# Unable to start pritunl-web.service

**URL:** <https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645>\
**Category:** Pritunl VPN\
**Tags:** pritunl\
**Created:** [December 2, 2025, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645 "2025-12-02T21:43:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/9de053/32.png) [@new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/u/new-pritunl-user)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645/1 "2025-12-02T21:43:51Z")

</div>

I have setup the pritunl but I am unable to start the pritunl web service. When I check for status for webservice

```auto
myusername@pritunl-deb12-vpn:~$ sudo systemctl status pritunl-web
× pritunl-web.service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/pritunl-web.service; static)
     Active: failed (Result: resources)
        CPU: 0

Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to load environment files: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to run 'start' task: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed with result 'resources'.
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: Failed to start pritunl-web.service.
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to load environment files: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to run 'start' task: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed with result 'resources'.
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: Failed to start pritunl-web.service.

```

When I follow the instructions on [High Security Environment](https://docs.pritunl.com/docs/high-security) to set up the app.web\_systemd true; it fails with this error

```auto
myusername@pritunl-deb12-vpn:~$ sudo pritunl set app.web_systemd true
[local][2025-12-02 21:38:20,212][ERROR] Pritunl setup failed
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pritunl/setup/ __init__.py", line 93, in setup_db_host
    setup_mongo()
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pritunl/setup/mongo.py", line 337, in setup_mongo
    client = pymongo.MongoClient(
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pymongo/mongo_client.py", line 791, in __init__
    seeds.update(uri_parser.split_hosts(entity, port))
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pymongo/uri_parser.py", line 376, in split_hosts
    raise ConfigurationError("Empty host (or extra comma in host list).")
pymongo.errors.ConfigurationError: Empty host (or extra comma in host list).
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/pritunl", line 33, in <module>
    sys.exit(load_entry_point('pritunl==1.32.4400.99', 'console_scripts', 'pritunl')())
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pritunl/ __main__.py", line 186, in main
    setup.setup_db_host()
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pritunl/setup/ __init__.py", line 93, in setup_db_host
    setup_mongo()
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pritunl/setup/mongo.py", line 337, in setup_mongo
    client = pymongo.MongoClient(
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pymongo/mongo_client.py", line 791, in __init__
    seeds.update(uri_parser.split_hosts(entity, port))
  File "/usr/lib/pritunl/usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/pymongo/uri_parser.py", line 376, in split_hosts
    raise ConfigurationError("Empty host (or extra comma in host list).")
pymongo.errors.ConfigurationError: Empty host (or extra comma in host list).

```

Journalctl says this about webservice –

```auto
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to load environment files: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to run ‘start’ task: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed with result ‘resources’.
Subject: Unit failed
Defined-By: systemd
Support: 

The unit pritunl-web.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘resources’.
Dec 02 21:19:20 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: Failed to start pritunl-web.service.
Subject: A start job for unit pritunl-web.service has failed
Defined-By: systemd
Support: 

A start job for unit pritunl-web.service has finished with a failure.

The job identifier is 1368 and the job result is failed.
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to load environment files: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed to run ‘start’ task: No such file or directory
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: pritunl-web.service: Failed with result ‘resources’.
Subject: Unit failed
Defined-By: systemd
Support: 

The unit pritunl-web.service has entered the ‘failed’ state with result ‘resources’.
Dec 02 21:21:35 pritunl-deb12-vpn systemd[1]: Failed to start pritunl-web.service.
Subject: A start job for unit pritunl-web.service has failed
Defined-By: systemd
Support: 

A start job for unit pritunl-web.service has finished with a failure.

The job identifier is 1451 and the job result is failed.

```

How do I start the pritunl-web.service? Please help.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zach](https://forum.pritunl.com/user_avatar/forum.pritunl.com/zach/32/1105_2.png) [@zach](https://forum.pritunl.com/u/zach)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 11:50pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645/2 "2025-12-02T23:50:27Z")

</div>

The service isn’t intended to be started directly. It needs to be started by the Pritunl process which will configure required environmental variables before starting it. The command `sudo pritunl set app.web_systemd true` failed because the server does not yet have a MongoDB server configured. This must be done first then run `sudo pritunl set app.web_systemd true` then `sudo systemctl restart pritunl`.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/9de053/32.png) [@new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/u/new-pritunl-user)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645/3 "2025-12-03T14:12:07Z")

</div>

That solved it, thank you.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/n/9de053/32.png) [@new-pritunl-user](https://forum.pritunl.com/u/new-pritunl-user)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 3:50pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645/4 "2025-12-03T15:50:49Z")

</div>

Thank you @zach

I was able to start the webservice but it is showing tls errors in the journalctl for pritunl-web

```auto
Dec 03 15:27:15 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:27:15 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:30269: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:30269: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:27:15 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:27:15 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:30268: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:30268: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:16 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:16 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:41966: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:41966: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:16 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:16 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:41967: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:41967: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:16 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:16 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:42043: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:42043: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:16 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:16 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:42044: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:42044: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:19 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:19 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:18424: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:18424: read: connection reset by peer
Dec 03 15:28:19 pritunl-deb12-vpn pritunl-web[913]: 2025/12/03 15:28:19 http: TLS handshake error from abc.123.2.88:9277: read tcp 10.1.1.10:443->abc.123.2.88:9277: read: connection reset by peer

```

I am not sure where to look. I have checked the firewall rules. Would you please share your thoughts?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zach](https://forum.pritunl.com/user_avatar/forum.pritunl.com/zach/32/1105_2.png) [@zach](https://forum.pritunl.com/u/zach)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://forum.pritunl.com/t/unable-to-start-pritunl-web-service/3645/5 "2025-12-03T17:26:45Z")

</div>

It appears that it isn’t reaching the internal web server. You cannot start the pritunl-web service, it needs to be managed by the pritunl process. Run the commands below and restart the server.

```bash
sudo systemctl disable pritunl-web
sudo reboot

```