zookeeper + Kafka - Unable to create data directory

Question

I´m using zookeeper 3.4.8 in single node and try to use kafka.

When I run this command:

zookeeper-server-start.sh /usr/local/kafka_2.9.2-0.8.2.2    /config/zookeeper.properties

I get the below error:

[2016-02-22 17:32:41,661] ERROR Unexpected exception, exiting abnormally (org.apache.zookeeper.server.ZooKeeperServerMain)
java.io.IOException: Unable to create data directory /var/zookeeper/version-2
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.persistence.FileTxnSnapLog.<init>(FileTxnSnapLog.java:85)
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.ZooKeeperServerMain.runFromConfig(ZooKeeperServerMain.java:104)
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.ZooKeeperServerMain.initializeAndRun(ZooKeeperServerMain.java:86)
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.ZooKeeperServerMain.main(ZooKeeperServerMain.java:52)
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.quorum.QuorumPeerMain.initializeAndRun(QuorumPeerMain.java:116)
    at org.apache.zookeeper.server.quorum.QuorumPeerMain.main(QuorumPeerMain.java:78)

Any advice?

Kilbride

Sounds like a permissions problem. Can you perform the command if you sudo it? – Fenian

Answer 1

One reason could be the inappropriate path specified to zoo.config file. A lot of solutions on the web specifies the path as ":\zookeeper-3.4.7\data".

Instead of the above mentioned format, specify the address as full path from your C: drive to the data folder. It worked for me. (Don't forget to put double slash \ instead of one in case you're on windows)

Furtado

This was exactly the case and it was fixed. Sharing my correct data dir: "dataDir= C:\\Program Files\Apache Zookeeper\zookeeper-3.4.11\data" – Homograft

Answer 2

I got this problem for this setting on Windows PC:

dataDir=c:/data/zoo/

and thus this error:

2016-12-02 15:29:25,327 [myid:] - ERROR [main:ZooKeeperServerMain@64] - Unexpected exception, exiting abnormally
java.io.IOException: Unable to create data directory ??:\data\zoo\version-2

Problem was solved by changing (I have ZooKeeper on C disk unpackaged)

dataDir=/data/zoo/

Also run command line tool as Administrator if needed

Arteriole

Answer 3

I faced the same issue, and this works with

sudo bin/zookeeper-server-start.sh config/zookeeper.properties

Beverleebeverley

Nice insight. Is this also a good advice for the OP? – Lawabiding

Answer 4

You probably don't have permission to write to the directory log.dirs (see zookeeper.properties). Change the directory to a different one, change the permission setting of the current log.dirs directory or run Kafka as different user. You can use the command ls -l /var/zookeeper to see the current permissions and then chmod to change the permissions.

Lutist

I'm glad that it works but I'd recommend to change the folder permissions instead of running Zookeeper as sudo. – Springwood

Answer 5

The reason is that zookeeper has no permission. Trying to use the administrator role to install it.

Tabu

Answer 6

For windows, set dataDir to full path where you have no access restrictions - with no quotes("")

dataDir=C:\\your-path\
dataDir=C:\\zk\tmp\

Note: I have observed the command to fail for some of the path(though full access) and running command prompt as administrator has solved it.

Gobbet

Answer 7

For window's machine

Solved : Use double slashes inside the path while defining the dataDir path

dataDir=E:\\tools\\zookeeperdata\\data

Mysia

Answer 8

And in my windows 10 system, using zookeeper 3.4.10. the dataDir attribute should setting like :\\\\zookeeper\\\\data, not d:\zookeeper\data. it also can setting as linux file system separator(d:/zookeeper/data). then this problem should be ok. And in linux, I think it permission problem. also it can come across when dataDir is under driver C in windows system.

Testaceous

Answer 9

If you're running the zookeeper in the Windows 10 machine we need to specify the dataDir property something like this

"dataDir=C:\zookeeper-3.4.13\data"

Officiate

Answer 10

In my windows 10 system, using zookeeper 3.4.13, the following example path is working:

"dataDir=C:\\dev\\tools\\zookeeper-3.4.13\\data"

You have to use double backslashes.

Oceania

Answer 11

on zoo.cfg you need to change directory to above or anything similar:

dataDir=C:/zookeeper-3.4.14/zookeeper-3.4.14/data

Enkindle

Answer 12

I was running into this problem due to my docker desktop being out of diskspace.

Running:

docker system prune

Resolved the issue for me.

Prayerful

Answer 13

For windows the below too works:

dataDir=C:\\zookeeper-3.4.14\\zookeeper-3.4.14\\data

Shrimp