Nginx Configuration/Syntax Error

Exit code 1 indicates Nginx failed to start due to a configuration error, syntax problem, or permission issue that prevents the master process from initializing.

Common Causes

Syntax error in nginx.conf or included configuration files
Missing or incorrect file/directory permissions for Nginx user
Invalid or conflicting server block configurations
Port binding conflicts (another service using port 80/443)
Missing required modules or dependencies

How to Fix

1 Test Configuration Syntax

Validate your Nginx configuration files for syntax errors before attempting to start the service.

BASH

$ nginx -t

2 Check Detailed Error Logs

Examine Nginx error logs for specific error messages that indicate what's causing the failure.

BASH

 $ tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log
# Or check journalctl for systemd systems
journalctl -u nginx -f

3 Verify Port Availability

Check if ports 80 and/or 443 are already in use by another process.

BASH

 $ sudo netstat -tulpn | grep :80
sudo netstat -tulpn | grep :443
# Or using ss
sudo ss -tulpn | grep :80

4 Check File Permissions

Ensure Nginx user (usually www-data or nginx) has proper read permissions for configuration files and write permissions for log directories.

BASH

 $ sudo ls -la /etc/nginx/
sudo ls -la /var/log/nginx/
# Fix permissions if needed
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/log/nginx/
sudo chmod -R 755 /etc/nginx/

5 Start with Minimal Configuration

Temporarily replace your configuration with a minimal working version to isolate the problem.

BASH

 $ # Backup current config
sudo cp /etc/nginx/nginx.conf /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.backup
# Create minimal config
echo 'events {}
http {
    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name localhost;
        location / {
            return 200 "OK";
        }
    }
}' | sudo tee /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
# Test and restart
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl restart nginx