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we have a simple systemd script to start a MineCraft server in a service fashion. The SO is CentOS 7. Here the script:

[Unit]
Description=Minecraft Server
After=syslog.target network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/root/Minecraft
ExecStart=/bin/java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Starting the service works fine but when stopping , the service remains in a failed state. See:

systemctl status minecraftd.service
minecraftd.service - Minecraft Server
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/minecraftd.service; disabled)
   Active: active (running) since Mon 2015-06-01 16:00:12 UTC; 18s ago
 Main PID: 20975 (java)
   CGroup: /system.slice/minecraftd.service
           └─20975 /bin/java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui
systemctl stop minecraftd.service
systemctl status minecraftd.service
minecraftd.service - Minecraft Server
   Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/minecraftd.service; disabled)
   Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2015-06-01 16:01:37 UTC; 3s ago
  Process: 20975 ExecStart=/bin/java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.jar nogui (code=exited, status=143)
 Main PID: 20975 (code=exited, status=143)

Any idea?

Thanks

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2 Answers 2

Reset to default
50

Exit code 143 means that the program received a SIGTERM signal to instruct it to exit. The JVM catches the signal, does a clean shutdown, i.e. it runs all registered shutdown hooks, but still exits with an exit code of 143. That's just how Java works.

You should be able to suppress this by adding the exit code into the unit file as a "success" exit status:

[Service]
SuccessExitStatus=143
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4
  • It works. Now the service is in the inactive status, as expected.
    – kalise
    Jun 1, 2015 at 17:26
  • 4
    What would the "proper" way to handle the signal with a Java application? The closest I can find would be shutdown hooks, but nowhere in the documentation does it mention that shutdown hooks alter the exit code of the application.
    – SPoage
    Apr 22, 2016 at 19:04
  • @SPoage stackoverflow.com/q/2975248/1068283 But, it seems, Java always exits with code 143 in this case, even if a shutdown hook is present.
    – Michael Hampton
    Jul 4, 2018 at 14:20
  • Relevant detail: systemd has code that specifically checks whether the child was killed with SIGTERM, and counts it as a clean shutdown. However, the JVM catching the signal and then still exiting with code 143 sets code == CLD_EXITED instead of code == CLD_KILLED, so that check doesn't trigger.
    – nh2
    Jan 26, 2022 at 20:08
18

To complement Michael's answer, the exit code 143 is normal here, it is the way that the java VM received a SIGTERM signal, send by systemd to stop the process. The SIGTERM signal has a numeric value of 15 ( see man signal).

Now according to the Posix specification, "The exit status of a command that terminated because it received a signal shall be reported as greater than 128". (http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/xcu_chap02.html#tag_02_08_02)

Here the Java VM adds 128 + 15 and you get this exit code of 143.

This non zero exit code here make senses, as this allows to see that your java program exited because of an external signal, and you get a chance to find out which signal.

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2
  • The referenced POSIX specification text appears to be specifying how a shell should behave and says "The shell is a command language interpreter." A Java VM doesn't seem to be something covered by that specification. How a shell interprets a Java VM (or any other program) terminating due to SIGTERM - that it should set the exit code to 143 - certainly is covered by the specification, but I'm fairly sure there isn't a shell involved here.
    – doshea
    Jul 24, 2018 at 8:28
  • You're right in that this POSIX specification is directed at the UNIX shell, but here it looks like the JVM authors decided to implement their return code the same way.
    – Manu
    Jul 24, 2018 at 8:47

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