:274)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment$NodeLock.<init>(NodeEnvironment.java:211)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment.<init>(NodeEnvironment.java:271)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:277)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.<init>(Node.java:257)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap$5.<init>(Bootstrap.java:221)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.setup(Bootstrap.java:221)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:349)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:170)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.execute(Elasticsearch.java:161)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.cli.EnvironmentAwareCommand.execute(EnvironmentAwareCommand.java:86)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Command.java:125)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:90)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:126)
elasticsearch1    |     at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:92)
elasticsearch1    | For complete error details, refer to the log at /usr/share/elasticsearch/logs/docker-cluster.log

Solution:

Fix the permissions of the host directory mapped to /usr/share/elasticsearch/data. On my instance that directory is /var/lib/elasticsearch/esdata1.

Run

sudo chown -R 1000:1000 [directory]

e.g.

sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /var/lib/elasticsearch/esdata1