Jenkins fails with java-21-openjdk-headless

Using Jenkins
1

Probably not a bug, but i can’t find the problem. We were running java-17-openjdk-headless on RHEL8 with Jenkins version 2.543. Installed java-21-openjdk-headless and switched the default java version.

So far so good:
java --version
openjdk 21.0.9 2025-10-21 LTS
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)

systemctl restart jenkins
Job for jenkins.service failed because the control process exited with error code.
See “systemctl status jenkins.service” and “journalctl -xe” for details.

systemctl status jenkins.service
● jenkins.service - Jenkins Continuous Integration Server
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/jenkins.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled)
Drop-In: /etc/systemd/system/jenkins.service.d
└─override.conf
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2026-02-09 20:22:57 CET; 18s ago
Process: 1782170 ExecStart=/usr/bin/jenkins (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 1782170 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)

systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Service RestartSec=100ms expired, scheduling restart.
systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
systemd[1]: Stopped Jenkins Continuous Integration Server.
systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.
systemd[1]: Failed to start Jenkins Continuous Integration Server.

Running journalctl -xe doesn’t give anything.

Any help or advice would be most welcome.

Jenkins setup:Jenkins: 2.543
OS: Linux - 4.18.0-553.92.1.el8_10.x86_64
Java: 17.0.17 - Red Hat, Inc. (OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM)

