# Trying to run node-red on root

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [24 March 2019 18:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372 "2019-03-24T18:43:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [24 March 2019 18:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/1 "2019-03-24T18:43:52Z")

</div>

Hi using Proxmox , with Ubuntu Container

i am trying to setup node-red to run on startup  
using the below guide

> **[How to install and configure Node-RED on Ubuntu 16.04 | DigitalOcean](https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-connect-your-internet-of-things-with-node-red-on-ubuntu-16-04)**
>
> Node-RED is a switchboard for the Internet of Things, a visual tool that helps you connect your favorite apps, websites, and hardware together to do new and useful things. Node-RED has a powerful and flexible interface, and a large open source...

but i think my issue is that i am root user on this container, i really don't want to get into users and permissions  
is there any way to make node red jump on start as root

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [24 March 2019 21:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/2 "2019-03-24T21:43:19Z")

</div>

It is virtually _always_ a bad move to run things as root - especially on Internet facing systems.

Really, there is a reason that users/groups are there and you need to make use of them unless you want to join the many people running compromised systems.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [24 March 2019 21:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/3 "2019-03-24T21:46:38Z")

</div>

agree but this is only a testing env for me moving from windows to linux  
want to see if all my stuff work...

if you can tell me how to create a user? or give me some guide?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [24 March 2019 21:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/4 "2019-03-24T21:56:15Z")

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> [@aihysp](#):
>
> agree but this is only a testing env for me moving from windows to linux  
> want to see if all my stuff work...

Urm, no, it is an Internet facing server.

> [@aihysp](#):
>
> if you can tell me how to create a user? or give me some guide?

No sorry, I'll not be doing that. The Internet has enough compromised machines. Please learn how to do it properly or use a device on a private network.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 05:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/5 "2019-03-25T05:55:51Z")

</div>

🙂 thanks for the concern, i rather do it also the good way,  
can anyone tell me what exactly i need to do?  
i have a container with only root user, and node already installed

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 07:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/6 "2019-03-25T07:23:05Z")

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Maybe a good read of the docs would help ? [https://nodered.org/docs/hardware/raspberrypi](https://nodered.org/docs/hardware/raspberrypi)  
Although written for pi, Ubuntu is also Debian based, so it all applies the same. Particularly the section on running as a different user

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 17:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/7 "2019-03-25T17:59:58Z")

</div>

ok so i did a little reading and created a new user and installed node red on it  
now i am trying to setup this script but with no luck at all

```auto
[Unit]
Description=Node-RED
After=syslog.target network.target

[Service]
ExecStart=node-red
Restart=on-failure
KillSignal=SIGINT

# log output to syslog as 'node-red'
SyslogIdentifier=node-red
StandardOutput=syslog

# non-root user to run as
WorkingDirectory=/home/newuser/
User=newuser
Group=newuser

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

```

i dont have this node red PI folder so i replaced it with the "node-red"  
ExecStart=node-red  
not sure what i am doing wrong please help

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 18:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/8 "2019-03-25T18:18:59Z")

</div>

> [@aihysp](#):
>
> [Service] ExecStart=node-red Restart=on-failure KillSignal=SIGINT

this is my error  
root@CT104:~# sudo journalctl -f -u nodered -o cat  
Started Node-RED graphical event wiring tool.  
nodered.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=217/USER  
nodered.service: Unit entered failed state.  
nodered.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.  
nodered.service: Service hold-off time over, scheduling restart.  
Stopped Node-RED graphical event wiring tool.  
nodered.service: Start request repeated too quickly.  
Failed to start Node-RED graphical event wiring tool.  
nodered.service: Unit entered failed state.  
nodered.service: Failed with result 'start-limit-hit'.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 18:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/9 "2019-03-25T18:23:56Z")

</div>

from the command line (as the user of your choosing) - can you just run `node-red` ? and does it work ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 18:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/10 "2019-03-25T18:29:52Z")

</div>

> [@aihysp](#):
>
> n you just run `node-red` ? and does it work ?

yes it works this way

how can i check what is the command i need for ExecStart= per my install ?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [25 March 2019 20:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/11 "2019-03-25T20:41:52Z")

</div>

OK, here is my service file:

```auto
# See https://gist.github.com/Belphemur/3f6d3bf211b0e8a18d93
# http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/
#
# If changing this file, run:
# sudo systemctl daemon-reload && sudo systemctl enable nrlive

[Unit]
Description=Node-Red Home Automation production (live) service
Documentation=file:///home/pi/nrlive/README.md http://nodered.org/docs
After=syslog.target network.target
Wants=mosquitto.service influxdb.service

[Service]
Type=simple

#Environment="NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=128" "NODE_RED_OPTIONS=--userDir /home/pi/nrlive/.data -v"
#Environment="NODE_RED_OPTIONS=-v"

# Environment variables file, overrides the Environment settings
# @See https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.exec.html#EnvironmentFile=
EnvironmentFile=/home/pi/nrlive/.data/envFile.txt

# No path available here so make sure absolute folders specified
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node $NODE_OPTIONS /home/pi/nrlive/node_modules/node-red/red.js $NODE_RED_OPTIONS

WorkingDirectory=/home/pi/nrlive

# User/Group that launches node-RED (it's advised to create a new user for Node-RED)
# You can do : sudo useradd node-red then change the User=root by User=node-red
User=pi
Group=pi

Nice=10

SyslogIdentifier=NRlive
StandardOutput=syslog

# Make Node-RED restart if it fails
Restart=on-failure

#Restart=always
#RestartSec=100

# Node-RED need a SIGINT to be notified to stop
KillSignal=SIGINT

# Prevent this service changing the OS or /etc
# @See https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.exec.html#ProtectSystem=
ProtectSystem=full

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

```

Note some things that I use in mine however that you may or may not want. First note that I don't run Node-RED from the standard global installation (mine is installed to `/home/pi/nrlive/`) nor do I use the standard location for the userDir (`~/.node-red`, mine is in `/home/pi/nrlive/.data/`).

I also wait for mosquitto and InfluxDB to start before I start Node-RED. In addition, my environment settings are in a file `/home/pi/nrlive/.data/envFile.txt`:

```auto
# Environment variables file for running nrlive under SystemD
# Each line is a separate variable that will be available to the ExecStart
# and to the running process.
# @see https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/systemd.exec.html#EnvironmentFile=
#
# Called from /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/nrlive.service
# Which is linked from /home/pi/nrlive/systemd/nrlive.service

NODE_OPTIONS=--max_old_space_size=256
NODE_RED_OPTIONS=--userDir /home/pi/nrlive/.data -v

```

Also note the name of the service and any other comments in the file. While this is on a Pi (actually I use 2 Pi's each with similar settings), it translates just fine to Ubuntu.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![aihysp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/aihysp/32/2278_2.png) [@aihysp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/aihysp)\
**Post date:** [7 April 2019 13:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/trying-to-run-node-red-on-root/9372/12 "2019-04-07T13:41:39Z")

</div>

> [@TotallyInformation](#):
>
> -size=128" "NODE\_RED\_OPTIONS=--userDir /home/pi/nrlive/.data -v" #Environment="NODE\_RED\_OPTIONS=-v"

Hi thanks i was able to make it work with pm2 manger