# Failing to start neo4j automatically on ubuntu

**URL:** <https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034>\
**Category:** Server\
**Tags:** startup\
**Created:** [July 25, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034 "2019-07-25T22:45:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![matthew.haynes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/matthew.haynes/32/3913_2.png) [@matthew.haynes](https://community.neo4j.com/u/matthew.haynes)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034/1 "2019-07-25T22:45:08Z")

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I am running Ubuntu 18.04lts and neo4j 3.5.8  
but for the life of me cannot get it to start automatically. the only way i can get it working is: sudo neo4j start

using systemctl (with sudo) says its running, but i cannot access the website.

i have followed neo4j documentation and other blogs etc but after hours im getting nowhere.

i do have it working on another box, but i cant work out how i set this up. this was using an earlier version of neo4j and ubuntu 16lts but have since been upgraded and still working fine.

thoughts?

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**Author:** ![alfonso.martinez](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/alfonso.martinez/32/4376_2.png) [@alfonso.martinez](https://community.neo4j.com/u/alfonso.martinez)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034/2 "2019-07-26T02:20:43Z")

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Matthew,

I am curious--are you running 3.5.8 CE or 1.2.1.Desktop?

In either case, I would double check the neo4j.conf and review the settings for connections.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![matthew.haynes](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/matthew.haynes/32/3913_2.png) [@matthew.haynes](https://community.neo4j.com/u/matthew.haynes)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034/3 "2019-07-27T14:02:26Z")

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Hi Alfonso,

This is 3.5.8 CE. I have determined the conf file is correct because if I run: sudo neo4j start  
The server will be running and I can successfully operate neo4j without any issue.

Thoughts?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![leonard.panichi](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/leonard.panichi/32/1484_2.png) [@leonard.panichi](https://community.neo4j.com/u/leonard.panichi)\
**Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/failing-to-start-neo4j-automatically-on-ubuntu/9034/4 "2019-07-27T18:33:27Z")

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Hi, are you saying that you ran "sudo service neo4j status" and it says that it is active but you can't access the browser ?  
Have you run

```auto
systemctl enable neo4j

```

(from [Neo4j system service - Operations Manual](https://neo4j.com/docs/operations-manual/current/installation/linux/systemd/))