Office-365-Connector:5.2.0
active-directory:2.41
allure-jenkins-plugin:2.34.0
ansicolor:1.0.6
ant:520.vd082ecfb_16a_9
antisamy-markup-formatter:173.v680e3a_b_69ff3
apache-httpcomponents-client-4-api:4.5.14-269.vfa_2321039a_83
apache-httpcomponents-client-5-api:5.6-183.ve5a_8a_b_e71e59
asm-api:9.9.1-189.vb_5ef2964da_91
atlassian-bitbucket-server-integration:5.0.0
authentication-tokens:1.144.v5ff4a_5ec5c33
bitbucket-build-status-notifier:1.4.2
blueocean:1.27.25
blueocean-autofavorite:1.2.5
blueocean-bitbucket-pipeline:1.27.25
blueocean-commons:1.27.25
blueocean-config:1.27.25
blueocean-core-js:1.27.25
blueocean-dashboard:1.27.25
blueocean-display-url:2.4.4
blueocean-events:1.27.25
blueocean-git-pipeline:1.27.25
blueocean-github-pipeline:1.27.25
blueocean-i18n:1.27.25
blueocean-jira:1.27.25
blueocean-jwt:1.27.25
blueocean-personalization:1.27.25
blueocean-pipeline-api-impl:1.27.25
blueocean-pipeline-editor:1.27.25
blueocean-pipeline-scm-api:1.27.25
blueocean-rest:1.27.25
blueocean-rest-impl:1.27.25
blueocean-web:1.27.25
bootstrap5-api:5.3.8-895.v4d0d8e47fea_d
bouncycastle-api:2.30.1.82-277.v70ca_0b_877184
branch-api:2.1268.v044a_87612da_8
build-name-setter:2.5.1
build-timeout:1.38
build-user-vars-plugin:212.vd6b_e9f6d0cdb_
caffeine-api:3.2.3-194.v31a_b_f7a_b_5a_81
checks-api:373.vfe7645102093
cloudbees-bitbucket-branch-source:937.2.3
cloudbees-folder:6.1073.va_7888eb_dd514
command-launcher:123.v37cfdc92ef67
commons-collections4-api:4.5.0-8.va_d5448ef9011
commons-compress-api:1.28.0-2
commons-httpclient3-api:3.1-3
commons-lang3-api:3.20.0-109.ve43756e2d2b_4
commons-text-api:1.15.0-210.v7480a_da_70b_9e
conditional-buildstep:1.5.0
config-file-provider:1006.vc7366c201f57
coverage:2.3060.v035a_5557cdb_c
credentials:1453.v9b_a_29777a_b_fd
credentials-binding:702.vfe613e537e88
dashboard-view:2.543.vca_9da_3cb_9c60
data-tables-api:2.3.5-1497.v38449eb_7d5a_1
dependency-check-jenkins-plugin:5.6.2
dependency-track:6.0.2
display-url-api:2.217.va_6b_de84cc74b_
docker-commons:457.v0f62a_94f11a_3
docker-workflow:634.vedc7242b_eda_7
durable-task:639.vefb_3d8372f6d
echarts-api:6.0.0-1165.vd1283a_3e37d4
eddsa-api:0.3.0.1-19.vc432d923e5ee
email-ext:1933.v45cec755423f
extended-read-permission:68.vd270568a_7520
external-monitor-job:223.vb_fddcf42c9b_3
extra-columns:1.28
favorite:2.253.v9b_413168133b_
font-awesome-api:7.1.0-882.v1dfb_771e3278
forensics-api:3.1772.v99ca_3d83b_9fa_
git:5.8.1
git-client:6.5.0
git-server:137.ve0060b_432302
github:1.45.0
github-api:1.330-492.v3941a_032db_2a_
github-branch-source:1925.v62fb_7ffb_08ce
github-pullrequest:0.7.3
gradle:2.18.1203.v2c96b_1243c72
gson-api:2.13.2-173.va_a_092315913c
handy-uri-templates-2-api:2.1.8-38.vcea_5d521d5f3
htmlpublisher:427
http_request:1.24
instance-identity:203.v15e81a_1b_7a_38
ionicons-api:94.vcc3065403257
jackson2-api:2.20.1-423.v13951f6b_6532
jakarta-activation-api:2.1.4-1
jakarta-mail-api:2.1.5-1
jakarta-xml-bind-api:4.0.6-10.v9b_7e1d1fc40b_
javadoc:354.vee1a_660b_4990
javax-activation-api:1.2.0-8
javax-mail-api:1.6.2-11
jaxb:2.3.9-133.vb_ec76a_73f706
jdk-tool:83.v417146707a_3d
jenkins-design-language:1.27.25
jersey2-api:2.47-165.ve7809a_3e87e0
jira:3.21
jjwt-api:0.11.5-120.v0268cf544b_89
job-import-plugin:122.v35289550f1e6
jobConfigHistory:1356.ve360da_6c523a_
joda-time-api:2.14.0-149.v1c3ce991d1b_9
jquery:1.12.4-3
jquery3-api:3.7.1-619.vdb_10e002501a_
jsch:0.2.16-95.v3eecb_55fa_b_78
json-api:20251224-185.v0cc18490c62c
json-path-api:2.10.0-202.va_9cc16c1e476
jsoup:1.21.2-66.v6ea_38164b_8a_2
junit:1380.v491ff054cd35
ldap:793.v754d6b_41b_ea_4
mailer:525.v2458b_d8a_1a_71
mapdb-api:1.0.9-44.va_1e1310c9118
mask-passwords:212.v4967a_a_73b_506
matrix-auth:3.2.9
matrix-project:870.v9db_fcfc2f45b_
maven-plugin:3.27
mercurial:1323.ve69d2a_db_8a_b_d
mina-sshd-api-common:2.16.0-167.va_269f38cc024
mina-sshd-api-core:2.16.0-167.va_269f38cc024
monitoring:2.6.0
multiple-scms:0.8
nodejs:1.6.6
okhttp-api:4.12.0-195.vc02552c04ffd
oss-symbols-api:424.ved751e062911
pam-auth:1.12
parameterized-trigger:873.v8b_e37dd8418f
pipeline-build-step:571.v08a_fffd4b_0ce
pipeline-github-lib:65.v203688e7727e
pipeline-graph-analysis:245.v88f03631a_b_21
pipeline-groovy-lib:787.ve2fef0efdca_6
pipeline-input-step:540.v14b_100d754dd
pipeline-milestone-step:138.v78ca_76831a_43
pipeline-model-api:2.2277.v00573e73ddf1
pipeline-model-definition:2.2277.v00573e73ddf1
pipeline-model-extensions:2.2277.v00573e73ddf1
pipeline-rest-api:2.38
pipeline-stage-step:322.vecffa_99f371c
pipeline-stage-tags-metadata:2.2277.v00573e73ddf1
pipeline-stage-view:2.38
pipeline-utility-steps:2.20.0
plain-credentials:199.v9f8e1f741799
plugin-util-api:6.1192.v30fe6e2837ff
prism-api:1.30.0-630.va_e19d17f83b_0
pubsub-light:1.19
rebuild:338.va_0a_b_50e29397
resource-disposer:0.25
robot:6.2.0
role-strategy:848.va_a_ea_673cf0b_c
run-condition:243.v3c3f94e46a_8b_
saml:4.590.v6170b_1013da_f
scm-api:724.v7d839074eb_5c
script-security:1385.v7d2d9ec4d909
snakeyaml-api:2.5-143.v93b_c004f89de
snyk-security-scanner:5.0.1
sonar:2.18.2
sse-gateway:1.28
ssh-credentials:361.vb_f6760818e8c
ssh-slaves:3.1085.vc64d040efa_85
sshd:3.374.v19b_d59ce6610
strict-crumb-issuer:2.1.1
structs:362.va_b_695ef4fdf9
subversion:1292.ve8cf25770ee3
timestamper:1.30
token-macro:477.vd4f0dc3cb_cf1
trilead-api:2.284.v1974ea_324382
variant:70.va_d9f17f859e0
workflow-aggregator:608.v67378e9d3db_1
workflow-api:1398.v67030756d3fb_
workflow-basic-steps:1098.v808b_fd7f8cf4
workflow-cps:4238.va_6fb_65c1f699
workflow-durable-task-step:1464.v2d3f5c68f84c
workflow-job:1559.va_a_533730b_ea_d
workflow-multibranch:821.vc3b_4ea_780798
workflow-scm-step:466.va_d69e602552b_
workflow-step-api:710.v3e456cc85233
workflow-support:1010.vb_b_39488a_9841
ws-cleanup:0.49

2

Never get something like this, but could be that does not found java in the path? Anyway a service run some steps so you can do it manually and check. Have seen anything in syslog or jenkins.log?

3

Switching to the account running jenkins with su and running java --version gives:
openjdk 21.0.9 2025-10-21 LTS
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)

The path doesn’t change as its a link to /usr/bin/java.

When trying to start jenkins with openjdk 21 nothing was written in the jenkins log. Any advice on how to troubleshoot this are very welcome.

4

Here the error and its confusing:

– Unit jenkins.service has begun starting up.
Feb 09 20:25:43 XXXXXX jenkins[1783717]: jenkins: invalid Java version: openjdk version “21.0.9” 2025-10-21 LTS
Feb 09 20:25:43 XXXXXX jenkins[1783717]: OpenJDK Runtime Environment (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS)
Feb 09 20:25:43 XXXXXX jenkins[1783717]: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (Red_Hat-21.0.9.0.10-1) (build 21.0.9+10-LTS, mixed mode, sharing)
Feb 09 20:25:43 XXXXXX systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 09 20:25:43 XXXXXX systemd[1]: jenkins.service: Failed with result ‘exit-code’.

To the best of my knowledge that version is supported.

5

I think i found the problem. This is the check i found in /usr/bin/jenkins, this functions checks the java version:
check_java_version() {
printf ‘%s’ “${JENKINS_OPTS}” | grep -q ‘–enable-future-java’ && return 0

    java_version=$("${JENKINS_JAVA_CMD}" -version 2>&1 |
            sed -n ';s/.* version "\([0-9]\{2,\}\|[0-9]\.[0-9]\)\..*".*/\1/p;')

    if [ -z "${java_version}" ]; then
            return 1
    elif [ "${java_version}" != "17" ] && [ "${java_version}" != "11" ]; then
            return 1
    else
            return 0
    fi

}

It only supports 17 or 11.

6

Did you install Jenkins via package manager initially? And have you updated Jenkins also via the package manager? Or did you upgrade Jenkins just by updating the war file directly?

7

Initially via the package manager. After that by just updating the war file as the package manager is running behind.

8

When you update via the package manager then it should update the start script I would say. So now you’re using an old start script with a new Jenkins.

9

Yes very true. In doubt if i should just fix the script directly or run a 1 time update via the package manager

10

Ideally you always update with the package manager.